Head banging, crowd surfing, mosh pits and thousands of like-minded music lovers.
Slam Dunk Festival North is back for another year and there's a huge line-up to look forward to. Set in the heart of Temple Newsam, one of Leeds' best known festival venues is the hosting a one day set of metal, emo, punk and ska music from some of the industry's biggest names.
Dates for the diary...
The actual festival itself takes place over a single day, but there's a full two days of alternative music and festival antics to get through before the day itself.
Wednesday 1 June- You Me At Six at Temple Newsam.
Popular band You Me At Six will take over the Temple Newsam site to perform a special one-off set in honour of the ten year anniversary of their album Sinners Never Sleep. This might not be affiliated with SDF itself, but the 2021 headliners are long standing favourites of the festival so the band are certain to set the scene for the weekend's festivities.
Thursday 2 June - SDF22 North Launch Party Club Night at Leeds Beckett Student Union.
Mayday Parade, Real Friends and As It Is will be bringing irock/alt/emo/indie-pop tunes to Leeds the night before at Leeds Beckett SU. This incredible lineup will unite long-time music lovers with groupie newbies for one night only- and entry is under £10.
Friday 3 June - Slam Dunk Festival 2022 North at Temple Newsam.
The one-day festival kicks off on the bank holiday Friday, with live performances across five stages at Temple Newsam. Expect huge headline acts like Neck Deep, Sum41 and ALEXISONFIRE, amongst other exciting names (see below for the full list of acts).
The Wonder Years will be playing songs from their Upsides album at Slam Dunk Festival North (Leeds) whilst their album Suburbia will be played instead at the festival's southern location exclusively).
Streetlight Manifesto, Point North, Pinkshift, will perform make their European festival debuts whilst Smrtdeath, Meet Me At The Altar, Kennyhoopla and Deathbyromy will experience their first UK or UK festival respectively. For emo-infused alternative-rock Beauty School, the band will be making their first-ever festival performance.
Slam Dunk Festival is also hosting an array of exciting new talent, and for many this will be their first performance this side of the pond.
Tickets
Image: Slam Dunk Music
Tickets start at £69, but you're likely to get a ticket priced over £85 as the date gets looms closer.
Those looking for VIP entry tickets can pay £129 for entry to the VIP Guest area, VIP toilets and guest bar.
Big Green Coach Services is providing the coach travel for those trekking from further afield, but for us in Leeds, shuttle buses will be available from Sovereign Street in the city centre with a choice of booking in advance or on the day.
Car parking at Temple Newsam costs £5 per vehicle.
Leeds’ matcha scene is about to get a serious upgrade, because MADE, the viral Sheffield favourite, is officially ready to open its second site right in the heart of the city.
Taking over a spot on Lower Briggate, the new café lands on Thursday 30 April, and if its Sheffield success is anything to go by, it'll be pretty popular from day one.
Since launching less than a year ago, MADE has built a loyal following thanks to its aesthetic drinks, inventive flavours and a menu that goes far beyond your standard coffee shop offering.
This pastel-toned, checker-floored, light-filled space brings something genuinely fresh to the table in Leeds.
At its core, MADE specialises in hand-whisked matcha, with a rotating lineup of seasonal specials that are as photogenic as they are drinkable. Think strawberry shortcake matcha, sticky date lattes, and the much-hyped banana bread matcha that’s already gained a cult following over in Sheffield.
Alongside that, you’ll find iced coffees, 'split cups' for indecisive sippers, and smoothies inspired by the cult-favourite Erewhon.
Acai bowls at MADE in LeedsInside the new MADE in LeedsMatcha at MADE Leeds
MADE is also serving up generous açaí bowls, fresh sandwiches (including their popular tuna-cado option), and other grab-and-go bites.
Taking over the former Nice Things unit, the arrival of MADE brings a new energy to Lower Briggate just in time for summer.
And judging by the queues they regularly draw in Sheffield, it’s safe to say Leeds locals are about to become very familiar with that signature green hue.
Yorkshire veterans Shed Seven set for 10th anniversary of Shedcember shows
Danny Jones
Yorkshire-born group, Shed Seven, are set to bring a very special edition of their 'Shedcember' live shows to the likes of Leeds, Sheffield, and more as they celebrate 10 years of the now annual tour.
The beloved British band and alternative rock veterans have been around for more than three and a half decades at this point, and for nearly a third of those, these lads have been putting on regular winter gigs for their loyal fan base.
Having developed a fervent cult following during that time, Shed Seven's dedicated run of November and December dates has become a bit of a phenomenon, and since 2025 was one of their most significant 18-month periods ever, they're toasting recent success at the end of this calendar year.
If you're 'Shed Ed', you'll already know all about this event; if not, get to know...
Announcing this year's 10th anniversary tour - fittingly dubbed 'Shedcember X - alongside a new short film/teaser written and directed by long-serving guitarist, Paul Banks, those who have been listening since the start
Equally, thanks to this would-be trailer, even those who've never been to one of the shows or are yet to fully dive into their discography have had their attention caught.
Focusing on their die-hard crowds who now make sure to attend each Shedcember night, if not every single one of their gigs whenever they come to town, the mini social media movie captures just how passionate their audiences are even after all this time.
Part of the reason that the York-founded outfit has been enjoying somewhat of a resurgence of late is as a result of back-to-back number one albums
Notching the top spot for their A Matter Of Time in January 2024, a whole 29 years on from their maiden release (the longest gap between a debut and a no.1 record in UK history), they then did it again with Liquid Gold, which saw some of their biggest hits remastered and reimagined with orchestral backing.
These two massive and long-overdue moments of recognition arguably deserve a tour all of their own, but we will absolutely take Shedcember X, which will feature a number of shows across the region.
Announcing an extensive run of performances for the de facto festival, the 10th anniversary edition of Shed Seven's - we've also highlighted all of the Northern dates for you.
Sophie Smith -
29th April 2022 
