Slam Dunk Festival is almost here! It’s one of the first UK festivals of the year, and with its rapid growth and outdoor stages, its the perfect way to kick off the summer and party with your mates, thousands of music fans, and some of your favourite bands! Whats not to like right? Just in case your still not sold, here’s 10 reasons why you can’t miss this years Slam Dunk Festival!
1: This years headline act Panic! At The Disco flaunted their stuff at Reading and Leeds festival last year, and armed with new material from their hit new album ‘Death Of A Bachelor‘, their set is certainly one not to be missed! It’s also their first time playing Slam Dunk, so its going to be pretty special! The main man Brendon Urie had this to say:
“It’s awesome, it’s fucking cool, and I’m very excited. We haven’t actually played it before, but we have friends who have, and have heard it’s awesome! And sure, there’s a little bit of pressure, I’m not gonna lie!”
2: Florida Pop-Punks Yellowcard will also be playing the festival for the first time and will play their huge album ‘Ocean Avenue’ in full, in a world exclusive!
“I think we owe so much of the success we have been so lucky to have to Ocean Avenue.” says Ryan Key. “We have built an incredible touring career on 6 continents over the last 15 years. We have recorded 5 more original albums following Ocean Avenue. Without that album none of these things would have been possible. I wouldn’t change a thing.”
3: This years ‘Kerrang Fresh Blood’ stage is hosting it’s own little party in itself! With up and coming bands such as Creeper, Beautiful Bodies, New Years Day and many more, It’s a great opportunity to catch some of Slam Dunk’s future hits before they explode into the music scene!
4: Pop-Punk heroes New Found Glory will be returning to cause chaos on the main stage, and to make it that more special, they are exclusive to Slam Dunk Festival! Here’s what New Found Glory had to say about their return:
“We are super excited to be returning to Slam Dunk, and even more excited to help share in the 10th anniversary of the festival! It’s been quite a while since we last played Slam Dunk, but my favourite memories always stem from the fact that there are usually so many bands that we are friends with that take part in the festival, so it’s a great way to catch up with friends and spend time with bands that we’ve toured with, and it’s an awesome time for all involved.”
5: Already packing in a massive 7 stages, Slam Dunk Festival have added another to this year’s event by announcing the return of the ‘acoustic / solo stage’! It’s a great opportunity to catch a few stripped back sets, some new songs from solo headliner Bryce Avary of The Rocket Summer, and new bands such as Ex Blitz Kids Jono Yates’ Away Days!
6: After splitting up in 2012, It’s a welcome return for the fantastic King Blues! 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
7: Atlanta’s very own Issues head back to the UK to play their first UK festival appearance of the summer, and with their brand new album ‘Headspace’ released only a week before, its the perfect chance to see some of their highly anticipated mew material live for the first time!
8: Opening the main stage this year is everyones new favourite band Moose Blood! Off the back of a sold out UK tour, these guys are hot on their feet and ready to kick off the day in style!
9: After a day in the Sun (hopefully) getting rowdy watching all your favourite bands, what better way to finish the night off than with an explosive afterparty! With a mixture of Hardcore, Metal, Pop punk, Hip-Hop, Dance, and party anthems there’s something for everyone!
10: This one’s an obvious one at number 10, but unless you’ve been living under a rock this year and haven’t heard already, Slam Dunk Festival is celebrating it’s 10th anniversary! It’s grown rapidly since it launched ten years ago, and it’s going to be an explosive party to say the very least!
Festival founder & Director, Ben Ray, says:
“2016 marks the 10th Anniversary of the first SLAM DUNK FESTIVAL. I had no idea back then what I thought would be a one off event would still be going now, let alone continued to grow to the size it has become. Because of the anniversary, it was important for this year to be special, In celebration of the 10th Anniversary, the remaining line-up will contain many bands that have played over This year’s headliners are the phenomenal Panic! At The Disco. It will actually be the band’s first time at which I feel is reflected with both the line up and the new Midlands venue.”
You can see the full line up and stage split below! For more information regarding tickets, site maps, FAQs and everything else, visit Slam Dunks official website HERE!
