The Download website has posted a breakdown of who's on the main stage which days, and Saturday looks like a real winner in the main.

http://www.downloadfestival.co.uk/line-up

Iron Maiden
Queens of the Stone Age
Motorhead
Alice in Chains
Mostodon
Young Guns
UFO

yes mate,saturdays the one for me.I wouldn't mind seeing Bullet for my Valentine on Friday and Five finger death punch and Stone Sour on sunday.But,at the moment,its gonna be a day ticket for Saturday, unless Machine Head get added to the bill.They could always fuck ramstein off and Machine Head headline sunday.That'd be good

Based on the buzz Rammstein seem to be generating with this gig, I doubt very much you'll get your wish. Maybe headline second stage? Im glad Motorhead are on tghe same day as Maiden, so I only need to pay for 1 day which keeps the cost down. Just hope the rain stays off this year.

haha i'm not expecting them to replace them(just think they should be).They haven't announced any gigs yet so hopefully they might be added.
Just noticed Down on the friday as well-fuck!!! i want to see them as well!!! Maybe it aint gonna be a one dayer after all!!!

bloody superb news, Motorhead and Maiden on same day, count me in for day tickets! Due on sale April time apparently

The 3 main stage lineups are looking quite full now, so maybe they might get the second stage headline gig if they play. Be good, as long as there's no clash with Maiden or Motorhead of course. As for the 3 days, I'm not convinced that there is enough across all 3 days to get me to part with double the money. We shall see, but it is looking like the Saturday only for me.

Last few years when I've bought day tickets and they usually do come out in April or so. Be warned though, last year the Saturday with Metallica sold out pretty quickly as I recall.

Also, they sell day tickets when w/e ticket sales slow up. As the camping tickets may not sell well, due to last years shitty weather, lots of w/e tickets may sell to those who were going to camp. So that may reduce the number of day tickets that are released.

I normally check the Download website twice a week starting about March, just to make sure.

I mailed Live Nation and the response was april was likely for day sales, so I've put my brother on watch also, and concur it'll sell out rapidly. Mastodon on Staurday too, who are excellent. I've not been to Donington since Monsters of Rock was on, save for MotoGP, so looking forward to a return visit. Without sounding bloody old, not sure i could hack the entire weekend, in any event i'm taking kids out on the sunday anyway so fingers bloody crossed for success on the day tickets!

Like you, I hadn't been to Donington since MoR days until a few years ago. It's great fun now but a totally different beast believe me. It really is a festival rather than a giant heavy metal gig. You are just as likely to see lads in onesies and superman outfits as you are to see them in Motorhead shirts.

As for day tickets, although I did the w/e last year, I did get some day tickets for Metallica on the Saturday for other people and had no problems. 2 years before I got a day ticket for AC/DC on the Friday, and then decided to go for Aerosmith and Motorhead on the Sunday, so got another day ticket. Had no trouble then either.

As you say, just get in quick you'll get one fine. Also, don't bother with a car park ticket. you have to queue for ages and if it's rains a lot, like last year, you'll just get bogged in and struggle to get out. There's places to park up the road if you don't mind a half hour walk before and after the gig. Looking forward to it already. See you there maybe.

nice one lard, i think we will try and park at one of rail stations and take the shuttle in. Would be bloody nice if the band did a couple of low-key warm-ups for the festival dates in May, possibly hit a couple of smaller halls or off-the-beaten-track venues to blow the cobwebs off, I can hope eh