In 2006 who could have predicted that Slam Dunk Festival would still be going two decades later. What was once originally a club night has transformed into a sprawling, two-site event with European offshoot festivals and a reputation far beyond its humble beginnings.
Bringing together pop-punk heavyweights Good Charlotte, hardcore trailblazers Knocked Loose, veteran act Sublime, and returning early-2000s favourites alongside fast-rising newcomers President, the anniversary line-up was a clear statement of intent. Here’s what we thought of the day.
Youth Fountain 6/10
As the gates opened in Hatfield, it was straight into the action as Youth Fountain launched “Slammy D” as they affectionately dubbed it. They kicked things off at the Monster Energy Stage. Calm, charismatic, and clearly there to enjoy themselves, the band quickly won over the early crowd.
The audience is instantly ignited as My Mental Health blasts out, with Tyler’s blend of brutally honest lyricism and towering instrumentals. This brings the festival’s first circle pit of the day, a sign of things to come. Closing on the anthemic Blooms, Youth Fountain deliver a set full of confidence and flair, opening the festival in style and raising the bar from the very start.
Unpeople 9/10
Unpeople looked completely at home on the Main Stage. Their razor-sharp riffs, shifting tempos and explosive energy whipped Hatfield into a frenzy, while their knack for turning intricate guitar lines into massive, chant-worthy hooks had the Slam Dunk crowd shouting every word straight back at them.
Frontman Jake Crawford commanded the stage with a chaotic intensity, nowhere more evident than during the live debut of Clouds.Then with the sun beating down overhead, there was only one place the crowd wanted to be: The Garden. igniting an intense circle pit as guitarist Luke Caley climbed onto a fan’s shoulders, rallying the crowd through the track’s instantly infectious refrain. Unpeople already feel like one of Slam Dunk’s breakout bands. Their rise up the festival ranks looks inevitable.
Broadside 7/10
Bursting on to the stage Broadside delivered infectious summer energy and occasionally over dramatic lyrics to the Key Club Stage. Even with the relentless heat intensified by the packed-out tent, the band’s pop-punk hooks and effortless stage presence kept everyone locked in from start to finish.
One of the biggest moments came with Coffee Talk the irresistibly catchy track that first introduced me, and no doubt many others, to the band. The crowd response proved it remains just as much of a fan favourite today. Frantic and fun is the best summation of the Virginia based band.
Hawthorne Heights 6/10
Hawthorne Heights while not blowing the roof off delivered a strong set walking the line between nostalgia and renewal. New single Like A Cardinal slipped effortlessly into the setlist, sitting naturally alongside the band’s early 2000s staples and proving they still know exactly how to craft emotionally charged post-hardcore hooks.
Still, for all the strength of the newer material, nothing could quite rival the closing moments of Ohio Is For Lovers. As soon as the opening lyrics rang out, the entire crowd erupted into one massive singalong, transforming the field into a sea of raised hands and shouted words. It served as a powerful reminder that, while they may not always be the first name that comes to mind, Hawthorne Heights helped shape early 2000s emo culture in a lasting and undeniable way.
Trash Boat 7/10
Celebrating a decade since their 2016 debut Nothing I Write You Can Change What You’ve Been Through, Trash Boat turn the Key Club into a full-throttle birthday party. The set leans heavily into the record that started it all, delivered with feral energy and zero restraint, they look like a band finally circling back on where it began.
There’s a palpable sense of catharsis as they tear through the set, matched by a crowd just as eager to shout every word back, especially for the long-awaited Catharsis. By the time the set draws to a close, it doesn’t really end so much as spill outwards. Lead singer Tobi Duncan stepping off stage and into the crowd, meeting long-time fans eye to eye in a moment that feels less like a finale and more like a reunion.
Boston Manor 8/10
Boston Manor refuse to treat their mid-afternoon slot as anything less than a headline moment. Every second feels earned, every note delivered like it matters, leaving nothing behind.
The band are such a razor-tight live outfit as their set radiates an immediate sense of connection. Tracks like Passenger are delivered with real intent and precision, before Laika erupts into a euphoric audience singalong.
Frontman Henry Cox fully commands the stage with a magnetic, assured presence, drawing every eye as the audience response swells in kind.
Dashboard Confessional 8/10
Making their Slam Dunk debut, long overdue for many who grew up with their music Dashboard Confessional arrive to a crowd that already knows every word. Chris Carrabba sets the tone with a wry understatement: “We specialise in writing very sad songs,” though the response from the crowd suggests no introduction was ever needed.
As the tracks ring out beneath a cooling yet still sweltering hot mid-afternoon sun, their inherent melancholy takes on an unexpected lift, anchored by a powerful sense of shared experience.
What could have been a straightforward nostalgia set instead feels genuinely communal, built on a sense of belonging even for those less familiar with the band. Classics like Vindicated and Stolen are revisited with renewed clarity and impact. The set then closes on a surge of energy with the brighter, more exuberant Hands Down. It’s a festival set that truly connects, offering something a little more distinctive than a standard nostalgia trip.
Currents 7/10
Currents delivered an electrifying performance filled with intense breakdowns, atmospheric layers, and precise execution, perfectly complementing the festival’s expanded heavy-stage setup. Brian Wille’s vocals cut through sharply, intensifying the experience. The crowd responded with relentless energy massive pits and non-stop enthusiasm from start to finish.
This performance shows that Currents are more than capable of commanding a major UK festival stage. While they might not have been the most talked-about act of the weekend, for modern metalcore fans, this was undeniably one of the most powerful and consistent performances of the day.
President 7/10
The set had serious energy and drew one of the largest Slam Dunk crowds of the day, but it was heavily undermined by technical issues. With a power cut mid-performance and the set being cut short momentum was lost slightly with the crowd left confused whether to stay or go. Nevertheless the show did go on.
Clad in his customary black tie and intermittently leaning against the branded lectern at centre stage, his lips pressed against the inside of his latex mask. President offer no direct address to the audience between songs which are intercut with grand theatrical interludes. The songs shift strikingly between breathy emo, swaggering R&B, exuberant rock, and howling post-hardcore an impressive range that is genuinely remarkable to witness.
My rating is slightly lower due to the power loss. However, when the set was running properly, the band still came across as intense and engaging. They offered a big stage presence and a sound that really suits the festival environment.
Deaf Havana 8/10
Before the clock strikes 8pm the Key Club tent is already heaving with anticipation for Deaf Havana’s celebration of 15 Years Of Fools & Worthless Liars. The moment James and Matty Veck-Gilodi step onstage, they’re greeted like returning heroes. A roar erupts for opener The Past Six Years, the crowd carrying every word with such force and emotion that James is visibly overwhelmed as a cracked “thank you” escapes between a few tears.
Diving through the landmark album while weaving in some of their biggest anthems, Deaf Havana deliver a set that feels both nostalgic and electrifying. Fever and Trigger hit with all the power and polish of their original recordings, while Sean Smith of The Blackout brings raw emotion to a heartfelt, shirt-clutching rendition of Friends Like These. By the time Hunstanton Pier closes the night, the tent is united in a bittersweet singalong a tear-stained farewell worthy of the album’s legacy.
Good Charlotte 8/10
Good Charlotte was a clear nostalgia-heavy highlight, closing the festival on a wave of infectious energy. The band focused largely on their biggest hits, and the crowd response never really dropped, turning the set into one long, celebratory moment.
Rather than digging into deep cuts or packing in surprises, they kept things straightforward. The only real deviations came with Bodies and Rejects from last summer’s Motel Du Cap, which added a brief nod to their newer material without disrupting the flow. It felt intentional less about reinvention, more about reaffirming the strength of the songs that defined their early-2000s pop-punk legacy.
With the set building toward The Anthem and, just before it, Lifestyles of the Rich & Famous, Good Charlotte kept the anticipation to the end. They turned the closing moments of Slam Dunk South into a time capsule of the era, balancing enduring anthems with just enough new material to show they’re still writing with purpose and energy.
Overall, a thoroughly good day out in Hatfield! We very much look forward to seeing what the Slam Dunk team cook up for the 21st edition in 2027!
If you want to catch headliners Good Charlotte again in the UK this year, or if you missed them at Slam Dunk, they’ve just announced two huge shows in London and Manchester which are on sale now!
