Slamdunk Announces The First Wave of Bands For 2027
Slamdunk announces its first wave of acts for 2027 including Killswitch Engage and Bowling for Soup that showcase the strength of the rock scene, celebrating its twentieth birthday in a year of anniversaries and rising new names…
This is the announcement of the first wave of Slamdunk, with leading names like Bowling for Soup, Simple Plan and Killswitch Engage dropping, all 3 heavyweight established artists in the scene as the festival celebrates its twenty-first edition. The first band up is pop-punk heavyweights Bowling for Soup, which frontman Jaret Redick would later call their Slam Dunk 2023 set one of his “favourite shows” of the bands’ career. It’s a twenty-fifth anniversary celebration of ‘Drunk Enough to Dance’, the breakthrough album that gave the band the longevity it needs. Twenty fifth anniversaries seem to be the playing field here as Simple Plan get to celebrate their debut album ‘No Pads, No Helmets…. Just Balls.’ 2002 was an instrumental year in the pop punk scene and this festival recognises that.
Elsewhere across the lineup, the excellent prog rock band ERRA (their 2026 album among the best releases of the year so far) look set to perform alongside Wage War and pop-punk upstarts Hot Milk, who recently tour up All Points East debuting before Twenty One Pilots. Slamdunk’s variety in range showcases its strength as a rock festival – The Front Bottoms, Four Years Strong also get time in the spotlight alongside scene heroes Mouth Culture and hotly talented new math rock outfit Love Rarely, who have had quite the journey from appearing at Arctangent in 2025 and are now supporting Arcane Roots later this year.
Less Than Jake also make an appearance – and for a first wave of festivals, this is no slouch – Sleeping with Sirens, The Used and The Maine all join giving fans a host of emo bands to pick from. Slam Dunk is every bit as vital as festivals like 2,000 Trees, Arctangent and Download – and it is a vital place on the UK rock circuit that has shown in its longevity for 2027, with so much more bands to come.
All tickets including VIP add-ons will be first available through an app-exclusive pre-sale from 10am Friday for up to 48 hours (subject to availability) at a price of £130 including all fees. Remaining tickets will then go on sale through other outlets, including their website, from 10am Monday at £140. Payment plans are available, and ticketing has been changed following fans feedback from last year.
Here is the complete list of artists confirmed in yesterday’s announcement:
Bowling For Soup
Simple Plan
Killswitch Engage
Beartooth
Sleeping With Sirens
The Used
The Front Bottoms
Reel Big Fish (Exclusive UK Reunion)
Less Than Jake
The Interrupters
Grade 2
Wage War
The Amity Affliction
ERRA
Melrose Avenue
From Ashes To New
The Maine
We The Kings
The Academy Is…
Cute Is What We Aim For
Four Year Strong
Trophy Eyes
Knuckle Puck
Overgrown
Love Rarely
Hot Milk
Mouth Culture
As December Falls
RedHook
Catch the festival at the following UK dates:
29th May 2027 – Leeds, Temple Newsam (Slam Dunk North)
30th May 2027 – Hatfield, Hatfield Park (Slam Dunk South)
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