The first wave of artists performing at Slam Dunk 2025 has been announced, with A Day To Remember, Neck Deep and Alkaline Trio leading the way. Next year’s instalment will be held at Hatfield Park for the south and Leeds Temple Newsam in the north, taking place on May 24 and 25 respectively.
Today (September 4), the organisers have shared the first wave of 20 artists joining the line-up, and the first run of names includes one of the most requested bands by Slam Dunk fans: A Day To Remember. The announcement comes as the band are currently gearing up to kick off their US tour next month, and it will not only mark their first time taking to the festival’s stage, but their first live performance planned for the UK in 2025. “We’re really excited to get back to the UK, and to play Slam Dunk for the first time,” the band shared in a new statement.
Alkaline Trio are also on the bill for next year, and the announcement comes following their recent 2024 album ‘Blood, Hair, And Eyeballs’, as well as the two new singles they shared last month. They have already confirmed that their performance at the site will see them break out a number of their biggest hits, as well as some of their new material.
German six-piece Electric Callboy will be making their way over to the festival too, as well as Welsh pop-punk heavyweights Neck Deep. For the latter, the news comes following them dropping a new album at the start of the year, locking in a tour with Sum 41, sharing both US and UK headline dates, and playing their biggest show to date at Alexandra Palace earlier this summer.
Exclusive Reunion and New Faces
Elsewhere in the announcement, As It Is, Delilah Bon, Graphic Nature, Dream State and more have been named as having joined the line-up.
As It Is will be celebrating the 10th anniversary of their album 'Never Happy, Ever After' with an exclusive UK reunion performance. Delilah Bon, who describes her music as “brat punk”, will also be performing at the festival. The line-up also includes alt-rockets Dream State, as well as Kent nu-metallers Graphic Nature.
Emocore and Beyond
Fans of emocore will be happy to know that Hit The Lights will be making an appearance at Slam Dunk. The band has been a staple in the emo scene since forming in 2003.
The line-up also features Hot Mulligan and Knuckle Puck, both of whom are known for their high-energy live performances. Knuckle Puck will be celebrating the 10th anniversary of their album 'Copacetic'.
A Diverse Line-Up
In addition to the bands mentioned above, Slam Dunk 2025 will also feature Less Than Jake, Mouth Culture, Movements, New Found Glory, Split Chain, Stray From The Path, The Ataris, The Starting Line, The Used, and Zebrahead.
The Legacy of Slam Dunk
Slam Dunk is one of the UK's biggest independent rock festivals. Since 2006, it has featured a diverse range of artists, from legends of the scene to up-and-coming acts from the UK, US, and beyond.
The festival is known for its unique atmosphere and its commitment to showcasing the best of alternative music. The 2024 edition saw performances from You Me At Six, All-American Rejects, I Prevail, and more. The Leeds edition also made headlines after an emergency weather update was shared following heavy rainfall at the Temple Newsam site.
You Me At Six's Farewell
In January, it was confirmed that Slam Dunk would host You Me At Six’s final festival performance after the band announced plans to break up following a farewell tour next year.
Speaking to NME at the time, frontman Josh Franceschi recalled: “Ben Ray, who books Slam Dunk, was our first ever manager and gave us our first show in a proper venue at The Cockpit in Leeds. When we got there, we just bombarded him, let us open [the festival]. No one knew who we were. But he believed in us, and he gave us that chance.”
“I think it’s a really poetic ending to our great relationship. How big that festival has become is a testament to him and his team, but also to this alternative scene that we have in England,” he continued. “When other festivals have maybe dipped in and out of guitar music, Slam Dunk hasn’t. It’s a great honour to go and play there.”
Neck Deep’s Momentum
Neck Deep will be performing at Slam Dunk 2025. The band recently spoke to NME at Reading & Leeds festival, and opened up about the momentum they’ve been building over the past year.
“I think the biggest milestone after Ally Pally was headlining a festival in Jakarta to – we were told 10,000 people – but allegedly there were 25,000. Either way, we went to the other side of the world and played one of the craziest shows, so we’re still trying to process that,” said Sam Bowden. “Soon it’ll be onto the next album and some more milestones, just trying to keep going.”
Matt West continued: “One thing that we’ve been consistent with is that we’ve never really wanted to stop. It’s always just been like, ‘We can do more, we can do bigger, we can keep going.’ That’s always just been the M.O. from the beginning. We want to see how far we can go and then keep going.”
Tickets on Sale
Tickets for Slam Dunk 2025 go on sale this Friday (September 6) at 10am. Fans are urged to get their tickets now to avoid missing out on what is sure to be an unforgettable festival experience.
The festival is sure to be a highlight of the UK festival season, and fans of pop-punk, emo, and alternative music are encouraged to grab their tickets while they last.
Slam Dunk Festival returns to Hatfield Park on Saturday 24th May and Leeds Temple Newsam on Sunday 25th May 2025.
Tickets are on sale this Friday 6th September, 10am at www.slamdunkfestival.com.
