Running from June 12 to 14 at Donington Park in Leicestershire, England, the U.K.'s biggest rock and metal festival featured the chart-topping band as one of the three headliners of the event, along with Limp Bizkit and Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee Guns N' Roses.
Having graced the Download Festival stage four times before, Linkin Park, which is composed of Emily Armstrong, Mike Shinoda, Dave "Phoenix" Farrell, Joe Hahn and Brad Delson, returned this year not as newcomers but as legends.
On their fifth appearance, the band made history, with Armstrong becoming the first female lead vocalist to ever headline the long-running heavy music festival.
Mike Shinoda and Emily Armstrong of Linkin Park perform onstage during Download Festival 2026 at Donington Park on June 14, 2026 in Castle Donington, England.Katja Ogrin/Getty Images
As the festival's closing headliner, the band delivered an electrifying 23-song set, broken into four acts.
Hoje a passagem do Linkin Park pelo Download Festival fez história. Foi a primeira vez que o festival contou com uma mulher como headline. Durante a apresentação de Two Faced Mike solicitou uma moshpit apenas com mulheres para comemorar o marco e homenagear a Emily.…
— PortalLinkinPark (@PortalLPBR) June 14, 2026Armstrong, the former vocalist of the alt-rock band Dead Sara, joined Linkin Park in 2024 after the band made a comeback with a reformed lineup.
Regarding the pressure of stepping into such an iconic role, Armstrong said, "Why do I think I can do this?" she wondered, telling Shinoda that she didn't want to "ruin" Linkin Park. "I'm like, you guys are a legacy band - you guys are so important."
In addition, Linkin Park also welcomed new drummer Colin Brittain, who stepped in after original member Rob Bourdon left the group during the hiatus.
Related: Linkin Park’s Hit Song Resurfaces 25 Years Later as Fans Spot ‘Stranger Things’ Similarities
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