Linkin Park have reacted to becoming the first band with a female singer to headline Download festival, reports loudersound.com.
It became the first band with a female singer to headline Download festival, closing the Donington event on June 14 to an estimated 95,000 people, co-vocalist Mike Shinoda told BBC News.
Shinoda said he asked new co-singer Emily Armstrong how she felt about the milestone, as she was unable to attend the BBC interview. He relayed her response: “If it wasn’t us, it would’ve just been someone else, because there are so many great female-fronted bands.” He added that Armstrong was grateful and would “remember it forever”.
The 23-song set was described by Metal Hammer as “the most significant Download set of 2026”. It marked a landmark moment for the festival, which has run at Donington since 2003.
Armstrong joined Linkin Park in 2024 when the band ended a seven-year hiatus that followed the death of singer Chester Bennington in July 2017, aged 41. Shinoda said the surviving members prioritised personal and creative chemistry when choosing a new vocalist. “Do we get along, both personally and creatively? We were all just a good fit,” he said. He stressed the band sought “whoever’s the best singer”, not specifically a female performer.
Armstrong’s appointment drew criticism over past ties to the Church of Scientology and her earlier support for convicted rapist Danny Masterson. She later stated she does “not condone abuse or violence against women”. The BBC reported that lyrics from her band Dead Sara, including 2018’s Heaven’s Got A Back Door, “suggest criticism and rejection of Scientology’s teachings”.
Linkin Park announced Armstrong as co-singer on September 5, 2024, the same day they livestreamed a Los Angeles show, released comeback single The Emptiness Machine, confirmed a world tour and announced eighth album From Zero. The album came out on November 15, 2024, topping charts worldwide and achieving Platinum certification in six markets.
The From Zero world tour is scheduled to end on June 30 in Zürich, Switzerland.
Download festival, held annually at Donington Park, is the UK’s largest rock and metal festival. Linkin Park first headlined the event in 2004 and returned as headliners in 2007, 2011 and 2014 with Bennington on vocals.
•Featured image credit: Matt Higgs
