Slam Dunk Festival marks the start of summer – and its a must for Northern pop-punk fanatics
In just a few weeks time, Leeds’ Temple Newsam Park will once again become the central hub for Northern pop-punk fans as Slam Dunk North 2025 gets underway.
For almost two decades, this annual celebration of alternative music has attracted fans from across the country, spawning a Southern sister festival to meet growing demand. It’s also seen the cream of the crop grace its many stages – from genre heavy-hitters to buzzy newcomers. Come rain or shine, fans have regularly turned out for Slam Dunk’s annual offerings – and for many, their musical calendar wouldn’t be the same without it.
Why has Slam Dunk Festival become so iconic?
Slam Dunk 2025 is set to be no exception to the rule. After a few teething problem years at their grassy new Temple Newsam spot (the event moved there from Leeds City Centre in 2019), the festival feels like it’s finally secured its groove and claimed its park location as its new home.
For its 19th instalment, the event has pulled out all the stops, recruiting the likes of All Time Low, Alkaline Trio, Neck Deep, New Found Glory and Less Than Jake for its latest edition. They’re just the tip of the pop-punk iceberg too, with countless more acts – from Hot Milk and Hot Mulligan, The Used, Electric Callboy and many, many more acts scheduled to perform on Sunday 25 May.
Music aside, the festival offers something else that regularly brings fans back year after year. In addition to marking the start of festival season for many punters – something its park setting happily lends itself to – Slam Dunk also offers a sense of community that’s sometimes lacking at festivals with slightly more disparate line-ups.
A thriving pop-punk community
While it may be housed at the same venue that previously played host to Leeds Festival, unlike the current incarnation of the other big Yorkshire event, Slam Dunk isn’t undergoing an identity crisis. Instead, its dedication to doubling-down on the pop-punk, alternative ethos of it all infuses the festival with a infectious sense of community.
You can feel it almost as soon as you enter the field. Watching a sea of dark-clothes-wearing, heavily tattooed, vibrant-haired music fans milling about, happily buzzed and all vibing off the same collective love for a corner of music is infectious. Throw in some good weather and there are few better ways to mark the start of summer – which is why Slam Dunk 2025 remains a hot date in every pop-punk fans diary.
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