Delivering the ultimate multi-date alternative festival extravaganza, Slam Dunk Festival 2022 moves into its 16th year with its biggest line-up to date boasting not one but FOUR headliners alongside a must-see pick n mix of rock icons and newcomers alike. Today, the festival confirms Welsh pop-punk success story Neck Deep as the fourth and final headliner, joining Alexisonfire, Sum 41 and Dropkick Murphys on the top slots.
In addition to the newest headliner, Canadian hardcore gang Cancer Bats, incendiary mob The Bronx, US pop-rockers The Summer Set and Nottinghamās As December Falls will make their return to the festival this summer while Californian acts Point North and Mom Jeans make their Slam Dunk Festival debut.
Hailed as āfuture festival headlinersā early into their career, Neck Deep will make the dream a reality as they celebrate the tenth anniversary of the band by headlining at Slam Dunk Festival 2022. One of the UKās biggest alternative export since Bring Me The Horizon, Neck Deep cracked the Top 10 on both sides of the Atlantic with their 2015 album āLifeās Not Out To Get Youā. As they continued to win over the UK and US with the follow up āThe Peace and Panicā, the Welsh quintet were handpicked as main support on the mammoth blink-182 and Lilā Wayne co-headline tour across America in 2019. Releasing their latest album āAll Distortions Are Intentionalā in the midst of a global pandemic, Neck Deepās seventh appearance at Slam Dunk Festival this summer is sure to be a career landmark.
Speaking on their return, Ben Barlow (Neck Deep) says:
āWeāre really stoked to be back at Slam Dunk. Itās one of our favourite fests to play and there really isnāt anything else like it. It feels like our whole world is right there at Slam Dunk. Weāve worked our way up over the years playing various different slots and itās an honour to be one of the main acts this year. Itās been way too long since weāve been back at the fest, we usually do something special around it so expect something cool in the run up. Or at the very least, a daft t shirt or two. See you there!ā
With 16 years under their belt, including 6 acclaimed studio albums, five JUNO Award nominations and countless tours around the globe, Cancer Bats have become an undeniable force within the world of heavy music. Slam Dunk Festival 2022 will mark the bandās fifth appearance since their debut in 2012, speaking volumes about Cancer Bats and their storied career. In April 2021, the Bats celebrated the three-year anniversary of their latest full-length The Spark That Moves. The album earned the Canadian group their fifth JUNO Awards nomination, for 2019 Metal/Hard Music Album of the Year. A critic and fan favourite, The Spark That Moves has been streamed over 1.5 million times on Spotify and was featured on numerous ‘Best of 2018’ lists.
Liam Cormier (Cancer Bats) says:
“Super stoked to announce that our RETURN TO THE UK WILL BE AT SLAM DUNK 2022! There’s so many rad new things for Cancer Bats this year, we canāt wait to share it with all of our UK pals and what better place than THE BIGGEST PARTY THEYāRE ALL GOING TO BE AT! ALSO It must be noted that thereās going to be some serious CANADA vibes on our stage and we’re pumped to be a part of that!
Named by Kerrang! As āAmericaās greatest living punk bandā, The Bronx will return to Slam Dunk Festival 2022 in the wake of their latest album āThe Bronx VIā . The Bronxās swaggering interpretation of hardcore punk is incomparable, including their divergent alter-ego Mariachi El Bronx which has led them to an impressive discography consisting of six studio albums, two EPs, one DVD, eleven singles, two demos and eleven music videos.
Matt Caughthran (The Bronx) says:
āEngland! We have missed you terribly and cannot wait to come fuck shit up at Slam Dunk 2022. This time it’s for real!ā
After announcing an indefinite hiatus in 2017, The Summer Set are back and will be returning to Slam Dunk Festival this year. Hugely influential at their peak in the early 2010ās, the Arizona based four-piece came into prominence with albums āLove Like Thisā, āStories For Mondayā and āLegendaryā, which featured hit single āBoomerangā. Dropping fresh new singles āStreet Lightningā and āBack Togetherā in 2021, The Summer Set will be in receipt of a warm welcome at Slam Dunk 2022.
Brian Logan Dales (The Summer Set) says:
āWe couldnāt be more thrilled to return to Slam Dunk Festival after all of these years. Itās been way too long since weāve been to the UK, our old home away from home, and weāre so excited to finally come back and play some shows across the pond.ā
While the world was falling apart in 2020, Point North were busy producing and releasing their debut album āBrand New Visionā – a masterwork in modern pop-punk which featured Kellin Quinn (Sleeping With Sirens) and DEāWAYNE. Enjoying weeks of airplay across American radio stations, the Hopeless Records signees kept momentum bouncing in 2021 with fresh, energetic singles āStitch Me Upā and āNice Nowā.
About their Slam Dunk debut, Point North say:
“We are so excited to be making our debut overseas festival appearance at slam dunk! Weāve wanted to play it since as long as weāve been a band and we canāt wait to see you all in the UK.”
In the run up to the release of their new album āSweet Toothā, Mom Jeans will be performing at Slam Dunk Festival this summer. Originally billed for the 2020 lineup but unable to make it across the Atlantic for the rescheduled date, the Californian quartet are loaded up on upbeat, fuzzed-out modern pop-rock, ready to make their debut in the fields of Leeds and Hatfield this summer.
As December Falls have gone from strength to strength since they were selected by a public vote to open the Breakout stage at Slam Dunk 2018. No less than a year later, the band had released their self-titled debut album, garnering praise from Kerrang! who hailed them as a āloud band with a big futureā. Fiercely independent, the Nottingham-based band led by Bethany Hunter took out a bank loan to finance their 2021 follow up album āHappierā, recorded by John Mitchell (Architects, You Me At Six, Enter Shikari). Fresh from the first dates of their sold-out 13 date UK headline tour, As December Falls have racked up over 6 million streams and 2.2 million YouTube views, marking them as must-sees at this yearās festival.
Bethany Hunter (As December Falls) says:
“Weāve been going to Slam Dunk Festival every year since we were teenagers and getting the opportunity to play on Rock Soundās Breakout stage in 2018 was unreal for us. After the whirlwind few years weāve had since, to know that weāll be back on the other side of the barrier this summer is genuinely a dream come trueā
Slam Dunk Festival 2022 will take place on Friday 3rd June (North) and Saturday 4th June (South), moving from the usual May Bank Holiday weekend to align with the Queenās Platinum Jubilee Bank Holiday Weekend which begins on Thursday 2nd June. With even more acts to be announced, Slam Dunk Festival is set to redefine rock festivals in 2022 as the ultimate alternative party of the summer.
SLAM DUNK FESTIVAL 2022 ARTISTS (A-Z)
ALEXISONFIRE
AS DECEMBER FALLS
BEAUTY SCHOOL
CANCER BATS
CHUNK! NO, CAPTAIN CHUNK!
DEAF HAVANA
DREAM STATE
DROPKICK MURPHYS
ESKIMO CALLBOY
HOT MILK
HOT MULLIGAN
HOT WATER MUSIC
KENNYHOOPLA
KNUCKLE PUCK
NECK DEEP
MEET ME AT THE ALTAR
(their first-ever UK festival appearance)
MIGHTY MIGHTY BOSSTONES
MOD SUN
MOM JEANS
MOTION CITY SOUNDTRACK
PENNYWISE
PINKSHIFT
(their first-ever European festival appearance)
POINT NORTH
SILVERSTEIN
SPANISH LOVE SONGS
SUM 41
THE AMITY AFFLICTION
THE BRONX
THE FLATLINERS
THE INTERRUPTERS
THE STORY SO FAR
THE SUMMER SET
THE USED
THE VANDALS
THE WONDER YEARS
(playing Upsides album at SDF North and playing Suburbia at SDF South)
YOURS TRULY
High Fives & Stage Dives 