From metalcore masters to pop-punk’s next big thing, Slam Dunk Festival 2026 is almost here, and the line-up ain’t one you want to be missing.
Taking place on May 23 at Hatfield House and May 24 at Temple Newsam Park, the 20th-anniversary edition of the UK’s biggest independent rock festival is drawing on its roots as much as on its never-ending desire to uphold the future of the scene and beyond. With something for everyone and a guarantee that you’re going to see something that you’ll be talking about for years, final tickets for both events are available right now.
You can get your ticket for Slam Dunk North from right HERE and Slam Dunk South from right HERE, with both available with a Buy Now, Pay Later option.
But if you’re still wondering who you should be going to see, let your old friend Rock Sound point you in the direction of some sets that need to be on your agenda.
DASHBOARD CONFESSIONAL
There are few artists in the scene that can top Chris Carrabba when he hits his stride, even after all these years. With a back catalogue that has soundtracked as many first kisses as it has life-changing break-ups, and with the power to make even the most steadfast of hearts beat loud, fast and true, the band will be making their first ever appearance at the festival, and returning to the UK for the first time since supporting Funeral For A Friend back in 2023. It’s set to be a celebration of all of the love, loss, longing and learning that this wild life throws at us.
TONIGHT ALIVE
It’s been a long time coming, but Tonight Alive will finally be back on UK soil. Since their return from hiatus in 2024, the band have been celebrating their legacy of love and respect in some style. From the iconic melodies of ‘Lonely Girl’ to the off-kilter hedonism of ‘Temple’, Jenna McDougall and Co will be making up for lost time in the most fantastical and fierce manner.
SAOSIN
The first Slam Dunk Festival took place in 2006, the same year that Saosin released their iconic and influential self-titled album. Those songs still sound as fresh out of the packet today as they did two decades ago, so expect total euphoria when they are pulled out of the hat during the band’s long overdue return to the UK. And with vocalist Cove Reber back in the fold, and a sensational new track in the form of ‘Starting Over Again’ showing they still have what it takes to make you feel invincible, you will be bearing witness to the start of what is due to be a special chapter in the band’s story.
GUILT TRIP
Recently signing to the legendary Roadrunner Records, Guilt Trip are taking the rough and raw heart of UKHC to the world in a big way. Bridging the gap between the unrelenting brutality of hardcore and the intricate and thrilling flair of 90s metal, expect cuts from their newly announced full-length ‘Armour Of Angels’ as well as pit-swelling classics from their battering ram of a discography, expect a real half hour of ultimate power.
THE HOME TEAM
Nobody is doing it quite like The Home Team. It’s been that way for quite a while now, and with more time that passes their position as the scene’s most dancefloor-filling asset is only further cemented. Still riding high off the back of their 2025 sensation, ‘The Book of Life’, their brand of sensually technical and sensationally tenacious post-everything is as smile-inducing as it is hip-shaking. Your new favourite band in waiting.
DEAF HAVANA
Very much part of the furniture when it comes to Slam Dunk, Deaf Havana are going to be using their latest appearance at the festival as a means of reflecting on the people they were 15 years ago. Focusing on their second full-length ‘Fools And Worthless Liars’, a record brimming with quintessential British self-deprecation and youthful vigour by the barrel-load. Expect as many nostalgic nods to the then and now as choruses made to be belted at the top of your lungs.
BEAUTY SCHOOL
A band that Slam Dunk cherish so much that they have them signed to their label. Beauty School are the face of UK pop-punk in 2026. Pulling from every iteration of the genre from over the years, they are set to kick off your day in picture-perfect style on the Main Stage West. Melding heartfelt croons with noodly riffs like it’s second nature, they are everything that makes alternative music such a special place to be. The future is right here and right now.
PRESIDENT
From mysterious entity to global sensation in just 12 months, it would be an understatement to say that PRESIDENT aren’t an absolutely essential addition to the Slam Dunk line-up. With a live show that is as compelling as it can be discomforting, and a slew of songs that send the shivers coursing all the way up the spine, you would be amiss to not catch this moment of history in the making.
The final tickets for the UK’s largest one-day rock festival are ready and waiting for you. So, are you coming?
Grab your ticket for Slam Dunk North from right HERE and Slam Dunk South from right HERE, with both available with a Buy Now, Pay Later option.
Brought to you by Slam Dunk Festival.
