Slam Dunk, the UK’s biggest independent rock festival, is back for 2027 and today unveils its first wave of artists. Hot on the heels of a milestone 20th anniversary this summer, the festival kicks off its 21st edition with a line-up of monumental proportions. Bowling For Soup, Simple Plan, Killswitch Engage, Beartooth, Sleeping With Sirens, The Used and The Front Bottoms top the bill, as 20+ artists join the party across the best in pop-punk, emo, ska, metal and beyond.
This time, Slam Dunk switches things up and takes place in the north first, landing at Leeds, Temple Newsam on Saturday 29th May before closing the weekend at Hatfield Park on Sunday 30th May 2027. Fans can get in first via the Slam Dunk app from Friday 2nd October at 10am, where pre-sale tickets will be available for 48 hours (subject to availability). General sale follows on Monday 5th October at 10am via www.slamdunkfestival.com.
Leading the charge are two of pop punk’s biggest festival favourites. Bowling For Soup return following a memorable 2023 appearance, which frontman Jaret Reddick later described as “up there with my favorite shows of our career.” In 2027, the band will also celebrate 25 years since the release of their breakthrough album Drunk Enough To Dance, home to enduring fan favourites including “Girl All The Bad Guys Want”. They rotate closing slots across the weekend with Simple Plan, returning to SDF after 8 years and whose debut album No Pads, No Helmets…Just Balls also turns 25, joining straight from their biggest UK headline show to date at London’s Wembley Arena.
Ska-punk favourites Reel Big Fish return to Slam Dunk for an exclusive UK reunion show. Following a hiatus that began in 2019, vocalist Aaron Barrett will reunite with original members for the first time in more than 15 years for their first Slam Dunk appearance since 2018. Less Than Jake are also back on the bill, bringing more than three decades of anthems with them, while The Interrupters join a formidable ska-punk showing and Isle of Wight punks Grade 2 bring a dose of old-school punk to the bill.
The line up gets heavier with legendary metalcore heavyweights Killswitch Engage, coming to Slam Dunk for the first time ever and topping the bill on the heavy stage. This landmark debut follows the 2025 release of This Consequence, their first album in six years and promises to be one for the history books. Joining them are Beartooth, who arrive with sixth album Pure Ecstasy and more than a decade of material to draw from and guaranteed sing-a-longs when they return to Slam Dunk next summer.
Wage War join the bill ahead of the release of new album Landfall next month, along with Australia’s The Amity Affliction bring their blend of melodic metalcore and post-hardcore back to Slam Dunk. ERRA add their more progressive take on metalcore to the bill, while Sydney’s Melrose Avenue make their Slam Dunk debut after building a rapid international following online. Hailing from Pennsylvania, From Ashes To New also join with their mix of metalcore, hard rock and rap-influenced elements.
The emo contingent runs deep, with Sleeping With Sirens heading up one of the main stages following the release of eighth album An Ending In Itself. The Used lead the charge alongside them, after a year spent revisiting their first three albums in full, culminating this autumn with a special guest appearance alongside My Chemical Romance at the Hollywood Bowl.
The Maine return to Slam Dunk as they approach two decades as a band, with a career spanning set of pop rock hits. We The Kings celebrate 20 years of their self-titled debut and track “Check Yes Juliet”, while The Academy Is… mark two decades of Santi, and Cute Is What We Aim For make a rare trip across the Atlantic especially for Slam Dunk.
The Front Bottoms come ready with cult favourites including “Twin Size Mattress” and “Flashlight” as they step into a stage headlining slot for their first ever Slam Dunk appearance. Slam Dunk fan favourites Four Year Strong return to the festival with their unique brand of breakdown laden pop-punk, for what promises to be a high energy set. Plus, Australia’s Trophy Eyes celebrate 10 years of fan-favourite album Chemical Miracle only at Slam Dunk, Chicago’s Knuckle Puck bring their blend of melodic pop punk and emo back to Slam Dunk, while Overgrown bring their self-stylised ‘nu-grunge’ to the line-up. Leeds’ own mathcore upstarts Love Rarely add to the first wave, following the release of debut album Pain Travels.
Topping off the first wave, Hot Milk bring their high-energy mix of alternative rock and pop punk back to Slam Dunk, while Leicester’s Mouth Culture continue their rise with their brand of heavy alt-rock. As December Falls provide fiercely independent, home grown pop punk that has earned them a loyal following, and Australia’s RedHook round out the line-up with their genre-blurring mix of rock, pop and heavier influences.
Slam Dunk Festival returns to Hatfield Park and Leeds Temple Newsam in May 2027, with even more names still to be announced. Pre-sale tickets are available via the Slam Dunk app for up to 48 hours (subject to availability) from 10am, Friday 2nd October, with remaining tickets on sale from 10am on Monday 5th October through all other outlets including www.slamdunkfestival.com.