Download 2016 is filling up with some age-old titans of metal. Following yesterday’s announcement that Iron Maiden would headline the Sunday night of the event at Donington Park in Leicestershire, Black Sabbath have been named as Saturday night’s headliners.
The band will take to the stage on 11 June, as part of what is being billed as their final jaunt, The End tour. “When this tour concludes, it will truly be The End,” their website noted when the tour was announced in September.
It is not yet known if this will be Sabbath’s only UK show of The End tour. It is commonplace for groups headlining festivals to be contractually forbidden from announcing other shows in the same territory until the festival sells out.
“Download is my absolute favourite summer festival,” said Ozzy Osbourne, who is perhaps not a regular attender of End of the Road, Festival No 6 or, indeed, any other summer festivals. “It’s always like coming home. See you all there!”