Welcome to Rockville returned to Daytona Beach for another explosive weekend of rock, metal, and punk, with blazing temperatures and a stacked lineup that didn’t disappoint. While every day delivered its share of standout sets and surprise guests, a few moments rose above the rest to define the weekend.
Florida Rock Royalty Unite for “Simple Man”
Shinedown delivered one of the most unforgettable highlights of the festival on night one when they invited fellow Florida legends Lynyrd Skynyrd to join them on stage. Frontman Brent Smith introduced them as “the greatest rock band in the world,” setting the tone for an emotional, collaborative performance of Skynyrd’s classic “Simple Man.” Smith and Johnny Van Zant traded verses as the crowd sang along to the iconic anthem.
Good Charlotte and Wheatus Deliver a Nostalgic Singalong
A dose of 2000s nostalgia sent the Rockville crowd into a frenzy when Good Charlotte surprised fans by bringing out Brendan Brown of Wheatus. Together, they launched into the beloved hit “Teenage Dirtbag,” instantly turning the infield into a massive singalong as fans belted out every word of the chorus.
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Green Day Blimp
Green Day made sure to leave a mark on their Rockville debut. A blimp bearing the message “30 Years of Dookie” floated above the audience, paying tribute to their breakthrough 1994 album.
In a moment straight out of a punk rock fever dream, the blimp dropped dozens of tiny balloon replicas over the crowd. The band closed out their set with a barrage of hits, including “Wake Me Up When September Ends,” “Jesus of Suburbia,” and the closer “Good Riddance (Time of Your Life),” showering fans in a burst of green confetti.
Bowling For Soup’s On-Stage Banter
Bowling For Soup frontman Jaret Reddick and bassist Rob Felicetti kept the crowd entertained with their signature banter throughout their set. Reddick gave a shout out to his home state of Texas before teasing, “This song is about the great state of Texas… it’s called ‘Ohio’,” which earned laughter before the band dove into the track.
The band asked if anyone knew they wrote the theme song to this show “Today Is Gonna Be a Great Day,” famously known as the theme song to Phineas and Ferb. The crowd cheered and jumped in, at one point taking over the chorus themselves. They even panned the cameras to someone dressed in a Phineas cosplay in the crowd, telling them, “your balls are probably so sweaty.”
Reddick also poked fun at himself for going two songs without a beer before cracking one open and chugging it mid-set.
| RELATED: REVIEW: Green Day Brings Punk-Rock Nostalgia to Sweltering Second Day of Welcome to Rockville |
Halestorm Drummer Replaces Drum Sticks Mid-Set…With Jumbo Ones
Lzzy Hale and the crew brought the energy throughout their set, performing tracks like “Darkness Always Wins,” “Uncomfortable,” and “Familiar Taste of Poison.”
Amid their heavy performance, drummer and Hale’s brother Arejay kept the crowd entertained, heading into a drum solo. At one point, Arejay threw his drumsticks into the crowd and when he went to grab a new pair, he brought out oversized, jumbo ones. He banged on the drum kit like banjos while laughing to himself.
I know I’m not the only one wondering where on Earth he got those…and if I could get a link?
Beartooth’s Caleb Shomo Gets Crowd to Hilariously Chant
Metalcore group Beartooth, fronted by Caleb Shomo, delivered a fiery, hard-hitting performance that saw Shomo bring non-stop energy. At one point, he even performed “The Last Riff” — an entirely instrumental, heavy track where he flipped the guitar around his back.
However, one of the standout moments of their set is when he smiled and said, “you know what fu**ing time it is” before erupting into the fan-favorite “In Between.” He chanted at the crowd: “Whoa oh-oh-oh-oh-oh, whoa-oh-oh-oh” — to end the song — asking them to sing it back at different octaves. Then, he shouted “hey” at different octaves, and fans followed, even when he deeply grunted “hey.”
The crowd erupted into fast-paced “woofs” like dogs and Shomo cracked up laughing, throwing his head back. Once the laughter settled, he gave a final “whoa-oh-oh-oh” with no backing instrumentals before waving goodbye.
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Dead Sara’s Emily Armstrong Joins Linkin Park Reunion
As the evening on the third night wore on, the infield of the speedway filled with fans, stretching from the front of the towering Apex Stage. The crowd buzzed with anticipation for what was arguably the weekend’s most awaited performance: the long-awaited return of Linkin Park.
Just after 10 p.m., giant video screens crackled with static as lights cut through the night sky, signaling the arrival of the nu-metal titans. Now fronted by Dead Sara’s Emily Armstrong, the band launched into their 2003 anthem “Somewhere I Belong.” Armstrong’s powerhouse vocals soared over the massive crowd, seamlessly trading lines with Mike Shinoda.
As the dust settled on Daytona International Speedway, Welcome to Rockville once again proved why it’s one of the country’s premier hard rock festivals. With surprise guest appearances and milestone moments from some of the genre’s biggest names, this year’s edition delivered on every level. Fans will no doubt be counting down the days until Rockville returns to Daytona Beach in 2026.
