Iron Maiden will headline Saturday night at the 2013 Download festival, 25 years after their first time at the top of the bill. The British metal legends will return to Donington with a "very similar" setlist to the one they played in 1988.
The band will appear at Download on 15 June, performing an updated version of their 7th Tour of a 7th Tour concerts. "The idea of returning exactly 25 years later with a show inspired by that same tour was too good an opportunity to be missed," frontman Bruce Dickinson said. "We will be bringing a huge new lightshow, stage set, various incarnations of Eddie, plenty of pyro and all kinds of other exciting stuff."
In an interview with NME, Dickinson confirmed that Iron Maiden will play other European dates in 2013, including the possibility of further British dates. But Donington Park is "the only place in the UK where you can make a proper racket", he said.
"There might be places in the Highlands of Scotland, but at Reading, if the wind blows the wrong way you have to go and stand at the other end of the field. And at Hyde Park if you ruffle a crisp packet you can't hear the music."
This will be Iron Maiden's fifth time at the festival, if its earlier incarnation as Monsters of Rock is included. They last performed in 2007, on a bill that also included Linkin Park, Slayer and My Chemical Romance.
The Sunday night headline act will be German industrial metallers Rammstein, who will be making their Donington debut.
Tickets for Download 2013 will go on sale Friday 28 September.
