The UK's home of pop-punk, emo, metal and alternative will once again return to Hatfield and Leeds this bank holiday weekend - of course, it's time for Slam Dunk Festival!
With the Hatfield edition sold out and less than 900 tickets still going for Leeds, we can expect packed out crowds to take to the fields as Enter Shikari and The Offspring close down proceedings with two enormous headline sets. Yet, lower down the line-up, there's plenty of hidden gems to be discovered...
Vukovi (12:15, Amazon Music Rock Scene Stage)
The same weekend as they find out the fate of their record-breaking five Heavy Music Award nominations, Scottish alt-rockers Vukovi will take to the main stage for their first Slam Dunk appearance since 2021. We can expect the genre-bending, stadium anthems off their latest record NULA alongside the infectious hooks of their earlier hits 'C.L.A.U.D.I.A.' and 'La Di Da.' Charismatic and charming, expect them to bring the main stage to life with a bombardment of energy so early on in the day.
Dragged Under (14:10, Knotfest Stage)
If you're going to be leaving Hatfield or Leeds with any particular melodies stuck in your head, it'll likely be the riff kings themselves in Dragged Under. Armed with the catchy, driving hit 'Chelsea' alongside confident anthems from their latest record Upright Animals - the band make a welcome return to the UK following an appearance at last year's Download Festival and some support dates with The Ghost Inside. Catch them taking the Knotfest Stage by storm just after lunchtime!
Charlotte Sands (15:40, Left Key, The Key Club Stage)
Another megastar who is cultivating her own take on pop-laced rock, Charlotte Sands has the secret sauce for chorus writing firmly under her belt. Just over a year since her debut mixtape Love and Other Lies, Sands has dropped the colossal 'Six Feet Under' - a track that truly showcases her voice at the height of its powers. Making a pit stop in the UK for Slam Dunk amidst some European dates, you can see her on the left side of The Key Club stage - which has no clashes - right in the middle of the afternoon.
Boston Manor (16:15, Right Stage, The Kerrang! Tent)
No strangers to this festival, Blackpool heavyweights Boston Manor make their return to Slam Dunk this year after part one of their double album Datura dropped at the end of last year. The first ever guests on The GROAT Podcast, we can expect their signature tones to be taken up a notch with their now extensive back catalogue, drawing on the sing-alongs of 'Halo' all the way to the circle pits of 'Carbon Mono.'
PVRIS (18:30, Amazon Music Rock Scene Stage)
The only chance to catch Lyndsey Gunnulfsen and co. in the UK this summer, PVRIS will be playing one of the highest slots at Slam Dunk this year - and deservedly so. Their latest track 'GOOD ENEMY' has a jagged, throbbing riff that lays down a firm marker ahead of their highly anticipated fourth record EVERGREEN. No doubt a future headliner in the making, this set will lay down a historic marker for the US pop-rock titans.
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