By Antone Hempstock – Punk Rock Press
It’s official: the legendary Vans Warped Tour is making another comeback in 2026. Whether you’re a lifelong pit-dweller or just in it for the nostalgia, this news is a big deal.
Following the 30th anniversary reboot in 2025, organizers have confirmed that Warped will hit the road—well, kind of—again next summer. Like last time, it’s not a full-fledged tour, but a two-stop banger, kicking off in Washington, D.C. on June 13–14 and then landing in Long Beach, CA on July 25–26.
The D.C. event will once again take over RFK Stadium grounds, and Long Beach will bring the chaos back to the Shoreline Waterfront. Tickets for D.C. are already up for grabs, and Long Beach fans can jump on the presale train starting August 1st.
For those who missed it, Warped’s 2025 edition marked three decades of punk-fueled mayhem and was its first outing since being “retired” in 2019. Creator Kevin Lyman made it clear that the tour’s future depended on how this reboot was received—and by all accounts, it made enough noise to justify another go-around. There’s still one more stop left this year, too: Orlando, FL on November 15–16.
Lineups in 2025 were stacked. The D.C. date had everyone from Avril Lavigne and Bowling for Soup to Ice Nine Kills, Mayday Parade, Four Year Strong, MGK, and Sublime. Long Beach had a similar vibe, with a few swaps—311 showed up, and even Jutes (Demi Lovato’s guy) joined the chaos.
Still, not everyone was thrilled. Some fans raved. Others roasted.
“It’s not a tour anymore, just an event in a couple big cities—more like Coachella for punks,” one Redditor said after Long Beach.
Another fan reflected, “I went in 2011 at 16 and loved it… going back at 30 was a whole different thing, but still awesome.”
And of course, there were the haters: “I’ve been going since 2013. This was by far the worst one,” someone posted on Facebook.
Bottom line? Warped Tour isn’t what it used to be—but maybe that’s okay. It’s still loud, still chaotic, and still bringing generations of punks together, even if it’s only once a year now.
So yeah, maybe it’s not a tour anymore. But it’s still Warped. And it’s not done yet.
