By Stuart Peach
Slam Dunk Festival have started revealing their 2027 lineup, and they’ve gone for a pretty fun way of doing it! The first batch of names was revealed today through a new arcade-themed announcement video, bringing together a mix of pop-punk, emo, metalcore, ska and alternative favourites.
Leading the first announcement are legends of the scene Bowling For Soup and Simple Plan, with both bands bringing plenty of pop-punk nostalgia to the festival. They’re joined at the top of the announcement by Reel Big Fish, Less Than Jake and The Interrupters, giving the 2027 lineup a strong dose of punk and ska (nothing new there for SD).
There’s plenty for fans of the heavier side of Slam Dunk too, with Killswitch Engage most likely headline this stage, Beartooth, Wage War, The Amity Affliction and Erra all announced, alongside Melrose Avenue and From Ashes To New.
There’s also a big dose of nostalgia running through the lineup, with Sleeping With Sirens, The Used, The Maine, The Academy Is…, We The Kings and Cute Is What We Aim For all set to appear.
Also hidden away in the announcement video are some more pop punk veterans like The Front Bottoms, Four Year Strong, Trophy Eyes, Knuckle Puck, Overgrown and Love Rarely, while Hot Milk, RedHook, As December Falls and Mouth Culture add some names from the current gen to the bill.
It’s a pretty varied first announcement, covering a lot of the different sounds that have become part of Slam Dunk over the years. From the pop-punk crowd who grew up with bands like Simple Plan and Bowling For Soup, through to the heavier metalcore names and newer alternative acts, there’s already a lot to dig into.
And this is only the first announcement. Slam Dunk are promising many more artists are still to be announced, so there’s plenty more to come before we find out exactly how the 2027 festival will shape up!
The 2027 festival will take place at Temple Newsam in Leeds on Saturday 29 May, before heading to Hatfield Park on Sunday 30 May.
Slam Dunk Festival 2027 takes place at Temple Newsam, Leeds on May 29 and Hatfield Park, Hatfield on May 30.
