Kevin Lyman Confirms Warped Tour in 2025, Fans Wary of Live Nation Involvement

The rumors are true: Vans Warped Tour is officially returning in 2025.

Last week, the YouTube rock news channel Rock Feed revealed that Warped Tour would make a comeback in 2025 with a series of festivals, per “multiple sources familiar with the matter.” Now, founder Kevin Lyman has confirmed that the festival will return next year to honor its 30-year-anniversary.

“We have something cooking for 2025,” Lyman told Pollstar. “Details should be ready in a few weeks.”

At this time, there are no details regarding the lineup, dates, or locations.

While Rock Feed said Lyman would be heavily involved in the tour, Live Nation would oversee the event. This did not particularly pique fans’ interests, knowing Live Nation’s infamous business practices. The entertainment conglomerate was recently targeted in an antitrust lawsuit alongside its ticketing subsidiary Ticketmaster over their alleged monopolistic practices, including the use of “Dynamic Pricing” and anti-competitive behaviors.

Warped fans are worried that Live Nation’s involvement would lead to expensive tickets, pricing-out longtime concertgoers. One of the main appeals of Warped Tour was their affordable $40 tickets — no matter the location.

Live Nation/Ticketmaster doesn’t understand that the main appeal of Warped Tour was that it was 10+ hours of music and entertainment for $40. If tickets cost a penny more (and they will), it’s not worth it https://t.co/coXLQLFXJY

— Eric Pitz (@ImEricPitz) September 13, 2024

I’m dumb stoked for the talks about warped tour coming back but I’m so worried about live nation running it…. 😭

— dani 👽 (@bexskii) September 16, 2024

Niche music events being operated by Live Nation is the biggest downfall of the music industry. They did it to the electronic scene. Warped Tour in its prime was like $40, now it’ll be hundreds, with lots of people who are just infiltrating the scene to be cool and edgy.

— Headbanging Sad Girl (@Jo_Dizzyy) September 17, 2024

Can’t wait to see the live nation warped tour price point of $500 for one day like they do with when we were young which is basically already warped tour fml

— I’m a giant (@DST702) September 14, 2024

So warped tour is back but it’s live nation warped tour so it’s not gonna be $45 warped tour it’s gonna be $245 warped tour

— hannah 🙂 (@peasoverboard) September 13, 2024

Call me a hater but if yall think warped tour is coming back and going to be what it used to be with Live Nation at the helm you’re wrong. https://t.co/ys69rSqg1Q

— Kendall Johns (@KendallJohnsVI) September 13, 2024

Welp as soon as I read live nation was a part of the new warped tour I knew it was cooked.They see a opportunity to cash in on nostalgia and I bet it’s over 200$ with 4 dates and 5 maybe 10 bands

— Jim (@CoupeXcore) September 12, 2024

The traveling rock festival, which launched in 1995, helped punk and rock bands rise to stardom like Paramore, Bring Me The Horizon, A Day to Remember, Simple Plan, and Sleeping With Sirens, while also bringing-in big-name acts like Less Than Jake, Green Day, Blink-182, and Reel Big Fish. Additionally, hip-hop and pop stars graced the stage periodically, bringing-in stars like Katy Perry, Demi Lovato, The Black Eyed Peas, Eminem, Riff Raff, and more.

In 2018, the festival celebrated its final full-scale year, featuring Warped veterans like Falling In Reverse, The Amity Affliction, Four Year Strong, The Maine, Taking Back Sunday, We The Kings, Sum 41, Mayday Parade, and All Time Low. At the time, Lyman shared he was “happy to get the chance to travel around the country one more time” and “bring you another best day ever.”

Then, to celebrate Warped Tour’s 25th anniversary, three celebratory events were held in Cleveland, Atlantic City, and Mountain View. The shows also marked the return of the All-American Rejects, who hadn’t released a record since 2012, and fans had the chance to experience motocross sports as “an exhibit of art that has come out of the tour’s history.”

While several traveling rock festivals have popped-up over the years, including the DISRUPT Festival, Sad Summer Fest, Summer School, and Is For Lovers Fest — as well as the two-day emo revival festival When We Were Young in Las Vegas — nothing has been able to replicate the true nostalgic nature of Warped Tour.