Download Festival (DLXXI) Announces District X Lineup

With less than two months to go until the mighty Download Festival, DLXXI has unleashed its District X lineup, with guest DJ sets, acoustic performances, secret acoustic band sets, live podcasts, comedy, one-of-a-kind entertainment and much more, showing that Download is so much more than its stellar arena line up. On 12-16 June 2024 at the hallowed grounds of Donington Park, Download will be headlined by Queens Of The Stone Age, Fall Out Boy and Avenged Sevenfold. The last remaining tickets can be sought via the festival’s website.

This year, District X will be even bigger and better than ever, building on last year’s huge success, and will be open to Download weekend ticket holders from Wednesday 12 June. With secret acoustic band sets (to be announced on the day), live podcasts, DJ sets and entertainment from the likes of Bowling For Soup, Charlie Simpson (Busted), Those Damn Crows, Sullivan King, Emo Drag Karaoke, End Of The World Party and dozens more across the weekend, there really is something for everyone.

American DJ and heavy metal musician Sullivan King, known for his work in the EDM world and collaborations with Atreyu, Papa Roach, Ice Nine Kills, and more, will be doing his first UK performance at Download, bringing his unique blend of EDM and heavy metal to District X. Busted legend Charlie Simpson will also be taking to the stage for a guest DJ set, as well as Bowling For Soup, who will be doing an acoustic performance.

End Of The World Party will be hosting their first-ever alternative collaboration, where Downloaders can request all the songs they’d like to hear if it was their last day on Earth, culminating in an epic countdown and huge celebration. HE. SHE. THEY. x Mønster Queen will be collaborating to host an immersive industrial, goth, rave and drag performance experience for the first ever time at Download, and DJ collective She They Press Play will be there championing women and minority genders. Elsewhere, Gem Precious presents the Rock Festival Rave, and the Silent Disco will host DJ battles featuring Rhinestone Rodeo, Y’Allternative, Team Up, Fat Lip, Girl Power Rock Club, Face Down, Uprawr and many more.

Number Of The Beef will be playing covers from the Grand Theft Auto San Andreas soundtrack, and brass band Old Dirty Brasstards will be playing pop punk and metal covers. Old Time Sailors, a 20-piece sea shanty party band, will be playing their ‘Power Set’, with hits from the likes of Metallica and AC/DC.

Elsewhere, Oh My God! It’s The Church will be bringing their Southern-style comedy church service with live band, dancers and preacher frontman to the hallowed grounds of Donington for the first time, as will Andrew O’Neill’s History Of Heavy Metal, a unique show from the metalhead comedian and author.

After the success of last year’s live podcasts, Sappenin’ Podcast will be returning with special guests Alex Baker (Kerrang! Radio, Magic FM, Absolute Radio) and Alyx Holcombe (BBC Radio 1, Kerrang! Radio), and Those Damn Crows are not only playing the main arena, but will be bringing their podcast – Crowcast – to District X.

For the Mini Moshers, there’ll be some great kid’s entertainment, with Slay Duggee, a heavy metal band for children, teaching the mini moshers how to circle pit, mosh and more. They’ll be playing covers of kids’ songs and TV theme tunes, including “Baby Shark”. Rock Kids will be back at Download for the second time and promise to bring just as much fun with them as last year, when they did a wall of hugs and blasted everyone with a snow machine.

This jam-packed District X line-up really does have something for everyone, and means that there will truly never be a dull moment at DLXXI, both in and out of the arena.

Want to know what you’re in for if you hit up this year’s festival? Check out our review of last year.

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