The Vans Warped Tour has returned to Washington, D.C., and celebrated its 30th Anniversary with a sold-out crowd of 40,000 people. The two-day festival was held at the RFK Festival Grounds, featuring six different stages filled with iconic artists such as MGK and Avril Lavigne. Throughout the entirety of the festival, the Warped Tour was able to emphasize its community as it bridged fans and artists of multiple generations.
The festival did an amazing job of bringing in different elements that represented the multiple aspects of the Vans Warped Tour. This can be seen through the six different stages as each stage had a unique name. Starting with VANS Left Foot, VANS Right Foot, GHOST, Beatbox, Arrow, and lastly the Eagle Stage. Each stage had a lineup correlating to different artists and specific genres, all of which brought out high energy both between the crowds and performers.
To continue the flow of high energy within the festival, the VANS Halfpipe Vert Ramp Takes Center Stage featured multiple FMX and Skateboarding athletes like Warped Alum Steve Caballero and gold medalist Arisa Trew. All who provided attendees with a variety of demos full of jaw-dropping stunts and fearless innovation that kept crowds entertained all weekend long. This stage was able to highlight the Warped Tour’s roots with these two sports and highlight the sports for the fun energy involved within the festival.
To tie in the community of Washington, DC. The Warped Tour partnered with local nonprofit Bread for the City, which works to support under-resourced communities across the District. Their partnership collected over 27,000 pounds of food as they offered fans who brought three canned foods, expedited entry to the festival. The Vans Warped Tour did a great job of highlighting resources and a series of nonprofits like Music Saves Lives and Heart Support. Being able to remind fans that punk isn’t just about sound but is about purpose.
Warped Tour has always been more than just a music festival. It’s a family and community that’s grown together since 1995. This weekend felt like a giant reunion for our entire Warped community, coming together to reminisce on the early days of the tour. There was something truly special about sharing those memories, the stories, the music, and the spirit that made Warped what it is today. The energy for our 30th anniversary kickoff was electric and genuinely surreal.
I’m grateful to Steve Van Doren for his support and dedication to the culture, and to our new partner Insomniac, whose passion and expertise helped bring the tour back to life and set the stage for this exciting new chapter. We can’t wait to keep the momentum going next month in Long Beach and again in Orlando this November.
~ Kevin Lyman | Founder of Warped Tour
The Vans Warped tour was filled with high energy from multiple aspects that made up the event. As they celebrated their 30th anniversary, they have been able to keep up with their built legacy of having a must-attend festival from the series of iconic line-ups and different aspects built into their events. To learn more about the Warped tour and even attend their festival, make sure to visit their social media pages to keep up with their event information.
Follow the VANS Warped Tour:
www.facebook.com/warpedtour | www.x.com/vanswarpedtour | www.instagram.com/vanswarpedtour
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