Calling all rockers, emos, and pop-punk aficionados: the UK's premier independent rock festival is back and celebrating its 20th year in 2026. Once again in two parts, the South and North editions of Slam Dunk Festival 2026 will be heading to both Hatfield and Leeds, respectively, over the May bank holiday weekend.
With it being a massive 20th anniversary celebration, the organisers have not held back with a ridiculously stacked lineup to get this summer's festival season well and truly underway. The cream of this particular crop is a European exclusive performance by pop-punk royalty Good Charlotte; hands will surely be thrown up during what has to be a truly anthemic set.
Rounding out the top half of the billing alongside Good Charlotte will be Knocked Loose, coming in hot on the heels of their recent collaboration with Denzel Curry on "Hive Mind." Sublime and, also in a 20th anniversary, Taking Back Sunday, who will be celebrating 20 years of their seminal album Louder Now.
But it's not just the heavy hitters; the lineup is stacked from top to bottom with bands that we cannot wait to see live. Possibly the hottest ticket in the alternative music scene at the moment, President are set to play on the tail end of a completely sold-out European and UK tour.
unpeople, who we know are busy in the studio at the moment, will be on hand to bring a dose of ridiculously high-energy, socially conscious, melodic heaviness; whenever these guys perform, you cannot help but leave with a smile on your face.
In the same ilk, travelling down from north of the border will be Vukovi, who are currently on a second lap of the UK on their My God Has Got A Gun Tour. You can check out our coverage of the first time round on this tour, which also features unpeople, here:
Recent favourites of us here at MSM HQ, Call Me Amour, are also on the lineup; they are sure to provide an intense set filled with dark electronica that we could not get enough of when we saw them late in 2025 following the release of their self-titled EP.
Other bands that we are super excited to see tear this festival up are LA punk rock legends Goldfinger; Sheffield's own metalcore quintet Malevolence; on a homecoming (for the Slam Dunk North), Leeds-based metalcore/post-hardcore band Static Dress; The Home Team, who we know put on an incredible live show; and the always excellent Boston Manor, who we recently caught supporting Neck Deep on their 10-year anniversary tour of their Life's Not Out To Get You album.
ALL PHOTOS PROVIDED FROM SLAM DUNK'S FACEBOOK PAGE
Once the festival gates close, however, the party does not stop there, as official Slam Dunk After Parties take over the University of Hertfordshire Student Union in Hatfield; Santiago, The Key Club, and Belgrave Music Hall in Leeds; and The Black Heart, The Underworld, and The Electric Ballroom in Camden.
Slam Dunk is one of the absolute best rock festivals in the UK, and with this being a mega celebration for its 20th anniversary, you'd be mad to miss out. We, for one, cannot wait to kick off a summer of great music and great vibes with all of the homies over at Slam Dunk Festival this year.
With recent teases online, it looks like Slam Dunk are about to announce something big...branching out from not only being the UK's premier independent rock festival, it would seem that they've got their sights firmly set on taking over mainland Europe too, and we for one are here for it.
