The full Slam Dunk Fest lineup for the landmark 2026 in Leeds is complete and, surprise, surprise - we're in for another absolute belter.
With the much-loved music festival celebrating an amazing milestone next year, Slam Dunk North at Temple Newsam is hoping to host its most memorable weekender yet.
2026 marks the 20th anniversary of the annual event, which sees some of the best alternative, pop-punk, metal acts and more from around the country, as well as exports from the US and all over the world, gather for one big mosh.
And judging by the lineup for SDN26, those pits are going to be MASSIVE.
Your full and final Slam Dunk 2026 lineup is here.
Get your tickets before 23:59 tonight (October 31st) and you can still get a full 6-month payment plan.
Revealed in its entirety on Halloween 2025, some of the names on the lineup for next year wouldn't look out of place on the original Slam Dunk poster back in 2006.
Joining American rock veterans Good Charlotte as an European tour exclusive, other well-known and long-standing names include Sublime, Taking Back Sunday, Dashboard Confessional and Cancer Bats, just to name a few.
The lattermost outfit also marks one of the heaviest overall rosters in some time, with two new side-by-side stages dedicated to other sub-genres like metalcore, thrash, and other hardcore adjacent artists confirmed last month.
Dubbed 'The Harvest', it promises "back-to-back heavy music all day. Hell yeah.
It goes without saying that we had a 'reet good time as always at Slam Dunk in 2025, and we can't wait to toast 20 years with them next summer.
A much brighter weather forecast certainly played its part, but the festival organisers have also taken steps to improve the layout and accessibility following fan feedback.
Best of all, Slam Dunk is once again offering affordable payment plans for tickets, with the cost able to be spread out over the space of six months.
You can find out more information and grab your tickets HERE, and we'll see you there with bells on and devil horns raised high come Sunday, 24 May 2026.
Two R&B greats are heading out on a joint headline tour for the very first time, as Ne-Yo and Akon announced the Nights Like This global tour.
Both artists are Grammy Award winners, and each has a formidable back catalogue of chart-topping hits.
For Ne-Yo, that includes songs like Miss Independent, So Sick, and Closer; while for Akon, he's responsible for huge tracks like Smack That, Lonelty, and Right Now (Na Na Na).
Between them, they've shaped and defined radio, nightlife, and pop culture for decades.
This newly-announced tour will see the pair performing on the same stage - for Leeds, that's the First Direct Bank Arena.
They'll perform in a unique back-and-forth set throughout the show, visiting venues right across the UK and Europe, as well as heading across to the USA and Canada.
The nostalgic gigs will feature everything from slow jams to club anthems, with a party atmosphere throughout.
Ne-Yo and Akon will perform at the First Direct Bank Arena on Thursday 30 April 2026, with tickets on sale this Friday 30 January at 10am.
There will be an artist pre-sale on Wednesday 28 January at 10am.
Nights Like This EU/UK 2026 tour dates
Fri 24 Apr – Dublin, IE – 3Arena
Mon 27 Apr – Newcastle, UK – Utilita Arena Newcastle
Tue 28 Apr – Glasgow, UK – OVO Hydro
Thu 30 Apr – Leeds, UK – First Direct Bank Arena
Fri 1 May – Manchester, UK – Co-op Live
Mon 4 May – Birmingham, UK – Utilita Arena Birmingham
Loyle Carner to headline Kirkstall Abbey as part of new all-day music event
Clementine Hall
Loyle Carner has been announced as the headliner for ‘Above All Else’ a new curated event that will form part of the Live at Kirkstall Abbey concert series.
Boy oh boy are we excited about this one.
An all-day celebration of music and culture is coming to Kirkstall Abbey, ‘Above All Else’ is a new event from independent Leeds promoters Futuresound with forward-thinking curation at its heart.
And who better to headline its debut than Loyle Carner.
Released last summer, Loyle Carner’s fourth full-length album Hopefully! reasserted his position at the forefront of the UK’s emotionally-charged hip hop movement.
Images: Supplied
First finding his voice in 2013 with the A Little Late EP, it was Loyle Carner’s debut album 2017’s Yesterday’s Gone that brought the artist to national attention and earned himself a Mercury Music Prize nomination and BRIT award nominations for British Breakthrough Act and British Male Solo Artist at just 23 years old.
Joining Loyle Carner at ‘Above All Else’ will be a full supporting line-up including acclaimed Grammy and Ivor-Novello award nominated songwriter Jordan Rakei and Kokoroko, the London based sextet.
Completing the line-up is much-hyped Birmingham rapper Kofi Stone and rising Dublin collective Bricknasty.
Also announced for Live At Kirkstall Abbey 2026 are revered British multi-hyphenates The Streets, reunited Leeds indie heroes The Sunshine Underground, art rock royalty The Maccabees will be performing their only northern gig and the hugely successful Kirkstall Abbey Comedy Festival is gearing up for a return featuring Dara Ó’Brien, Jason Manford, Lucy Beamount and more.
Kirkstall postcode pre-sale for local residents (LS4, LS5, LS13 & LS18) will open at 10am on Wednesday 28 January here with general sale opening at 10am on Friday 30 January here.
Danny Jones -
3rd November 2025 
