Slam Dunk Festival South 2026 kicks off in Hatfield on Saturday, May 23, bringing pop-punk, emo, metalcore, hardcore and ska back to Hatfield Park just north of London. Good Charlotte, Knocked Loose, President and the first ever official UK performance from Sublime lead a bill that also includes homegrown favourites Malevolence, Pest Control and A.
The festival is billed as the UK’s largest independent rock festival, and the scale of the day shows why. A direct train from King’s Cross to Hatfield takes 34 minutes, but crowds leaving after the headline bands finish at around 10:20pm can face lengthy queues at Hatfield station. Trains back to London run until just before 1am, while shuttle buses to Camden Town run between 10pm and 1am for £13.20. A guide to Slam Dunk 2026 in Hatfield, including tickets, trains and afterparties, is available at mogazmasr.com/112927.
Those heading on to London will find a packed Camden lineup waiting. The Electric Ballroom is hosting a Facedown takeover with a live set from Fell Out Boy, a Fall Out Boy tribute band, alongside a Slam Dunk and “guilty pleasures” room. Camden Rocks is taking place at Underworld, while The Black Heart is staging a metal and hardcore club night. A wristband for access to all the Camden venues costs £11, and one-day festival tickets are on sale for £139, with fan-to-fan resale tickets on Twickets available for as little as £114.
The tension in the day is simple: the music ends late, but the trip home can still be the hardest part. Slam Dunk has built a route for both problems, from rail services into the night to shuttle buses and afterparties in Camden, and accessibility information is available on the festival website for anyone planning the journey in advance.
For fans, that leaves a clear choice. Stay for the final bands, join the Camden afterparties, or head for one of the last trains back to London before 1am.
