FESTIVAL REVIEW: Slam Dunk Festival 2025 – North

For the 19th year, Slam Dunk Festival opened its gates to circa 40,000 pumped up fans for what promised to be a day of nonstop music, beer and being in the North, plenty of intermittent downpours to add to the atmosphere. The 2025 lineup featured Slam Dunk regulars ZEBRAHEAD, NEW FOUND GLORY and ALKALINE TRIO along with first timers and biggest draw of the day, in perhaps the festival’s history, A DAY TO REMEMBER.

An eclectic lineup ensured there was something for just about everyone, but as is common with festivals, difficult choices were required for many fans with clashes aplenty throughout the day. We arrived at Slam Dunk bang-on-time for gates to open – forgetting perhaps that the village was open for a whole two hours before the main arena was made available to all. The queue for merch filled rapidly, with Slam Dunk-branded hoodies selling exceedingly quickly. At this point, those waiting patiently were doused with a short shower of rain. Communal groans, ponchos on, hoods up – you get the idea. That said, it was short lived, but there would be more precipitation as the day went on.

SWEET PILL – Main Stage West

We’d been lucky enough to see SWEET PILL  before at 2000trees in 2024 – so to see them again opening the main stage of Slam Dunk Festival was a true joy. It’s no easy feat to be the first band on stage anywhere on-site: the crowd’s fresh, it’s not even midday yet and there’s still the threat of rain. Regardless, the band provided their signature mix of alternative midwest emo to a decently appreciative crowd. Vocalist Zayna Youssef’s vocal acrobatics are always an experience – overall Sweet Pill started the festival off strong.

Rating: 8/10

THE MEFFS – Monster Energy Stage

Being sent on stage so early at a festival is a daunting task for any act, but THE MEFFS certainly rose to the occasion, creating an impressively furious wall of sound despite having only two members. The Essex-based Brit-punk duo brought the early morning energy, and their onstage chemistry was nothing short of electric. Tearing through the set ahead of schedule, vocalist Lily Hopkins took a moment to vent about the UK Government, riling up the crowd before bursting into Broken Britain, Broken Minds. You cannot tell us punk is dead when THE MEFFS opened up mosh pits before 12pm on a rainy Sunday.

Rating: 9/10

GREYWIND – Key Club Stage

Moving over to the Key Club Stage, GREYWIND took to the stage just before 12. The Irish duo are capitalising upon newfound momentum, and the rapidly filling tent is testament to their ever growing popularity. A relatively short set filled with material from last year’s Antidote EP is rounded off, full-circle with their debut single. Lovely stuff.

Rating: 7/10

SAVE FERRIS – Monster Energy Stage

Ska punk veterans SAVE FERRIS have been on the scene for 30 years (albeit with a 10 year hiatus in between), but their set proved that their years have not slowed them down one bit. Frontwoman Monique Powell’s onstage persona is every bit as captivating today as it was when she briefly stole the show in 90s rom-com 10 Things I Hate About You. Dancing with saxaphones, costume changes, and flirting with security, the atmosphere at the Monster Energy Stage was buzzing throughout the set. Powell took every opportunity to show off her enduringly incredible vocal abilities, and perhaps following THE MEFFS lead, took a moment to lament the state of US politics as well, begging the crowd “Please do not send me back to that fucking country”. Closing with their infamous rendition of Come On Eileen, the sing-along vibes were on point as they capped off a fabulously fun appearance at Slam Dunk Festival.

Rating: 8/10

DREAM STATE – Main Stage East

Making their way to the stage with umbrella extended might have seemed like tempting fate, however DREAM STATE managed to ward off the rain successfully. Main Stage East provides ample viewing space – and you needed it, as the crowd truly turned up for the Welsh quintet led by an energetic Jessie Powell. The crowd sang, crowdsurfed and circle-pitted to their hearts content, completely irreverant to the fact that the day was only just getting started. Bonkers. Utterly bonkers.

Rating: 8/10

KNUCKLE PUCK – Main Stage West

It’s been ten years since KNUCKLE PUCK released Copacetic. What better way to celebrate than by releasing a remix/remaster, and playing the entire album in full at Slam Dunk Festival? Copacetic in full. Beautiful. Quite simply, it’s difficult to recall a time that a crowd has sung words back to a band with such fervour and unbridled emotion. A standout moment came in Untitled, in which the stripped-back bridge and atmospheric outro just seemed to envelop the audience. The set ends with joy and respect. Bittersweet, yet complete. (yeah – go look up what copacetic means…). Difficult to not be overcome. 

Rating: 9/10

HOME GROWN – Monster Energy Stage

Perhaps it was because they followed up two particularly energetic performances on the Monster Energy Stage but self described ‘pop-punk for the broken hearted’, HOME GROWN offered up what felt like a relatively flat performance of tracks predominantly from their Kings of Pop album. The highlight of the set was without a doubt their cover of Barbie Girl which saw the most action in the crowd from their time on stage. Although good humoured with the audience, it seemed vocalist Adam Lorbach struggled a little to connect with UK festival goers, asking a crowd in landlocked Leeds “Who loves to surf?!” before performing Surfer Girl was perhaps a foolish endeavour, but it did evoke a few chuckles as he ended the song with “My Surfer Girl from Leeds”. It wasn’t a bad set, or a poor performance by a long shot, but certainly not a stand out for the day.

Rating: 6/10

IMMINENCE – Main Stage East

In a complete tempo change for us on the day, IMMINENCE are a force to be reckoned with. The Swedish metalcore group are potentially often prejudged by their inclusion of the violin (even in their live performance) – but it adds that orchestral layer to the mix in a truly unique way. It’s not out of place, instead complementing the down-tuned guitars and visceral lyrics from vocalist Eddie Berg. There was also a noticeable smell of incense. Not unwelcome, but noticeable. Very pleasant. 

Rating: 8/10

LANDMVRKS – Main Stage East

Having followed LANDMVKRS since the release of Hollow back in 2016, it’s really a joy to see them tearing up stages in the UK with such a sizable crowd. Opening (en Francais) with Creature, Main Stage East hadn’t seen energy quite like it. The uninitiated can be caught unawares by how such brutal gutturals can come from a man so small, but vocalist Florent Salfati is able to prompt the most stank of stank faces. LANDMRVKS fit into that versatile niche where they can incite circle-pits and two-steps, but also give the crowd a good old-fashioned sing-song. Excellent.

Rating: 9/10

THE AQUABATS – Monster Energy Stage

“Is that a child crowd surfing on an inflatable pizza slice?” and “how much more water is MC Bat Commander going to throw on me?” are just two of the questions you might have asked yourself while watching THE AQUABATS at Slam Dunk Festival. From the moment they entered the stage and the inflatable sharks were launched into the crowd for The Shark Fighter as opener, it was clear fun was the main order of business for crime fighting superheroes of ska. Managing to get through an impressive 12 songs during their set time, including Super Show Theme Song, the fun did not stop. Mosh pits surrounding both towers of the Monster Energy Stage, crowd surfers of all ages, and an endless barrage of inflatables made the set feel like an all out pool party. 

Rating: 8/10

STRAY FROM THE PATH – Main Stage East

STRAY FROM THE PATH were a must-see set for us. The New York City-based hardcorew crew are known for being unapologetically outspoken, with their music reflecting their views both political and otherwise. Celebrating the release of their new album Clockworked (which turns out to be their final record), STRAY FROM THE PATH‘s set truly brought the heat and energy to Slam Dunk Festival.

Rating: 8/10

STREETLIGHT MANIFESTO – Monster Energy Stage

It’s rare that New Jersey-based STREETLIGHT MANIFESTO journey out to the UK these days, but when they do, it’s usually for Slam Dunk Festival. To see Tomas Kalnoky on stage you wouldn’t think that he’s one of the most successful men in his field, there’s no on stage persona to be seen, no bravado or excess, just a man with a clear and genuine love for what he does, his humility is instantly charming. With a string of intensely talented instrumentalists to his left, the nine piece launch immediately into A Moment of Violence and the crowd erupted in excitement. As they move into The Three of Us, the opening track 2013’s The Hands That Thieve, fans enthusiastically begin to sing along not just to the words but enthusiastically to the melodies too, it’s really something to behold. What has long made STREETLIGHT MANIFESTO such an entertaining act to watch is the ferocity with which their fans adore them. Despite packing an impressive nine songs into their short 45 minutes on stage, it seems over far too soon, and the crowd agree as they scream for “one more song”. Pre-festival rumour mills buzzed in anticipation that they may take the opportunity to play new material from their upcoming album The Place Behind the Stars, which will be the bands first new release in 12 years, but alas, with the title track from their 2008 album Somewhere In The Between, the band are done. A fitting closer for a phenomenal set, executed perfectly by some of the most talented musicians ska have to offer. We can only hope the new album might bring them back to the UK in coming months.

Rating: 10/10

AS IT IS – Kerrang! Stage

The boys are back. Despite a short hiatus in January of 2024, AS IT IS regrouped after seven months for the 10 year anniversary of their debut album, Never Happy Ever After. A fresh re-release NHEA X, accompanied by an anniversary tour shows that the band are still very active, with their Slam Dunk Festival set featuring the album in full. Opening with Speak Soft, the crowd vocals were truly something to behold. There were smiles all around: on the stage, in the crowd, even in the photopit. Calling for crowd-surfers in Sorry had dozens of people flying over the barrier. This did result in a pause and a call-out for the medical team, but from what we could gather, all okay. We enjoyed the rest of the set from further back, and hearing the band roll out songs that wouldn’t typically feature on their current setlist such as My Oceans Were Lakes tugged at the heartstrings. They pulled a solid crowd, and it’s great to see them succeeding.

Rating: 9/10

NECK DEEP – Main Stage West

As sub-headliners go, NECK DEEP are a pretty strong name. NECK DEEP too, are celebrating a 10 year anniversary (anyone noticing a theme?), in their case their second album Life’s Not Out To Get You. In contrast to their peers, their set is a melting pot of songs both new and old – banger after banger from their recent output and throwbacks from their first EP like What Did You Expect?. The band may be onto their fifth album now, but as vocalist Ben Barlow reminds the crowd – they’re yet to headline at Slam Dunk Festival. Maybe next year for Slam Dunk‘s 20th birthday, hey? Wouldn’t that be something? Closing to their breakout track In Bloom, the entire crowd sing it back to the Wrexham five piece. NECK DEEP proved once again that they’re one of the best to do it.

Rating: 9/10

ELECTRIC CALLBOY – Main Stage East

We knew ELECTRIC CALLBOY were outrageous. Experiencing it live is another thing altogether. Down on the barrier, we’d been told ahead of time to expect fireworks, pyrotechnics, confetti cannons and streamers – but we weren’t prepared for the sheer volume of it all. ELECTRIC CALLBOY know how to work a crowd – there’s no doubt about that, but there’s still something impressive about having every member of the audience singing CASCADA‘s Everytime We Touch with such enjoyment. Popular singles Hypa Hypa, Tekkno Train and We Got The Moves make the set a frenzy of bangers, and nothing but smiles.

Rating: 9/10

A DAY TO REMEMBER – Main Stage West

Seeing A DAY TO REMEMBER play the festival that you originally ‘cut-your-teeth’ on was a real pinch-me moment. The Floridian behemoths that they are, came to the stage in their long-standing tradition of Strauss‘ Also Sprach Zarathustra, and straight into Downfall of Us All. Needless to say, the crowd erupted. Followed by 2nd Sucks and Right Back At It Again, A DAY TO REMEMBER filled their set with crowd-favourites and new releases for good measure straight off their recent Big Ol’ Album Volume 1. Many a nostalgic moment could be seen, with Have Faith In Me getting the most crowd interaction, that is, until, unsurprisingly, the sea of people in attendance belt-back Since U Been Gone. A set list of classics closed out the festival in the best way possible. Roll on Slam Dunk Festival at 20.

Rating: 10/10

Words: Rhys Haberfield, Alex Morgan 

Check out our photo gallery of the day’s action at Slam Dunk Festival 2025 – North from Rhys Haberfield Media here: 

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