Vans Warped Tour is back a year after its revival, and whether you’re an elder emo or hitting the festival for the first time, you may have some questions about the two-day event.
This year, music fans can expect performances from legacy Warped Tour favorites such as Jimmy Eat World, Mayday Parade, Motion City Soundtrack, Gym Class Heroes and Reel Big Fish, as well as newer acts such as Nova Twins, The Paradox and XCOMM.
Are you wondering if there are lockers? How to get to the festival? Where to park? How can you watch from home if you’re not attending? We’ve got you covered. Here’s what you need to know before heading out.
When and where is Vans Warped Tour happening?
The Vans Warped Tour kicks off in Southern California before making stops in Montreal, Mexico City and Orlando, Florida. The first festival weekend stop begins at 11 a.m. Saturday, July 25 – Sunday, July 26 at the Shoreline Waterfront, 386 East Shoreline Drive, Long Beach.
Who is performing at Vans Warped Tour?
There are well over a hundred bands across the two days, made up of veteran acts from the early days and new ones inspired by the festival, looking to deliver for the next generation. Fans can expect a lineup spanning pop punk, emo, metalcore, ska, hip-hop and a few experimental genres. Here’s a more detailed breakdown of everyone who is performing and when:
Saturday, July 25: 3OH!3, All Time Low, Allison, Aries, Arm’s Length, Attila, Bear vs. Shark, Beauty School Dropout, Big Ass Truck I.E., BLNKO, Bowling for Soup, Brayton, Caskets, Chase Petra, Citizen, Dance Gavin Dance, Deathbyromy, Dinosaur Pile-Up, Drop Dead Gorgeous, Emery, Escape the Fate, Fox Lake, Games We Play, Girlfriends, Good Sleepy, Good Terms, Grandson, Gritty in Pink Jam, Gym Class Heroes, Holy Wars, Honey Revenge, Hoobastank, Hot Chelle Rae, Hot Mulligan, Initiate, Ivy Pacific, Jimmy Eat World, Jinjer, Joyce Manor, Jutes, Lakeview, Lø Spirit, LOLO, Magnolia Park, Norma Jean, Oxymorrons, Pain of Truth, Phantom Planet, Plain White T’s, Red Leather, Reel Big Fish, SACE6, Set It Off, Simple Plan, Slay Squad, Sleeping with Sirens, South Arcade, Stand Atlantic, Suicide Silence, The Devil Wears Prada, The Early November, The Expendables, The Ghost Inside, The Story So Far, The Summer Set, The Wrecks, TRXVIS, Underoath, Upon a Burning Body, Vana, Vienna Vienna, Wesghost, Whispers, Who Cares, Winona Fighter and Yelawolf.
Sunday July, 26: Acceptance, Alemeda, Alexisonfire, Amigo the Devil, Bad Cop Bad Cop, Bayside, Boston Manor, Boundaries, Breathe Carolina, Carolesdaughter, Codefendants, Crown the Empire, Daisy Grenade, Delux, Denm, División Minúscula, Doobie, Drain, Dying Wish, Fame on Fire, Free Throw, From First to Last, G-Eazy, Glassjaw, Guilt Trip, Hawthorne Heights, Haywire, Hepcat, Hot Milk, I Set My Friends on Fire, Jiluka, Kennyhoopla, Lagwagon, Leisure Hour, Letlive., Lower Definition, Mad Caddies, Mayday Parade, Meet Me @ The Altar, Millington, Motion City Soundtrack, Mutant Beans, MXPX, Nova Twins, Origami Angel, Papa Roach, Peelingflesh, People R Ugly, Raue, Rosecoloredworld, Sammy Adams, Save Ferris, Scarlet House, Scary Kids Scaring Kids, Set Your Goals, Shakewell, Silverstein, Start Today, Story of the Year, Surfer Girl, Taking Back Sunday, The Academy Is…, The Aggrolites, The Ataris, The Cab, The Paradox, The Starting Line, The Used, Third Eye Blind, Thrice, Tillie, Villanelle, Waterparks, We Came as Romans and XCOMM.
When will the festival unveil its set times?
If this is your first time going to Warped Tour, you’re probably expecting a social media post about which bands are playing when, as other music festivals have accustomed fans to. However, this festival is keeping it old-school and true to its founding tradition.
Attendees won’t know which time slots acts are performing until they get through the gates each day, where bands and their respective times will be posted on a giant inflatable board inside the venue at 11 a.m. You can snap a photo of the posted schedule and use it as your guide. If you want to stay on top of updates and set delays, you’ll want to have the Vans Warped Tour app installed and ready before getting to the festival. Or if you’re running late, you can also check social media like the Vans Warped Tour Reddit, where fans will likely post it, so you hit the ground running when you get in the gates.
How do I get tickets to Vans Warped Tour?
Single-day passes start at $119.98 and two-day general admission passes start at $199.98. VIP passes start at $449.98. All ticket options can be purchased at vanswarpedtourlongbeach.com.
What do I get with VIP?
VIP passes are available for single-day admission or for the weekend. VIP attendees receive dedicated viewing areas, temperature-controlled restrooms, and expedited festival entry. Those who purchase a weekend VIP pass will also receive a special surprise in the mail.
Are there festival lockers?
Yes, there are and given that the festival is right by the shoreline, you may want to bring a light jacket for when the sun sets later in the evening. Festivalgoers can rent a locker measuring 8 inches high, 12 inches wide and 18 inches deep, which can fit backpacks, purses and any Warped Tour or band merch. Each locker is also equipped with internal universal phone chargers for iPhone or Android users.
Locker rentals are $70 for the weekend and $35 for Saturday or Sunday and can be purchased via vanswarpedtourlongbeach.com. Pro-tip: don’t wait until the day of, as these are likely to sell out quickly.
What’s the parking situation?
Last year, finding parking was challenging to say the least, so this year festival organizers are encouraging attendees to plan their transportation and arrive early.
Advance on-site parking passes are available for several downtown garages, including Civic Center, City Place A and City Place B, but the Pike parking structure, one of the closest options to the festival grounds, has already sold out.
Additional public parking garages and street parking will be available throughout downtown Long Beach. It is recommended to arrive early each day to secure a spot closer to the venue, and attendees are encouraged to carpool whenever possible.
Heading to Warped Tour? Here’s what to know about parking, shuttles and more
There will also be shuttle services offered throughout Southern California, including routes that depart from Fullerton Park & Ride in Orange County, the Best Western Plus Ontario Airport in the Inland Empire, and a Long Beach location that has yet to be announced. City shuttle locations will each have one scheduled morning departure and one return trip after the festival, so riders should arrive early, as buses cannot wait for late arrivals.
If you’re trying to avoid traffic altogether, riding the Metro might be your best bet. Riders can take the A Line toward Long Beach and exit at 1st Street Station, which is about a 12-minute walk from the festival entrance. Metro also offers numerous Park & Ride lots throughout Los Angeles County, where parking is free or costs up to $3 per day, depending on the station.
More transportation information is available at vanswarpedtourlongbeach.com.
What other experiences are happening at the festival?
In addition to the stacked musical lineup, there will be several on-site events happening.
One of the foundational staples of Warped Tour is its incorporation of extreme sports and skating. Festivalgoers will be able to watch Vans pro skaters throw down on the iconic Vans Vert Ramp, catch Nitro Circus athletes doing massive BMX tricks, watch fighters face off in Circle 6 Wrestling, and witness jaw-dropping demos happening throughout the weekend.
Artist Alley will feature bands selling merchandise from their own booths, and some may host meet-and-greets and photo ops, so keep an eye out for any announcements from your favorite acts on social media. Record Row will also give fans a chance to support their favorite artists for a chance at exclusive merch, signings and more potential artist sightings.
Sponsor Village will also host DIY-style pop-ups featuring acoustic sets, product giveaways and more. If special acoustic sets are something you’re hoping to catch, check out the Warped Unplugged stage, which fuses live performances with immersive art installations, nonprofit activations and an interactive graffiti wall.
Rockers looking to support a cause can find an outlet at Charity Circle by meeting the charities and nonprofits that help support the Warped Community and beyond.
Will there be food and drinks at the festival?
Yes, food and beverage stands will be located throughout the event, with roaming vendors carrying water, snacks, and other beverages. Vegan and vegetarian options will also be available. Credit, debit, Apple Pay and Android Pay will be accepted.
Vans Warped Tour also partnered with Long Beach Food Scene Week and Downtown Long Beach Alliance to spotlight the city’s independent restaurants and culinary community. From now through July 26, 19 local restaurants will offer exclusive, band-inspired food and drink specials priced at $15 or less, inspired by artists performing at this year’s festival.
Among the featured collaborations are Third Eye Blind’s “How’s It Going To Be” grilled shrimp tacos from Lola’s Mexican Cuisine, Jimmy Eat World’s “Bleed American Burger” at Selva, Mayday Parade’s “May The Spice Parade You” loaded fries from Auld Dubliner, and Taking Back Sunday’s “Taking Back Sundae” from Ordinarie.
Fans can also discover exclusive food and drink specials inspired by Papa Roach, Sleeping With Sirens, Plain White T’s, Hoobastank, Underoath, Dance Gavin Dance, Phantom Planet, The Ataris, Rosecoloredworld, PeelingFlesh, The Academy Is…, Bear vs. Shark, Big Ass Truck I.E., Holy Wars, Whispers, and more.
The other participating restaurants include: 4th Horseman, Baby Gee/Due Fiori, CoffeeDrunk, Hartland’s, ISM Brewing & Kitchen, Midnight Oil, Open Sesame, Recreational Coffee, San & Wolves Bakeshop, Sonoratown, Steelhead Coffee, Sura Korean BBQ, Tokyo Noir, Win~Dow, and Zuzu’s Petals.
Can I watch performances online?
The Vans Warped Tour Long Beach weekend will be exclusively livestreamed on Amazon Music beginning at 12:45 p.m. Because the set times aren’t released until the day of, at-home viewers won’t likely know which acts will be streaming until it begins airing.
Fans can watch performances on the Amazon Music app and the Amazon Music channels on Twitch and Prime Video. Those with Fire TV and Samsung TV Plus can tune in on the Amazon Live Channel.
Amazon Music’s livestream will be hosted by rock musician Lilith Czar (aka Juliet Simms), Caity Babs of SiriusXM and Andy Biersack of Black Veil Brides. The hosts will interview festival artists and preview and comment on notable performances throughout the weekend.