Guns N’ Roses headlined Download Festival last night (June 13). Check out what went down below.
The band headlined Download as part of their huge 2026 run, which kicked off back in April. Alongside other headliners Limp Bizkit and Linkin Park, the slot was a UK exclusive for the year.
The huge headline slot marked 20 years since the last time they headlined the festival, and saw them open with their iconic hit ‘Welcome to the Jungle’, before launching into a mammoth three-hour set.
As well as playing their newest tracks, ‘Nothin’’ and ‘Atlas’, the set consisted of a handful of covers, with Axl Rose and co. playing versions of Velvet Revolver’s ‘Slither’, ‘Live and Let Die’ by Wings, Bob Dylan‘s ‘Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door’, Black Sabbath‘s ‘Sabbath Bloody Sabbath’, Sex Pistols‘ ‘Black Leather’ and Jimmy Webb’s ‘Wichita Lineman’.
Later in the set, after a guitar solo from Slash, they closed with a string of their most beloved songs, including ‘Sweet Child o’ Mine’, ‘Don’t Cry’, ‘November Rain’ and ‘Nightrain’, before closing with ‘Paradise City’.
See clips from the performance and a full setlist below.
Welcome To The Jungle no Download Festival pic.twitter.com/h8Sl2yjNhW
— Guns N' Roses News (@gnrnewsbrasil) June 13, 2026
Guns N' Roses right now at Download Festival in Donington Park 🇬🇧
If you're there, feel free to share your videos and pictures!
(🎥 via Beta Lebeis) pic.twitter.com/2q6ZzPCSny
— Appetite For Distortion🎙️ (@TheAFDPodcast) June 13, 2026
Yesterdays no Download Festival pic.twitter.com/pxEzavxhsF
— Guns N' Roses News (@gnrnewsbrasil) June 13, 2026
Absolute scenes down the front at the end of @gunsnroses brilliant 3 hour set at @DownloadFest. I did get a boot in the back of my head at one point from a crowd surfer…rock n roll! pic.twitter.com/R9ylpL7fF8
— Jack J Hutchinson (@JackJHutchinson) June 13, 2026
@gunsnroses ao vivo no DOWNLOAD FESTIVAL, DONINGTON, UK 🇬🇧 13/6/2026
🎥 Beta Lebeis ❤️#gunsnroses #axlrose #slash #duffmckagan pic.twitter.com/9eA9cDhflj
— gunsnroses (eterno) (@gnreternobr) June 13, 2026
Axl Rose’s low vocal range is the way! Guns N’ Roses 2026 tour continues! pic.twitter.com/SAgiqnK2QG
— Rock Photography (@Photomusicrock) June 6, 2026
Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door no Download Festival pic.twitter.com/HY8WDgrOYa
— Guns N' Roses News (@gnrnewsbrasil) June 13, 2026
Mr. Brownstone no Download Festival pic.twitter.com/UrCKsgeTwS
— Guns N' Roses News (@gnrnewsbrasil) June 13, 2026
Sweet Child O’ Mine no Download Festival pic.twitter.com/pzzMUnnd7C
— Guns N' Roses News (@gnrnewsbrasil) June 13, 2026
Guns n Roses @DownloadFest finishing a little early with the all time fave ‘Paradise City’ #DLXXIII pic.twitter.com/fNQHbOqx1U
— rob johnstone (@ROBJPHAT) June 13, 2026
Guns N’ Roses at Download 2026 played:
‘Welcome to the Jungle’
Bad Obsession’
‘It’s So Easy’
‘You Could Be Mine’
‘Mr. Brownstone’
‘Slither’ (Velvet Revolver cover)
‘Estranged’
‘Live and Let Die’ (Wings cover)
‘Yesterdays’
‘Atlas’
‘Civil War’
‘Double Talkin’ Jive’
‘Think About You’
‘Nothin”
‘Dead Horse’
‘Rocket Queen’
‘Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door’ (Bob Dylan cover)
‘Sabbath Bloody Sabbath’ (Black Sabbath cover)
‘Black Leather’ (Sex Pistols cover)
‘Wichita Lineman’ (Jimmy Webb cover)
‘Coma’
‘Sweet Child o’ Mine’
‘Don’t Cry’
‘November Rain’
‘Nightrain’
‘Paradise City’
These dates are the band’s first since drummer Frank Ferrer left the line-up last year after nearly 20 years. Just before the tour began, keyboardist Melissa Reese announced she would be sitting out of the shows due to personal reasons.
They opened the tour with a show in Monterrey that also saw them break out their two new songs, ‘Nothin’’ and ‘Atlas’, for the first time live, having released them back in December.
Earlier on their world tour, during a gig in São Paulo, they also played ‘Bad Apples’ for the first time since 1991.
Other gigs include stops in the Netherlands, Germany, France, and Belgium, before they head over the pond again for North American shows. These kick off in North Carolina on July 23, and wrap up on September 19 in Georgia. Buy US tickets here, European tickets here, and find a list of new shows below.
Elsewhere, guitarist Slash recently cast doubts on the band ever playing the Las Vegas Sphere, and also hinted at new Guns N’ Roses music, saying that “everybody [in the band] is thinking about it”.
As for Download Festival, organiser Andy Copping spoke to NME in 2024 about the importance of creating a platform for new and emerging talent. “I’ve always wanted to do that, and you can see it in how we’ve been developing the other stages like the Dogtooth stage and the Avalanche,” he said.
“For us, it’s about giving bands the opportunity to grow. We’ve got the platform and we want to be sending a message to those guys like ‘Come and play. We believe in you and you’ve got a great opportunity here.’ Thankfully, for the most part, these bands do step up and they do deliver.”