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?
EP Review – By the power of the coffee bean, Thronk! unleash ‘Kick Me While I’m Down’ to the masses
Self-described power-punk trio Thronk! are Newport/Weston-Super-Mare based, and their drummer, Rich Brown, was the original Split Dogs drummer. New 5-track EP ‘Kick Me While I’m
Interview: London’s Healthy Junkies on new single ‘Oh La La’ and their 2026 plans
On the eve of their latest single – ‘Oh L La’ – launch, Ruth caught up with London Alt-punks Healthy Junkies to discuss the single,
Compelling new ‘50 Years of Punk’ documentary captures the full controversy of the time!
A fascinating, thought-provoking and sometimes shocking insights into the 1976-7 Punk explosion, Mark Sloper’s documentary film ’50 Years of Punk’ hits a screen near you
Explode The TV, London Water Rats, 3rd July 2026
Explode The TV are clearly in a playful mood tonight, throwing a handful of covers into their set, including a superb rendition of David Bowie’s
Album Review: Fresh from Florence, Italian indie rockers Spleen grunge it up in debut LP ‘Gush’
Italian band Spleen’s debut album gushes grunge-punk and bleeds raw emotion. Dished up with a generous side of indie-punk goodness, ‘Gush’’s DNA can be traced
The Schizophonics, London New Cross Inn, 2nd July 2026
“People don’t want to see the guy next door on stage; they want to see a being from another planet.” Those are the words of
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!
