Festival News: Slam Dunk Festival - mark your calendars and learn your words, the countdown to May has started

2024’s UK festival season has only just been laid to rest — albeit with a few hanger-ons up and down the country still clinging resolutely to life — but time, and live music, waits for no man: Slam Dunk 2025 is here.

As you’re doubtlessly aware, Slam Dunk is a haven for alternative music fans nationwide. With 2024’s edition back in May boasting the likes of You Me At Six, The All-American Rejects, I Prevail and a number of other genre icons, the pressure was on: who ever could Slam Dunk tempt next?

Well, the organisers of that fine festival obviously don’t believe in making fans wait — the first wave is already here!

Starting it off, we have A Day To Remember making their Slam Dunk debut, with the festival marking the first chance for UK fans to catch the band’s latest album ‘For Those Who Have Heart’, just before they commandeer two nights at the newly re-opened O2 Brixton. Along with them come both the crazed German electro-pop-metal maelstrom of Electric Callboy, as well as Wrexham’s finest pop-punk export — and firm Slam Dunk favourite — Neck Deep.

Joining those fearsome threesome comes the likes of Matt Skiba’s Alkaline Trio, who are already evidently hungry for the UK after this year’s tour, the fan-favourites of emo heroes The Used, and, most importantly, both the exclusive UK reunion of the mesmerising As It Is, this time celebrating ten years of the band’s debut album, ‘Never Happy, Ever After’, and the ten year anniversary set of Knuckle Puck’s ‘Copacetic’.

And that’s not all. There’s throwback fanatics Hit The Lights; there’s cult classics in the form of both The Ataris and The Starting Lone. You want heavy? Along with the afore-mentioned headliners, Slam Dunk boasts the likes of Stray From The Path, Split Chain and Graphic Nature. Heavy not your sort? No matter. How does New Found Glory, Less Than Jake and Zebrahead sound.

Elsewhere, the genre-bending Delilah Bon and the ever-triumphant Dream State join the raucous Movements, the frenzied Hot Mulligan and When The Horn Blows’ Ones To Watch stand out Mouth Culture in tearing up the tents.

Slam Dunk promises yet another of their yearly stellar standouts — mark your calendars and learn your words, the countdown to May has started. Let’s just hope the weather isn’t as bad in Leeds this time!

Words by James O’Sullivan

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