Download Festival: Live Nation, Unified & Secret Sounds confirm date and venue

After months of speculation, UK’s heavy metal festival Download will be held at Melbourne’s Flemington Racecourse on Saturday, March 24.

The news was confirmed this morning by Live Nation, Unified and Secret Sounds.

The bill will be officially announced on November 9.

At this stage, 28 bands will be playing over the four stages on the day. One-third of these will be Australian.

The show is expected to draw 25,000 in its first year, with food, bars and markets part of the ambience

More cities will be added over the years. There’s been a huge vacuum for heavy rock fans since the collapse of Soundwave in December 2015.

Melbourne was the strongest city for Soundwave which also staged Flemington Racecourse, and drawing 35,000 in the city in its final year. Brisbane and Sydney followed.

Download launched in the UK in 2003 at Donington Park in Leicestershire, as a follow up to Monsters of Rock which were held there between 1980 and 1996.

Its three founders Stuart Galbraith, Tom Pyke and Andy Copping chose the Download name for two reasons.

One was it had a negative connotation with the music industry at the time. as it was equated with file sharing, and the three thought it would give the festival a “rebellious” image.

At the same time, the three also realised that the internet would be through the years become an important part of the festival and bands connecting with audiences.

In fact the first year, the festival allowed crowd members to download tracks from bands which had played. The idea was dropped in subsequent year.

In 2007, Download drew 80,000 to the site between June 9 to 11.

Acts included System Of A Down, Aerosmith, Biffy Clyro, Alter Bridge, Airbourne, Prophets Of Rage, Mastodon, Northlane, Sum 41, Sleeping With Sirens and the Dillinger Escape Plan.