The longstanding rock festival Slam Dunk has announced its 2026 return with the unveiling of headline acts Good Charlotte and Sublime, plus dozens more artists spanning the best in pop-punk, emo, ska, metal and beyond.
The festival, founded in Leeds, UK, will celebrate its 20th anniversary in 2026.
The festival will act as Good Charlotte’s only European performance through the summer, while the ska-punk band Sublime will be playing their first-ever UK show at the festival.
Also joining the first wave of acts for Slam Dunk 2026 include British alt-rock act A, metalcore band Bury Tomorrow and metal artists Cancer Bats. Cartel, Dashboard Confessional, Hawthorne Heights, Motion City Soundtrack and Taking Back Sunday have also been announced.
Ben Ray, Founder of Slam Dunk Festival said: “When I started the festival 20 years ago, I had no idea it would get to the milestone of 20 years, let alone be the size that it has grown to.
I am overwhelmed by the continued support for the event, both from the dedicated fan base who come every single year, to all the bands that keep coming back to play! A massive thank you to all!”
Good Charlotte said: “We are excited to come back and play the UK for the first time in 7 years and to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Slam Dunk will be a great time.
Kicking off this next chapter of GC in the UK this way will be a lot of fun and a great precursor for what is still to come! Some of our fav shows in our career have been in the UK and this will be no exception!”
Slam Dunk Festival takes place at Hatfield Park, Hertfordshire, on Saturday 23 May and Temple Newsam, Leeds, on Sunday 24 May 2026. Tickets are on sale from Saturday 27 September at 10am here.
