2026 marks 20 years of Slam Dunk, as well as 10 years of The Key Club Stage and this year was filled with an incredible line-up filled with nostalgic bands (Good Charlotte, A, Dashboard Confessional, Broadside to name a few), festival titans (Bury Tomorrow, Knocked Loose, Malevolence), exciting debuts (Currents, President, The Home Team), viral bands currently on an unstoppable roll (Unpeople) and a tease of what the future may hold (Dead Pony, SiM). Whether you came for the pop-punk/alt rock emo nostalgia, the moshpit heavy titans, or to see what the fuss of the new bands is all about, there was something for everyone! With the amount of rock and metal sub-genres out there, it’s getting increasingly difficult to please everyone; however, I’m happy to say that Slam Dunk managed to deliver yet again a line-up that offers stellar options for any fans.

Australian alternative heavyweights Stand Atlantic have officially made their triumphant return today with the release of their vibrant new single and accompanying music video, ‘Velcro,’ available now via Virgin Music Group. Following its exclusive global premiere this morning during the First Play segment on triple j Breakfast, the track represents a pivotal creative evolution for the quartet, seamlessly blending their trademark high-octane energy with a raw, newfound emotional vulnerability.