The line up is now complete for the 2026 edition!
Slam Dunk, the UK’s biggest independent rock festival, has dropped its second and final wave of artists, completing the stacked line-up for 2026. Joining Good Charlotte, Sublime and others, are Knocked Loose and 20+ other massive names set to take Slam Dunk by storm, delivering the best of pop-punk, emo, ska, metal and beyond. Marking a monumental milestone, the festival celebrates 20 years next summer, cementing its status as a defining force in the UK’s alt scene. Since 2006, Slam Dunk has become a must-attend, consistently delivering iconic headliners and emerging talent alike.
Plus, Slam Dunk goes heavier than ever for 2026, with two new side by side stages dedicated entirely to metalcore, hardcore and post-hardcore, with zero set clashes especially for the festival’s 20th anniversary celebrations. Fans can expect non-stop chaos, as the heavy stages are set to host some of the scene’s most explosive bands including the previously announced Bury Tomorrow, Cancer Bats and President, alongside stage headliners Knocked Loose, Malevolence and more.
What started as a Leeds club night in 2001 grew into a one-day festival by 2006, headlined by Fall Out Boy. Since then, it’s exploded into a multi-award-winning weekend festival, taking place at Hatfield Park and Temple Newsam. Over the years, Slam Dunk has brought icons like Paramore, Panic! At The Disco, Enter Shikari, Jimmy Eat World, Sum 41 and NOFX to the stage, while championing the next wave of rock, pop-punk, metal and emo. Now, two decades in, Slam Dunk is looking ahead to next summer, ready to deliver the biggest and best Slam Dunk yet.
Slam Dunk will return to Hatfield Park on Saturday 23rd May, before heading north to Leeds, Temple Newsam on Sunday 24th May 2026. Tickets for Slam Dunk are selling fast, and fans are encouraged to get theirs now to avoid missing out. Visit: www.slamdunkfestival.com.
Main Photo Credit: SAM STRUTT
Follow Slam Dunk Festival on Their Socials:
Need more Punk In Your Life?
Live review: Like morning coffee and weekly pizza: Los Fastidios never get boring!
Italian ska-punk veterans Los Fastidios return to Kulturrampe, Krefeld for another sold-out night packed with unity, passion – and absolute chaos from start to finish.
Album review: Forsaken Profits – ‘Road Rash’
As with many of the best crossover bands, it’s the frontman – one Tyler Capehart, in this case – who keeps them rooted firmly in
Interview: Alex chats with John Youens of London punks Slow Faction
John Youens is a busy man. Not only the lead singer and guitarist in London punk rockers Slow Faction, he’s also something of a studio
Live review: ‘Rock’n’Roll Mittwoch’ with Schnuppe at WP8 on 13th May 2026
With chaotic charm, sharp NDW-punk energy and plenty of humour, Cologne’s rising underground outfit Schnuppe turned a Wednesday night in Düsseldorf into a sweaty DIY
Album review – Cyanide Pills get ‘Singled Out’ with new album on Damaged Goods Records
Yorkshire pop-punkers Cyanide Pills’ back catalogue is now immortalised on two slabs of plastic! ‘Singled Out’ – all of the band’s EP’s (including exclusive b-sides
Dolium/LiVES, London Water Rats, 16th May 2026
Headliners Dolium manage to hold their own. There’s something brilliantly fried about the veteran Sheffield trio; their songs sound like they could have been written
I spend my days teaching English to foreign students, and my evenings attending as many gigs as possible. Raised mainly on a diet of 90s third-wave punk, my tastes have grown to include just about anything from trad ska to thrash metal. The Ramones are my musical gods.
Did you know that we are 100% DIY? We run our own game. No one dictates to us, and no one drives what we can or cannot put on our pages – and this is how we plan to continue!
