Festival News: SLAM DUNK FESTIVAL DROPS ITS SECOND WAVE FOR 2027
A surprise drop of another 18 bands? Are we sure it’s late October and not Christmas?
Three weeks to the day of Slam Dunk’s first 2027 announcement, and the second’s already here? While some other festivals haven’t even announced the date of their release, let alone the release itself, the people over at Slam Dunk have seen fit to announced ANOTHER 18 names.
Up first, joining Simple Plan, Bowling For Soup, Killswitch Engage, Beartooth, Sleeping With Sirens, The Used, and all of the other 23 names announced at the end of September, is none other than the iconic, anthemic, legendary throwback of Cobra Starship! Returning to the UK for the first time in seventeen years as an exclusive UK appearance, it certainly wasn’t on our Bingo card, but you’ve got to love it all the same. And, despite not being away for quite as long — they played London’s OVO Arena Wembley back in July with fellow Slam Dunk favourites Alexisonfire — Canada’s Billy Talent are back in Hatfield and Leeds, returning after subheadlining in 2023; funnily enough, they clashed with Bowling For Soup then, who are obviously also coming back three years later. Spooky!
Other than those two big’uns, the festival as a whole is getting a touch up. On the punk, Bowling For Soup-and-Simple Plan side? Think rising stars The Paradox and the new ska collective, The Family Business Ltd. For Killswitch Engage’s section of the poster? Amira Elfeky, whose appearance on I Prevail’s recent UK-run was sadly cancelled; the Nevada-based sister duo of The Pretty Wild; the Parisian metalcore band Novelists; the masked nu-metallers of BLACKGOLD; and, last but not least, the Berlin-based post-hardcore outfit of Future Palace.
Onto the next presumed stage now, over in Sleeping With Sirens and The Used. Other than the aforementioned Billy Talent and Cobra Starship, of course, there’s still a duo of fresh faces: Forever The Sickest Kids and The Haunt! Which leaves the ‘The Front Bottoms stage’ getting the lion’s share of additions: seven names to get even more excited for! The biggest announcement of course being that of Superheaven finally making their Slam Dunk debut. Better late than never! Add on emo favourites Joyce Manor; Ben Quad, a relative newcomer but someone sure to become a firm favourite; Games We Play, a group signed to Fall Out Boy’s Pete Wentz’s DCD2 Records who seem to blend midwestern emo themes with unrelenting pop positivity; newer pop punk trio Super Sometimes; German emo-punk outfit Shoreline; and, finally, the new project Car Underwater, the members of which are pretty much all from one band or another that you probably have on your playlist.
But that’s not all. For anyone wanting the full festival experience, who aren’t making the trek from Hatfield to Leeds Saturday night to make it to both days at least, your prayers have been answered! For 2027, Slam Dunk also introduces camping for the first time in its history. It’s sure to be slightly limited in this inaugural edition, but a number of pitches will be available at both Leeds Temple Newsam and Hatfield Park, including campervan pitches and pre-pitched tent options, that are walkable to the festival. They open at 4pm the day before the festival and close at 12pm the day after, so fans can get to Hatfield or Leeds the day before, have a catch up with some friends, maybe a drink or two, and then sleep in the knowledge that when they wake up it’ll be show time.
A little something for everyone to get excited for — plus, if bands keep getting announced at the same rate, there’ll be another 160 odd bands on the poster by late May!
Long live pop punk and long live Slam Dunk.
Words by James O’Sullivan
