Slam Dunk leadership shakeup

Slam Dunk Festival said on April 24 that one of its directors will step down from this year’s operations after allegations were published online. (kerrang.com) (rocksound.tv) In its statement, the festival said it was aware of allegations published on April 23 and that the director “strongly refutes” them. The board said he agreed to step down from Slam Dunk operations while the matter is ongoing. (rocksound.tv) (kerrang.com) Slam Dunk did not identify the director in its statement and said it would be inappropriate to comment further on what it called an ongoing legal matter. It said it would provide updates when appropriate. (kerrang.com) (nme.com) NME reported the statement followed posts by a woman on Instagram and other social platforms alleging misconduct by a festival director. NME also reported that she later said police advised her to remove the post. (nme.com) Other music outlets, including The PRP and Metal Injection, identified the person at the center of the allegations as founder Ben Ray, while noting Slam Dunk itself did not name him. Those reports said the allegations had been publicly denied. (theprp.com) (metalinjection.net) The timing is tight for the festival. Slam Dunk’s 20th-anniversary edition is still scheduled for Hatfield Park on May 23 and Temple Newsam in Leeds on May 24. (nme.com) (rocksound.tv) The 2026 lineup includes Good Charlotte, Sublime, Knocked Loose, Taking Back Sunday, Dashboard Confessional and State Champs. NME said that, as of its report, no bands had announced withdrawals. (rocksound.tv) (nme.com) Slam Dunk’s statement kept the event on course while separating the director from day-to-day festival operations. For now, the public facts are the board’s statement, the denial, and a festival weekend that remains on the calendar. (rocksound.tv) (kerrang.com)