UPDATE: The full 2018 Download Festival Australia lineup has now been announced.
ORIGINAL STORY: For all of you interstate distortion junkies feeling a bit dirty following today’s announcement that Download Festival will be making its debut in Melbourne next year, here’s some good news: the festival is planning to eventually chuck a Soundwave and expand to other Aussie cities.
“[Download] will start in Melbourne (Australia’s rock city!) with the intention of expanding each year to eventually becoming a nationally touring event,” a statement from Download Australia organisers reads.
“The lineup will reflect the one day event — and as the event grows [it] will become more in line with the UK festival.”
It was announced this morning that Australia would be popping its Download cherry on Saturday, 24th March 2018 at Melbourne’s Flemington Racecourse, with 29 act (and a third of those being Aussie) shredding across four stages in front of 25,000 turnt moshers.
But speaking with triple j, Download Melbourne producer Nigel Melder says they’re shooting “to grow Download at a sustainable pace over the coming years, to a nationally touring festival for the long term…
“[We’re] developing a five-year plan to make sure we have a solid future for the festival in Australia,” he says.
It seems Download is priming itself to fill the gaping hole left in the Aussie festival scene after Soundwave collapsed under a mountain of debt in late 2015, shortly after its Perth and Adelaide legs were amputated (RIP) — but that doesn’t mean Download is aiming to be Soundwave 2.0.
“Or any other festival for that matter,” Melder says, following the release of a press statement that was quick to point out that ex-Soundwave head honcho AJ Maddah has nothing to do with Download whatsoever.
“[We’re] starting from scratch, as opposed to working backwards from someone else’s model,” Melder says, adding that the lineup will aim to “[minimise] the amount of clashes on the day so fans can look forward to what they want to see as opposed to being bummed on what they are missing out on”.
While the full Download Melbourne lineup is yet to be announced, Music Feeds understands the likes of Korn, Limp Bizkit, Prophets Of Rage and NOFX will be on the festival’s debut Aussie roster. The full lineup will be announced 9am AEDT Thursday, 9th November.
Read up on everything we know about Download Festival Australia (so far) in the gallery below.
Everything We Know About Download Festival Australia (So Far)
Download Festival Australia 2018
Lineup announced 9am AEDT Thursday, 9th November
Saturday, 24th March
Flemington Racecourse, Melbourne (Lic. / All Ages)
Tickets: Official Website
Everything We Know About Download Festival Australia (So Far)
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When & Where
Download will make its Aussie debut on Saturday, 24th March 2018 at Melbourne's Flemington Racecourse, but there are plans to eventually expand the festival into a national tour. -
Crowd Capacity & Stages
Around 25,000 ticket-holders will be able to watch bands play across four stages. There will also be specialty bars, markets, a food fare and art exhibitions on offer. (Photo: Katja Ogrin / Getty Images) -
The Lineup
This lineup poster is a hilarious fake, but here's the real lineup in full. There are 29 acts on the roster, and around a third of them are Australian. (Photo: Katja Ogrin / Getty Images) -
Who's Involved
Former Soundwave Festival mastermind AJ Maddah IS NOT -- repeat -- IS NOT involved. The companies that ARE involved are touring giant Live Nation, Australian heavy music company Unified and Splendour In The Grass and Falls Festival promoters Secret Sounds. (Photos: Ollie Millington / YouTube)
