Warped Tour Returns in Long Beach with Nostalgia, Heat, and a Few Surprises

Photo: Colin Hancock

Day One: Kicking Off With Old-School Energy

Walking into Warped Tour as an adult was wild. It felt like I was instantly 15 again, except now I was lucky enough to get VIP tickets and remembered to bring sunscreen. The Long Beach Shoreline made for a scenic backdrop, and getting in was quick and easy. It was a hot one with most of the grounds being asphalt, but honestly, that just felt very Warped coded.

The crowd was such a mix of older fans like me reliving their youth, younger fans getting their first taste of Warped, and every kind of style in between. Pop-punk tees, deathcore merch, brightly dyed hair, Vans checkerboards, it was all there.

I started the day off strong with Drain, who immediately fired up the crowd. Then, in true festival fashion, I stumbled onto a small side stage and found WaterTower, a folk-punk band with total “emo Noah Kahan” vibes that instantly put a smile on my face. Slaughter to Prevail completely owned my highlight spot for the day with a tight set, flawless sound, and a pit that I was more than happy to throw myself into.

Food options were decent but not perfect. As someone who is gluten-free, I ran into a few frustrations with vendors who either sold out early or did not have what was advertised.

Other favourites from Day One included Jack Kays, A Day to Remember, and the All-American Rejects. And my favourite surprise of the day had to be when Tony Hawk came out to sing with Goldfinger, which was straight-up iconic.

Day Two: Packed Crowds and Big Moments

Sunday turned up not only the heat, but also the crowd size. It was harder to move around, but the sets made it worth it. I opened my day with nothing,nowhere., one of my long-time favourites, and his All-Star cover had the entire crowd singing the famous Shrek anthem. Fever 333, Kim Dracula, and Paradox kept the momentum going, especially when Travis Barker joined Paradox on drums for their last two songs, one being a great cover of Blink-182’s “The Rock Show.”

Stray From the Path’s set hit hard, knowing they are breaking up soon, and I was glad to catch one of their last runs. Left to Suffer and Falling in Reverse closed it out for me, with Ronnie Radke leaning fully into the chaos. He started his set backstage, tossed mic stands, and kept the energy high.

The most random and wholesome moment of the day came when I was standing in line at the Gritty in Pink and Mad Hippie booth for skincare samples and realised I was in line for a meet and greet with pro skater Bryce Wettstein. She was so kind and genuine, and it was the perfect “only at Warped” kind of moment. I also loved seeing Gritty in Pink there, continuing their mission to push for more women in music. It was a reminder that some of Warped’s old rebellious spirit is still alive.

The only bummer was missing The Home Team’s set. I can’t wait for them to come back to LA so I can witness their raw talent and energy again.

This Warped Tour was not exactly the same as the ones I grew up with, but that’s not totally a bad thing. It has definitely evolved, and it has to in order to exist at all. It felt good to be back, surrounded by a mix of longtime fans and first-timers, all there for the love of live music. I left with tired feet, super sweaty, and very sunburned, which is basically exactly how you should leave Warped.

The festival is already confirmed for 2026, and while I will probably wait to see the lineup before committing next time, I am happy I got to be part of its return. There is still one more stop on this year’s run in Florida on November 15th and 16th, so the Warped energy is not done yet, and I hope it keeps building from here.

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