The Slam Dunk Festival has announced that one of its directors will temporarily withdraw from festival operations following allegations that surfaced online.
In a statement released on social media on Friday, April 24, the festival organizers acknowledged the situation. "We are aware of allegations published yesterday relating to one of our directors. We take these allegations seriously and understand that they may be distressing and hard to process for our community," the statement read.
While the director in question "strongly refutes these allegations," he has agreed to step down from festival duties during the ongoing investigation. The festival emphasized its commitment to maintaining a "safe, respectful, and inclusive environment" for employees, partners, and attendees.
Organizers noted that it would be "inappropriate" to comment further on what they described as "an ongoing legal matter," but promised transparency: "We promise transparency and honesty to our Slam Dunk community and will provide updates when it is appropriate to do so."
The allegations first surfaced when a woman posted screenshots of an alleged conversation with the accused on Instagram and other platforms. She later removed the posts, stating on Instagram that police had advised her to take them down and that she was "following their instructions."
Slam Dunk Festival is set to celebrate its 20th anniversary on May 23 at Hatfield Park in Hertfordshire and on May 24 at Temple Newsam in Leeds. The lineup includes Good Charlotte, Sublime, Knocked Loose, Boston Manor, State Champs, and others. As of now, no bands have withdrawn from the festival despite fan speculation.