Like the heat hitting you as you step out of the plane door in a tropical country, Slam Dunk Festival is what alt music fans start to look forward to as soon as Jools Holland has drunkenly seen in the new year with us.
Across the late May bank holiday weekend in 2025 there were no parking issues, water felt abundant, toilets were plentiful and, for most of the day, still useable. Aside from a price point that’s higher than day tickets at festivals with bigger headliners, Slam Dunk was back to being what we fell in love with all those years ago.
Opening the day on the Key Club Stage was our favourite punk-rapper Kid Bookie. After testing the capabilities of the PA system at Takedown earlier in the year, it was the tech that almost let him (and the stage for the rest of the day) down. Once it was all worked out, Bookie let loose on a set of power and angst, his supreme confidence elevating tracks like ‘Scars’. All that was missing here was his most pop-punk track ‘Love Drunk’, likely cut due to timing issues.(Dan Hemming)
Lake Malice set the bar dangerously high early on between their super-shiny dancers and guitarist Blake Cornwall standing firm at the eye of a literal circle-pit storm; the band delivered a masterclass in controlled chaos. Their set wasn’t just a performance, it was a snapshot of their journey so far, and a warning of the takeover to come. (Beth Oakley)
Landmvrks brought sheer ferocity to Slam Dunk, unleashing a relentless sea of crowd-surfers. Their energy was unreal, a full-force collision of melody and aggression. Just when the pit couldn’t get any wilder, they brought out Mat Welsh from While She Sleeps for “A Line in the Dust”—a standout moment that pushed their set from heavy to unforgettable. (BO)
Mouth Culture delivered one of the most physical, engaging sets of the day, there wasn’t a corner of the stage they didn’t claim. Their frontman barely stood still, and the crowd followed suit, feeding off every movement. It felt less like a festival slot and more like a high-energy cult initiation and with their upcoming tour on the horizon, this was just the beginning. (BO)
If you weren’t two-stepping or throwing arms, you were in the wrong place. Graphic Nature turned their set into a pit-ready whirlwind of noise and intent. With tracks dedicated to real issues like mental health, their ferocity came with purpose. During “Killing Floor,” frontman Harvey Freeman called the crowd to the front and what followed was less of a sing-along, more of a battle cry, with fans screaming every word like their lives depended on it. (BO)
One of the best things that Slam Dunk does year after year is bring legends to their stages and the arrival of New Found Glory was met with sheer joy. This is a band that have done so much for their scene and festivals like Slam Dunk probably wouldn’t exist if it wasn’t for bands like them. Sadly, it does seem that New Found Glory aren’t quite the force they used to be in the live environment. It was great to hear the hits, but as a band they just aren’t quite as cohesive as they once were and Jordan Pundik’s vocals aren’t quite there anymore. (DH)
Artist of the weekend for anyone that was able to see the show was Delilah Bon. The technical issues that plagued the Key Club stage throughout the Saturday at Hatfield meant that Bon’s start time was a mystery to all, but anyone that stuck around felt the full force of her live show. ‘Maverick’ and ‘Dead Men Don’t Rape’ demonstrate her range as she took aim at politicians, at men who commit heinous acts and also at those that don’t use their power to stop it. If you manage to leave a Delilah Bon show the same as you walked in, you weren’t paying attention. (DH)
For many people, Electric Callboy were their headliners and that goes for us too. Bringing an energy that only the Europeans seem to be able to provide, they powered through the likes of ‘Hypa Hypa’, ‘Spaceman’ and ended on the absolute party anthem that is ‘We Got The Moves’. Almost half of their set was made up of covers with the highlights being an intense version of ‘Still Waiting’ by Sum 41 with song of the set ‘I Want It That Way’ proving what we all know…punks and metalheads love a boogie. The only miss in the set was an acoustic version of Linkin Park’s ‘Crawling’ that just didn’t work. What’s clear though, is that Electric Callboy are going to be headlining the main stage at all UK festivals soon enough. (DH)
Perfectly delivering the trip down pop punk memory lane that we all yearn for, Alkaline Trio tore up the Monster Energy Stage. Kicking off with ‘Time to Waste’ the packed tent erupted with Millennial joy. It has become clear in recent years that Alkaline Trio suit the more close knit crowd that a tent presents them, rather than being drowned out on the main stage. Here, they did not disappoint as they ripped through classics such as ‘Armageddon’, ‘Stupid Kid’, ‘Mercy Me’ and ‘Emma’. The crowd even loved ‘The Bad Time’, and ‘Blood, Hair and Eyeballs’ from their 2024 album of the same name. The energy didn’t wane once, and who doesn’t love ending a set screaming ‘Radio’s opening “Shaking like a dog shitting razorblades” at the top of your lungs? A perfect way to close out the day. (Lizzie Sargent)
The most exciting part of this edition of Slam Dunk Festival was knowing that they’re back. Since COVID it felt like each edition brought more and more issues, but 2025’s festival returned it to its glory days as we head into its 20th anniversary. If this new found resurgence continues then 2026.