Warped Tour Makes Return to Southern California This Summer
After its full-scale revival in 2024, the legendary Warped Tour is continuing its comeback with a massive weekend festival at Long Beach’s Shoreline Waterfront on July 26-27, 2025. The iconic travelling festival, which originally ran from 1995 to 2019 before a brief hiatus, has firmly reestablished itself as the premier destination for alternative music, punk, and skateboarding culture.
Warped Tour has always been more than just a music festival—it’s a cultural institution that has helped launch numerous careers and defined generations of alternative music fans. The 2025 iteration promises to maintain the beloved multi-stage format that allows fans to experience a diverse array of artists throughout the day. Beyond the music, attendees can look forward to the festival’s signature skateboarding demonstrations, vendor villages featuring independent clothing brands, non-profit organisation booths, and the community-oriented atmosphere that has made Warped Tour a summer staple for over 25 years.
Founded by Kevin Lyman in 1995, Warped Tour began as a celebration of punk rock and skateboarding culture before expanding to embrace multiple genres, including pop punk, metalcore, post-hardcore, and even hip-hop acts. The festival’s return to the Shoreline Waterfront venue provides a picturesque oceanside backdrop that contrasts beautifully with the festival’s high-energy performances and DIY ethos.
The 2025 lineup reflects Warped Tour’s commitment to showcasing both established acts and emerging talent. While the complete lineup is still being revealed through phased announcements, several major acts have already been confirmed.
Punk veterans Bad Religion will be bringing their politically charged anthems and harmonious choruses to the main stage. With a career spanning over four decades and 17 studio albums, the influential Southern California band continues to deliver thought-provoking lyrics and melodic punk rock that has influenced countless bands that have appeared at Warped Tour throughout the years.
In a major coup for the festival, Paramore will be making their return to the Warped Tour stage. Hayley Williams and company have evolved from pop-punk darlings to alternative rock mainstays, with their latest material showcasing a mature sound that still maintains the energy that first endeared them to Warped Tour crowds in the mid-2000s. Their performance is expected to blend classics like “Misery Business” with tracks from their more recent releases.
Pop-punk stalwarts The Story So Far will bring their melodic hardcore sound to Long Beach. Since forming in 2007, the band has become one of the most respected acts in the genre, with their raw emotional lyrics and energetic live performances making them a perfect fit for the Warped Tour ethos.
Rising stars Meet Me @ The Altar are set to continue their meteoric ascent with a prominent slot at the festival. The trio has been heralded as the future of pop-punk, bringing diversity to a historically homogeneous genre while delivering infectious hooks and powerful performances that have earned them critical acclaim and a rapidly growing fan base.
Two-day passes for Warped Tour 2025 at Long Beach’s Shoreline Waterfront will go on sale next Friday at 10 AM Pacific Time through the official Warped Tour website. As with previous years, a portion of the proceeds from every ticket will go to support music education programs throughout Southern California.
Warped Tour organisers have also announced an expanded VIP package that includes exclusive viewing areas, a dedicated lounge with complimentary refreshments, limited edition merchandise, and opportunities for meet-and-greets with select artists.
