Germany’s legendary Rock Am Ring festival has just announced it’s first set of big names. Linkin Park and Soundgarden lead the charge as the festivals biggest announcements but they’ve been joined by Reading favourites Billy Talent, The Gossip, The Offspring, Tenacious D, Killswitch Engage, Skrillex, The Subways, Enter Shikari, Marilyn Manson and M.I.A.

Also rounding off the first announcement are Machine Head, Opeth, Donots, Lexy & K-Paul, Decide, Gauno Apes and Dick Brave & The Backbeats.

Kasabian have also been announced, a band who are being banded around as a potential Reading headliner in many quarters.

The acts will join Metallica, Die Toten Hosen, Lamb Of God, As I Lay Dying, Trivium and Motorhead on an already stacked line up.

Strictly Our Opinion: Big news here, we fully expect Linkin Park to be looking for a UK festival birth, and a position at either Sonisphere or Reading would appear entirely plausible. It is still Strictly Festivals understanding that Soundgarden will play at Sonisphere UK, but M.I.A, Billy Talent, The Subways and The Gossip among others now look very likely to return to Reading and Leeds.