Having firmly established itself as the best alternative festival for pop-punk and rock revellers alike, Slam Dunk Festival 2017 has announced the second-wave of fantastic acts for its biggest year yet.
Headlined by the searing electronic masterminds Enter Shikari as they celebrate the 10th anniversary of their monumental debut album ‘Take To The Skies’, the festival welcomes alt-rock men of the moment Don Broco, pop-punk pros Bowling The Soup, ska punk outfit Less Than Jake, Californian ska mob Reel Big Fish, and American east coast pop-rock powerhouses We The Kings and Cute Is What We Aim For.
After touring arenas with the likes of Bring Me The Horizon and 5 Seconds of Summer, rising British alt-rock rising stars Don Broco are set bring their arena A game to Slam Dunk Festival 2017 as it will be the only place to see them in summer 2017. A true success story of modern alt music, Don Broco are energetic, powerful and will not disappoint as they return to the Slam Dunk stage.
Don Broco’s frontman Rob Damiani says;
“Slammy D! It's been too long. Can't wait to be back at one of our favourite UK festivals next summer. Ben & the SD crew have always been incredibly supportive of us and the U.K. music scene as a whole so it's great to see how much the festival has grown and to be a part of it. Bring it on #SD17”
Pop-punk hall of famers Bowling For Soup will make their first ever appearance at Slam Dunk Festival 2017 this year. Their arrival on Slam Dunk soil is highly anticipated as they bring a set packed with anthems such as “1985” and “High School Never Ends” which is sure to be sing-along gold come Slam Dunk Festival this may. Bowling For Soup will be joined by ska heroes Less Than Jake and Reel Big Fish as they reunite together once again exclusively for Slam Dunk Festival as they both share a bill for the first time since they co-headlined the festival in 2011.
Bowling For Soup frontman, Jaret Reddick says;
“We are so excited to be back in the UK at Slam Dunk Fest! This has the makings of a day we will all never forget!!"
Chris Demakes of Less Than Jake says;
"It's that time again, kids. Another Slam Dunk! Less Than Jake has nothing but amazing memories associated with this festival. We are honored that we have been asked back to play and can't wait to share the stage with some amazing bands. Wait until you see the rest of the lineup! This is shaping up to be the best one yet. See you lot next May!”
Cute Is What We Aim For are no strangers to Slam Dunk Festival, having headlined the first ever multi stage set-up in 2008. Alumni of Fueled By Ramen records, the NY outfit will be casting minds back to the beginning of the pop-rock wave as they perform their illustrious debut album ‘The Same Old Blood Rush With A New Touch’ in full. Joining them in a transatlantic journey to the festival are pop-rock playboys We The Kings. Famed for their full-length debut album which included the platinum single and teen summer anthem ‘Check Yes Juliet’, We The Kings will be bringing sun-soaked Floridian anthems to Slam Dunk Festival 2017 they showcase the beloved debut album in full for what is set to be a true festival memory.
Cute Is What We Aim For guitarist, Jeff Czum says;
"We're extremely honored to be a part of Slam Dunk 2017. It's funny, the last time we performed Slam Dunk was in 2008 and our singer Shaant Hacikyan wasn't able to make it due to him losing his passport. Luckily for us, Josh Franceschi from You Me at Six was able to fill in on vocals last minute... (Thanks again Josh!) We're all so excited to return with a full band and play our debut album The Same Old Blood Rush With a New Touch in it's entirety. The U.K. has always been one of our favorite places to play and it's been long overdue!"
We The Kings’ Travis Clark says;
“Slam Dunk was the very first time we ever came to the UK, so it is fitting that on our 10th year anniversary as a band we will be coming to play the festival. You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll scream and you'll wonder why the heck we don't come back more often!!”
A nationwide invitation to party in the name of the alternative, Slam Dunk Festival is a rite of passage for lovers of pop-punk and rock music and is a key date in the festival calendar. Kicking off in Birmingham on Saturday 27th May, the festival will travel to Leeds on Sunday 28th May before finishing up in Hatfield on Monday 29th May, once again ensuring the Slam Dunk Festival Bank Holiday Weekend is the only place to be to catch all your favourite bands.
Slam Dunk Festival is set to get even bigger and better in 2017 with the addition of the First Direct Arena in Leeds as the second stage, another outdoor stage in Hatfield and an expanded site in Birmingham, ensuring more die-hard fans can savour the Slam Dunk experience than ever before. With tickets on sale Friday 11th November, and over 60 more acts to be announced, Slam Dunk Festival is set to define 2017 with the ultimate alternative party of the summer.
Published on 24 November 2016 by Ben Robinson
