Slam Dunk Festival 2016 add 8 more bands to the bill!

slam dunk

The 10th anniversary of SLAM DUNK FESTIVAL has jus announced a further 8 bands to the lineup!

After splitting up in 2012, THE KING BLUES will be making a welcome return to the festival. The political punk/ska band were an important fixture on the UK scene and 2016 sees a welcome return for the band to be a vital voice in the scene. “We’re super excited to be back and playing Slam Dunk for the first time in years. We can’t wait to get back and party for 3 days straight with you all.” says singer Itch

If anyone will bring the party to Slam Dunk Festival, it will be a DJ set from SHIKARI SOUND SYSTEM. Normally known for Enter Shikari, frontman Rou Reynolds says they “can’t wait to introduce Slam Dunk to Shikari Sound System. If you like low frequencies, the ones that make your innards quiver, and you like high energy electronic music come down and jive. Maybe even pull out a foxtrot”.

MOOSE BLOOD are one of the most beloved bands since releasing “I’ll Keep You In Mind, From Time To Time.” Their upcoming UK tour in April saw London selling out in a matter of hours, with other cities following suit. Slam Dunk festival will be one of the only places you’ll be able to see them this Spring.
“We loved playing Slam Dunk last year, it was crazy for us. We feel so fortunate and excited to come back this year” says the band.

Another band to fly the international flag will be THE AMITY AFFLICTION, an Australian force to be reckoned with. Having 2 ARIA number 1 albums in their homeland, this will be the bands first appearance at Slam Dunk festival. Melodic singer Ahren Stringer said they are “super excited to play Slam Dunk and share the stage with so many bands we’ve grown up listening to and playing with! Keep on rockin’ in the free world!

Other bands announced are Ska legends CATCH 22, their first performance in the UK in many years, Arizonan metalcore quintet THE WORLD ALIVE, who will release new album this Spring along with pop-punk label mates CHUNK! NO, CAPTAIN CHUNK!

Finally, punk band GNARWOLVES, who recently put out ‘Adolescence’, their heaviest release to date will be causing havoc like only they know how; “We’re really looking forward to coming back to play Slam Dunk for the third time this year” says the band. “It’s always boozy and brilliant, plus we get to watch Capdown and hang out with our mates. See you in the car park!”

The bands will join the headliners Panic! At The Disco and the likes of Of Mice & Men, New Found Glory and many more for the May 2016 bank holiday weekend.

PREVIOUSLY ANNOUNCED- PANIC! AT THE DISCO TO HEADLINE, OF MICE & MEN, NEW FOUND GLORY, FOUR YEAR STRONG, EVERY TIME I DIE, ISSUES, MEMPHIS MAY FIRE, REAL FRIENDS, MALLORY KNOW, THE STARTING LINE, SET YOUR GOALS, ZEBRAHEAD, CAPDOWN, WE CAME AS ROMANS, MISS MAY I, THE STORY SO FAR, YELLOWCARD, MAYDAY PARADE, HIT THE LIGHTS, ROAM, NORTHLANE, HACKTIVIST, CANCER BATS & NORMA JEAN.

The dates and sites for next years’ SLAM DUNK FESTIVAL are:

Saturday 28 May 2016 – SLAM DUNK FESTIVAL North – Leeds City Centre

Sunday 29 May 2016 – SLAM DUNK FESTIVAL Midlands –Birmingham, NEC

Bank Holiday Monday 30 May 2016- SLAM DUNK FESTIVAL South – Hatfield, University of Hertfordshire

Tickets are on sale now and priced at £42 or £47 including afterparty. The festival is for Age 14 + (festival only) or 18+ for the afterparty tickets.

For the first time, due to popular demand, there is also a limited edition Mega Ticket on sale for £150. This ticket includes admittance to all 3 events and includes afterparties, wristband exchange queue jumps and a limited edition t-shirt.
Visit www.slamdunkmusic.com for all ticketing links.

This year will see some huge upgrades to the event, continuing the huge year on year growth the festival has experienced. Following the success of last year the Leeds site will remain in the City Centre, with a new site being announced at the Birmingham NEC and the Southern date will remain in Hatfield, at the University of Hertfordshire campus for the fifth year. This will bring the capacity up to a huge 40,000 fans across the weekend.

SLAM DUNK FESTIVAL has won ‘Best Festival’ at the Kerrang! Awards in both 2014 and 2015. Widely regarded as the biggest awards in rock, the festival beat strong competition from major events such as Reading /Leeds and Download. Slam Dunk has also been in the final shortlists for ‘Best Metropolitan Festival’ at the UK Festival Awards, in 2013, 2014 & 2015, and ‘Best Festival’ (up to 15,000 daily capacity) at The Live UK Awards 2015.

Danny Peart
Danny Pearthttps://www.dannypeartphotography.co.uk
Editor / Live Music Photographer / Journalist at Soundcheck-Live

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