It’s almost that glorious time of year when millennials from across the country flock to Hatfield and Leeds for a weekend of throwback anthems, elder emo fashion and the very best of alternative music.
We’re talking, of course, about Slam Dunk. The festival, now entering its 20th year, is bringing fans another stacked line-up of pop-punk, metalcore, ska and hardcore artists across two sprawling festival sites. From big-name American headliners to rising stars of the British underground scene, we’ve picked three artists from every stage to help you plan your day (hopefully, without too many clashes!).
MAIN STAGE WEST
BEAUTY SCHOOL
Hatfield – 11.40 / Leeds – 11.40
Opening up the Main Stage is no mean feat and, this year, it’s Yorkshire band Beauty School who have been trusted with the task. The group blend Midwest emo lyrics with springy pop-punk melodies, and they’ve spent the last few years supporting the likes of Hot Mulligan and the Wonder Years. If you want to get all your emotions out of your system in the first hour of the day, this is the place to start.
TAKING BACK SUNDAY
Hatfield – 18.05 / Leeds – 18.05
Celebrating 20 years of their first major label album, Louder Now, is New York’s Taking Back Sunday. The band, fronted by microphone-twirling singer Adam Lazzara, will take fans on a trip down memory lane with album tracks such as ‘Up Against (Blackout)’ and ‘Divine Intervention’, as well as iconic noughties single, ‘MakeDamnSure’. Slam Dunk is the only place they’ll be playing the record in full this year, so it’s a must-see for TBS fans.
GOOD CHARLOTTE
Hatfield – 21.00 / Leeds – 21.00
It might be an obvious choice, but we couldn’t very well leave the festival headliner off the list, could we? It’s been eight years since Good Charlotte have played Slam Dunk, and while they have released a new album just last year, it’s classic sing-along hits like ‘The Anthem’, ‘Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous’, and ‘Girls and Boys’ that we can’t wait to hear.
MAIN STAGE EAST (LEFT)
PEST CONTROL
Hatfield – 11.40 / Leeds – 11.40
Pest Control were born in Leeds – the same city as Slam Dunk – so playing the festival is something of a homecoming for the five-piece. Their unique crossover of hair-raising ‘80s metal bands like Anthrax and Suicidal Tendencies with modern hardcore punk has earned them a reputation as one of the UK’s most exciting thrash bands, and they are sure to open this stage with full throttle.
GUILT TRIP
Hatfield – 15:30 / Leeds – 15.30
Fresh off a North American tour with Malevolence and with slots at Download, Burn It Down, and Hellfest under their belt, Guilt Trip have made quite the name for themselves. It’s been a couple of years since the Manchester hardcore band has made the Slam Dunk line-up, but now they’ve got a string of massive live shows and a major label debut in their arsenal, it’s bound to be an unmissable set.
PRESIDENT
Hatfield – 18.15 / Leeds – 18:15
There’s no denying it: this is the band that everyone’s talking about. The masked electronic-metalcore outfit has been shrouded in mystery (although the elder emos at Slam Dunk are sure to recognise that voice…) since exploding onto the scene last year. There’s no doubt the stage will be absolutely packed for this one, so get there early if you want to try and catch a glimpse of the “anonymous” frontman.
MAIN STAGE EAST (RIGHT)
HERIOT
Hatfield – 12.15 / Leeds – 12.15
This year, there’s a new two-sided heavy stage playing back-to-back bangers, and the right side opens with none other than Heriot. It’s worth getting inside the festival gates early to catch the Bristol metalcore band, as they’ve been tipped as ones to watch by legends of the game like Trivium and Lamb of God, and they’ve been building up an army of online fans who are sure to materialise in person over the bank holiday weekend.
STATIC DRESS
Hatfield – 14.50 / Leeds – 14.50
It’s fair to say that Static Dress are not for the faint of heart. Their raucous, chaotic live performances have helped them stand out from the crowd, not to mention their hotly-anticipated second album, Injury Episode, which is due to come out at the end of the month. Fans of Bring Me the Horizon might recognise the DIY outfit, as they recently finished a European tour with Oli Sykes and co., so you can expect nothing short of a no-holds-barred kind of show.
KNOCKED LOOSE
Hatfield – 21.05 / Leeds – 21.05
Who else could headline an unrelenting hardcore stage than Louisville titans Knocked Loose? Slam Dunk is known for serving up stellar alternative headliners for those who don’t fancy the Main Stage, and this year is no different. The Grammy-nominated band needs no introduction; if you want to make sure your night goes out with a bang, this is where you should be.
MONSTER ENERGY STAGE (LEFT)
YOUTH FOUNTAIN
Hatfield – 11.30 / Leeds – 11.30
This weekend is, for many, all about the nostalgia. But, in between MySpace anthems and Kerrang! bands, there’s plenty of new music worth discovering this weekend. It might be early days for Canadian emo-punk project Youth Fountain, at least over this side of the Atlantic, but their ambitious songwriting and relentless hard work makes them well worth seeing while they’re still on the up.
STAND ATLANTIC
Hatfield – 16.45 / Leeds – 16.45
Stand Atlantic don’t always get the chance to play the UK, given it takes the best part of 24 hours for them to make the trip over here, so this is a great chance to catch them while they’re in town. The Aussie four-piece span everything from synth-driven pop to noughties-inspired punk in their music, and their live performances are always full of energy and enthusiasm.
TONIGHT ALIVE
Hatfield – 18.20 / Leeds – 18.20
We love a comeback, and that’s exactly why we’ll be front and centre for Tonight Alive. The group never quite reached the dizzying heights as some of their contemporaries in the 2010s, but their pop-punk tunes (think ‘Lonely Girl’ and ‘The Ocean’) were just as catchy as the rest. They’ve been on hiatus since 2018, with the odd festival performance here and there, but this exclusive appearance will be the first time we’ve seen them play the UK in almost 10 years.
MONSTER ENERGY STAGE (RIGHT)
BOSTON MANOR
Hatfield – 16.00 / Leeds – 16.00
There’s so much to choose from across the line-up, but if you want to see an artist that is solid, dependable and is guaranteed to deliver, it’s Boston Manor. The Blackpool band started out in 2013 with a string of emo ballads, but they’ve grown up over the past 13 years and are now one of the most critically acclaimed alternative bands in the country, pouring in more than a decade of hard work – and it shows.
THE MENZINGERS
Hatfield – 17.30 / Leeds – 17.30
Sad boys all over the country will be thrilled to see The Menzingers return to the Slam Dunk stage this summer. The Philadelphia punks, who have spent 15 years crafting emotionally raw, vulnerable music that makes us want to cry and mosh all at the same time, are back to break our hearts all over again. We might even get to hear a few tunes from their upcoming album, Everything I Ever Saw, set for release this July.
MOTION CITY SOUNDTRACK
Hatfield – 19.10 / Leeds – 19.10
We’ve been waiting patiently since the pandemic for Motion City Soundtrack to bring their bouncy, brilliant pop-punk anthems back to Hatfield and Leeds. The synth-rock icons reunited in 2019 and were due to play Slam Dunk the following year but, sadly, that line-up never came to be. It’s been a six-year wait, and now we’re super excited to sing our hearts out to retro gems like ‘Everything Is Alright’ and the ‘Future Freaks Me Out’, as well as some new material from their 2025 album, the Same Old Wasted Wonderful World.
SCOTT’S KEY CLUB STAGE
BROADSIDE
Hatfield – 13.25 / Leeds – 13.25
Picture it. The sun’s out, you’ve got a cold pint in your hand, and you’re listening to Broadside. Life is good, right? From our experience, it’s impossible to listen to the American pop-rock band without smiling, making them the perfect festival artist, especially with a fairly early slot in the day. Do yourself a favour and give into the feel-good vibes at the newly-named Scott’s Key Club Stage.
ORIGAMI ANGEL
Hatfield – 15.55 / Leeds – 15.55
Making their Slam Dunk debut this year is eclectic duo, Origami Angel. They’ve played a few basement venues in the country, but this festival appearance is likely to be their biggest British date so far, so let’s hope they get a well-deserved welcome from the Slam Dunk crowd. The group draws from a wide pool of influences to create their own unique brand of quirky, easycore songs dripping with choppy riffs and honest lyrics.
THE HOME TEAM
Hatfield – 16.35 / Leeds – 16.35
There’s been a lot of hype growing around Seattle’s Home Team, especially since they were announced for the recently revived Warped Tour in the States. Their popularity is just bubbling below the surface over this side of the pond, so this exclusive UK performance is a great chance to see the pop-rock up-and-comers before they explode.