Iron Maiden to headline Download Festival at Donington Park in 2016
- Published
Iron Maiden will be headlining Download Festival next year, which takes place on 10-12 June 2016.
This will be the sixth time the band will have played at Donington Park in Leicestershire including the first ever festival in its present format in 2003.
This will be Maiden's only UK show in 2016 and the group are due to make their return on its final day as the closing headliners.
"Download is a very special place for us," says lead singer Bruce Dickinson.
"Not just because it's always great to play on home turf but because there's a truly unique vibe there, it's the very heart of England and of metal, so a fitting place for Iron Maiden.
"The crowd is always fiercely passionate and the whole band feeds off that famous Donington energy."
The group say they won't decide on a set list until they begin rehearsals but Bruce is assuring fans that they won't be left disappointed.
"We aim to deliver a really memorable show for our fans to close the 2016 festival."
Although the rock veterans aren't sure which of their back catalogue they will perform, they have got their transport to the gig sorted.
Last year American rockers Kiss headlined the final day of the festival
The band will fly in to East Midlands Airport on their enormous Boeing 747-400 jumbo jet Ed Force One, piloted by Bruce.
"Although this is our sixth time headlining at Castle Donington, it's the first time we've been able to land Ed Force One right on the doorstep of the Festival site," Bruce explains.
Iron Maiden will play Donington in the middle of their European tour of their latest album, The Book Of Souls, which went to number one on the Official Album Chart in September.
They last played the festival in 2013 along with Rammstein and Slipknot and headlined Sonisphere in 2014.
Bruce Dickinson began treatment for cancer earlier this year but says he is recovering well.
The singer was diagnosed last year after two tumours - including one the size of a golf ball - were found at the back of his tongue.
Tickets go on sale at 9am on Friday
Follow @BBCNewsbeat, external on Twitter, BBCNewsbeat, external on Instagram, Radio1Newsbeat, external on YouTube and you can now follow BBC_Newsbeat on Snapchat