Warped Tour Organizers Respond to Frustrated Fans, Promise ‘Big Names’ on Lineup
Tickets to the Vans Warped Tour went on sale last year, but fans are frustrated that the full lineup has not been released yet.
The Vans Warped Tour is returning to three cities this year to celebrate its 30th anniversary. In honor of the celebratory festival, taking place in three cities this summer, organizers are rolling-out the lineup across 30 days, dubbed “30 Days of Warped.”
The festival will host two-day events at Washington, D.C.,’s RFK Stadium Festival Grounds on June 14 and 15, the Shoreline Waterfront in Long Beach, California from June 26 to 27, and Orlando, Florida’s Camper World Stadium Campus on November 15 and 16.
While “30 Days of Warped” kicked-off with Bowling For Soup, Simple Plan, and Pennywise, fans have expressed their frustration that “bigger-name” artists have not been revealed yet, specifically in Orlando. Organizers took to social media Thursday to note that “we hear u Orlando.”
“A ton of big name artists will be announced w the official flyer at the end of #30daysofwarped next week + more bands will be announced for each city between then & may 19th,” organizers said. “Some bands have prior commitments & can’t be announced yet bc the show is 9mo away!”
Ticketholders called-out organizers, writing that they shouldn’t have to wait until May for the full lineup when they purchased tickets last year. Others were frustrated that the lineup was filled with “unknown” bands across all three dates.
Tons of bands who have tours etc things in place still do them while getting announced for big festivals every year. We got tickets last year, now want us to wait til May for the full line up is insane.
— CF | TrainerFrankie (@vVvFrankie) February 20, 2025
The Long Beach line up is too bad to be saved, even if you add 20 awesome bands at this point, we’ve got more than 60 unknown bands, I guess I’m going to warped to eat, watch Saosin, buy some merch and bounce
— Miky Salomón (@Mkslmn) February 21, 2025
Where’s the “we know this lineup sucks” apology to Long Beach.
— Wes Snyder (@Wess_is_more) February 21, 2025
The orlando lineup is very disappointing you trying to compete with when we were young and they are simply just doing it better
— Marcello Rossi (@Marcellorossii) February 21, 2025
Your entire marketing team should be canned! There is literally not a worse way you could have chosen to release the lineup. Total shitshow…
— Mags (@DU_Gremlin) February 21, 2025
What a crock of shit. Live Nation is ruining Warped. And if you “can’t” announce “bigger bands” because the show is 9 months away…. Mmmm weird cause aren’t tours planned out that are months and months out? Excuses excuses.
— River Winchester (@JenKamstra) February 21, 2025
This is just a ploy to get people to stop complaining and trying to get people to not sell their tickets. Just admit it, you fell flat with everything and turned this into such a huge disappointment.
— Kyle (@kyletheidol10) February 21, 2025
On the other hand, others pointed-out that Warped Tour isn’t just about “big-name” artists; in fact, the festival is built-on the rise of up-and-coming artists. Since its launch in 1995, Warped Tour helped punk and rock bands rise to stardom like Paramore, Bring Me The Horizon, A Day to Remember, Simple Plan, and Sleeping With Sirens.
Warped is not about big names. These are just festival people. The complaints are probably from people who didn’t spend every summer dehydrated, bruised, sunburnt, screaming their lungs out like it was normal.
— Joe/Tre Schism (@trecarufel) February 21, 2025
Where’s all the people saying that this roll out was normal and this is how warped how’s always been? 👀😉
— Nick Pappagiorgio (vegas vacation) (@diiillllon) February 20, 2025
Honestly I’m not worried or ever was with the lineup yeah big names haven’t been announced but doesn’t anyone want to discover new music anymore I want nostalgia to but we have plenty of that
— X-Matthew Cleaver (@FearTheGinger26) February 21, 2025
While several traveling rock festivals have popped-up over the years, including the DISRUPT Festival, Sad Summer Fest, Summer School, and Is For Lovers Fest — as well as the two-day emo revival festival When We Were Young in Las Vegas — nothing has been able to replicate the true nostalgic nature of Warped Tour.
Original founder Kevin Lyman told Rolling Stone that “I’ve always felt we need to pay homage to the past; but we’re looking to the future of the artists and the community.” He said that the lineup will feature between 70 and 100 acts at each stop and they’re “getting very, very selective in trying to find some unique twists to the lineup.”
Find the full lineup, updating daily, here.
