ORLANDO, Fla. \u2014 Fans of pop-punk, alternative rock, emo and hardcore music will congregate in Orlando this weekend as Vans Warped Tour makes a special 30th-anniversary comeback.<\/p>\n
Once considered the largest traveling music festival in the United States, the tour made a highly anticipated return earlier this year with sold-out dates in Washington, D.C., and Long Beach, California. This weekend\u2019s Orlando festival is sold out and expected to welcome 80,000 fans both Saturday and Sunday to Tinker Field outside Camping World Stadium.<\/p>\n
Some of the biggest names at Warped Tour Orlando include A Day to Remember, Black Veil Brides, Falling in Reverse, Bowling for Soup, Yellowcard, All Time Low, Killswitch Engage, I Prevail, Pennywise, Less Than Jake and the Wonder Years.<\/p>\n
While the focus is on music, the festival also features skating and BMX riders, record labels, nonprofit organizations, artists, merchandise and a Vans Warped Tour Museum. Different bands will play each day in three different main music areas with two alternating stages each, plus one Warped Unplugged Stage.<\/p>\n
After its final cross-country tour in 2018 and a three-city 25th anniversary tour in 2019, Warped Tour founder Kevin Lyman<\/a> decided to bring back the event after being approached by Insomniac, the event producer behind EDC Orlando<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cThere were enough people that work for Insomniac that worked with me at one point in my career. I thought they could help me bring it back culturally, and that was what I was really worried about,\u201d Lyman said. \u201cI had one shot to get it right because there\u2019s expectations with Warped Tour. I think people took it for granted in a way, like, \u2018Oh, it\u2019ll be here next year.\u2019 But then it was gone. People kind of appreciated how hard the whole team and crew worked on that thing.\u201d<\/p>\n Lyman said that both of the previous Warped Tour events this year were well-received.<\/p>\n \u201cI was really nervous the first day in D.C. People came in, and it felt like Warped Tour with only bigger stages, lights and video. Everything around it kind of felt the vibe. The bands were excited. It felt like a reunion,\u201d he said. \u201cBands tell me, \u2018There\u2019s tons of festivals that we play. They know how to put on a festival, but they don\u2019t make it home. Warped Tour was always home.’\u201d<\/p>\n Even though Warped Tour has been off for the last several years, the event has remained a cultural phenomenon that has taken on a life of its own. There\u2019s even a bar on Wall Street named \u201cWarped Pour<\/a>\u201d that incorporates the festival\u2019s logo.<\/p>\n \u201cWho has a bar named after their work? I guess Jimmy Buffett has Margaritaville,\u201d Lyman said. \u201cI think it\u2019s an honor when someone uses that logo.\u201d<\/p>\n Downtown Orlando will host pop-up shows before and after the event, including a set from the Warped Band playing at Warped Pour at 2 p.m. Friday.<\/p>\n Florida was \u201calways a great market\u201d for Warped Tour, Lyman said, but the community support has made the City Beautiful an ideal choice to host one of this year\u2019s events.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s like the magical music kingdom,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s amazing to put all these bands on a stage, and it\u2019s a great lineup, plus a great ticket price. It\u2019s $149 to go to a two-day festival.\u201d<\/p>\n