The Vans Warped Tour, one of the most iconic, successful, and longest-running music festivals in history returns in 2026 with a bold new era. Expanding its footprint and cultural impact after last year’s three sold-out U.S dates, Vans Warped Tour will deliver five two-day U.S. festivals returning to Washington, D.C., Long Beach, CA, and Orlando, FL, alongside the launch of two all-new international editions in Montreal, Canada and Mexico City, Mexico, marking a powerful global expansion.

In partnership with Insomniac, the world-class experience creators behind some of the largest music festivals on the planet, Vans Warped Tour is reimagined for today, honoring its legacy while evolving the format, energy, and community for a new generation of fans.

Each two-day festival will feature over 100 artists spanning rock, pop punk, alternative, emo, hip-hop, ska and beyond, alongside appearances from world-class skateboarders and elite action-sports athletes. This latest iteration builds on Vans Warped Tour’s legacy while embracing a broader, more global future for one of music and skate culture’s most enduring live platforms.

In anticipation of this year’s dates, Vans Warped Tour has launched the first look at the artists performing this year. With multiple artists being announced daily over the next 30-ish days exclusively on Vans Warped Tour social platforms, this furthers their mission of artist discovery and fan-first ideology. Upon launching the 30-ish days of Warped in 2025, these reveals resulted in over 3.8 billion impressions. Additionally, as noted from artists’ last year, the 30-ish days of Warped resulted in over a million monthly engagements, increased virality, and advanced career growth. When the full line-up is revealed in mid-March, artists will be listed alphabetically, a tradition that keeps the focus on the collective experience rather than headliners.

Vans Warped Tour will feature a series of intimate pop-up events in every market, designed to celebrate and engage each local community as part of the 30ish days of Warped. These city-specific moments will bring the experience directly to fans through surprise guest performances, with the added potential for the announcement of performers. Each pop-up is intended to create a sense of connection and spontaneity, making every stop a memorable and locally rooted experience.

Vans Warped Tour remains true to their reputation as one of the best to attend to discover emerging acts, to meet like-minded friends, and explore meaningful nonprofits and companies who are making a positive impact on the world that surrounds them. As part of their Charity Circle last year, over 134,000 pounds of canned food items were collected, fans and guest donations surpassed $100,000, with $200,000 alone donated to nonprofit organizations.

Originally conceived by founder Kevin Lyman in 1995 as an eclectic alternative rock festival, with a focus on punk rock, over the years the tour grew to include a multitude of genres, including metal, hip hop, reggae, pop and more. The Vans Warped Tour gained notoriety as the largest traveling music festival in the United States, and the longest-running touring music festival in North America.

Ahead of this year’s dates, Lyman shares “Warped has always been about a sense of discovery, learning about brands, non-profits and bands. By releasing the line-up the way we do is the best way we have been able to figure out how to do this. Each band gets their moment to introduce or reacquaint themselves to you, and for those who get Warped they get this. Thank you for your support and we look forward to seeing you in the pit!”

Over its 30-year history, Vans Warped Tour built a singular legacy as the definitive summer festival for rock and alternative music fans, shaping generations of artists and audiences alike. Founded in 1995, Vans Warped Tour was never just a concert series; it was a proving ground, cultural crossroads, and community-driven platform where established acts shared stages with emerging talent, often at pivotal moments in their careers.

Throughout the years, Vans Warped Tour helped introduce and elevate artists who would go on to define modern music, with past performers including Blink-182, No Doubt, Sublime, Beck, Katy Perry, NOFX, Limp Bizkit, Black Eyed Peas, Green Day, Eminem, Yellowcard, Bad Religion, and countless others.

What set Vans Warped Tour apart was its accessibility and ethos. Affordable tickets, all-day festivals, genre-fluid lineups, and an environment where fans could discover new artists, connect directly with performers, and experience music alongside skate culture, activism, and community engagement. That spirit of openness and discovery became central to Vans Warped Tour’s identity, cementing its place as one of the most influential live music platforms in modern music history. Vans Warped Tour remains committed to accessible pricing, with weekend passes that started at an all-inclusive price of $149.98 (processing fees included) and are currently available for purchase at https://www.vanswarpedtour.com/tickets.

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Jerry Paxton

A long-time fan and reveler of all things Geek, I am also the Editor-in-Chief and Founder of GamingShogun.com