Slam Dunk Festival 2026

Slam Dunk Festival is the UK's biggest and best pop-punk, emo, metal, and alternative festivals that annually take place in Leeds (23rd of May 2026) and Hatfield (24th of May 2026). With its previous track record of having great bands and delivering a fanbase that continues to grow, it has established itself as a UK rock festival staple. Novel in its setup, Slam Dunk is the only festival of its kind to hold two events on one weekend, with its south and north venues drawing thousands of music lovers.

With increased popularity of the festival, Leeds and Hatfield sites both became outdoor-only sites, doubling their capacity. This allowed Slam Dunk to accommodate more fans and introduce more bigger, better-known acts to its lineup, which improved the experience for attendees.

The festival first started in Leeds, where it has taken place every year since the festival started in 2006. Slam Dunk has grown year by year to accommodate growing popularity among fans. The biggest changes were in 2019, when the Leeds festival moved to Temple Newsam's huge parklands for the first time as an outdoor-only event. This was in line with the same profitable conversion for the south plant, which became an outside complex in 2018.

Having been hosted in the University of Hertfordshire, the southern section of the festival shifted to the grounds of Hatfield House, whose lovely grounds endowed it with the appropriate festival experience. The grass field venue, apart from affording the festival experience, also lay close to the train station, which allowed individuals to visit easily.

Both of Slam Dunk's north and south sites now boast enormous setups with two main stages, top tent large stages, and trailer stages. With 28,000 capacity across the two sites, the festival expands each year, featuring some of alternative music's largest acts and fans from all of the UK and worldwide.

Slam Dunk Festival is a nostalgic calendar standout for punk, metal, and alternative music lovers. Through the success of being able to grow and change without losing the ethos of its DIY beginnings, it has emerged as one of the top events on the UK music calendar. With new goodies, bigger line-ups, and better experiences on the agenda every year, Slam Dunk is at the forefront of the UK rock festival scene!