Thousands of Slam Dunk music fans will be arriving in Hatfield this weekend for the festival’s first appearance at its new location in Hatfield Park.
The touring pop-punk, ska punk, emo, metal and alternative rock festival returns to Hatfield on Sunday, May 27.
The festival has moved from its former home at the University of Hertfordshire to the grounds of stately home Hatfield House.
Organisers felt the uni’s College Lane campus was now too small for the festival, with the maximum capacity increased on the new site to 20,000.
The pedestrian entrance to the new venue is directly opposite Hatfield train station.
It was in Hatfield Park 460 years ago, in November 1558, that Elizabeth I heard of her succession to the throne whilst sitting under an oak tree.
And Slam Dunk Festival South will take place in the Queen Elizabeth Oak Field that also hosts classical picnic concert Battle Proms and music festival Folk by the Oak in July.
The Slam Dunk site, however, is much larger than those two summer events, with eight stages – two main stages and an assortment of big tops of various shapes and sizes – currently springing up in the lush, green parkland ahead of the gates opening on Sunday morning.
The Jägermeister Main Stage will be headlined by American rockers Good Charlotte on Sunday night from 9.05pm, with fellow festival co-headliners Jimmy Eat World closing the Monster Energy Main Stage at the other end of the expansive Slam Dunk South site with a set time of 9.05pm to 10.20pm.
Between the two large main stages are the Key Club Acoustic Stage, the large Fireball Stage in the Big Top, which will be headlined by Californian ska punk favourites Reel Big Fish, the Impericon Stage on the north edge of the site, the Signature Brew Stage, and the Rock Sound Breakout Stage.
The UPRAWR DJ stage is adjoining the Jägermeister Stage.
Music fans arriving by car will enter the site via the A414 only – with traffic being kept away from The Ryde area of Hatfield and the historic streets of Old Hatfield.
On-site parking opens at 9.30am, and access will be off the A414.
There will be restricted access to roads around Old Hatfield on Sunday from 7am, with a ‘resident only permit’ scheme in operation on the day.
Visitors arriving at Slam Dunk via train will simply cross the road outside Hatfield train station.
They will then enter at the Station Lodge entrance opposite the station and near The Great Northern pub, and walk across the Old Hatfield viaduct into the park.
The festival site is a 10-minute stroll through the park, with gig-goers walking up a hill towards the site – the same as for regular Hatfield events Battle Proms and Folk by the Oak.
Wristband exchange opens at 10am, with the main festival arena opening at 12.30pm.
The first bands will start shortly after, with the music running until 10.30pm.
Slam Dunk South’s official after party will once again be held at The Forum Hertfordshire on the festival’s former University of Hertfordshire site across town.
Shuttle buses will run from the Hatfield Park site to the after party at The Forum in College Lane from 10pm.
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