The last bass drop at EDC Orlando will barely have faded into the downtown Orlando night before someone plugs in a guitar and stomps on a distortion pedal. Just six days after the electronic music extravaganza wraps up at Tinker Field, the neighboring Camping World Stadium will trade DJ decks and laser shows for guitars and mosh pits as Vans Warped Tour returns.
Founded in 1995, the roaming punk-rock summer camp helped launch generations of alternative acts before ending its cross-country run in 2018. Now back for a second consecutive year in Orlando, the festival closes out its five-city 2026 run with a lineup spanning practically every shade of the alternative music spectrum. Early-2000s staples Jimmy Eat World, Taking Back Sunday, Simple Plan, New Found Glory and The Used lead the nostalgia charge, while Host Mulligan, Honey Revenge and Orlando’s own Makari represent a newer generation. Then of course, Sublime, 311, Dropkick Murphys, DeathByRomy and hardcore bruisers Drain are proving that there’s more to life than pop-punk.
As you stroll the grounds for some entertainment beyond the music, you’ll be able to enjoy skateboarding, BMX demonstrations, wrestling (!) and even a museum dedicated to Warped’s three-decade history. Your teenage self would be thrilled. Your knees and neck? Not so much.
Various times Saturday-Sunday, Nov. 14-15, Camping World Stadium, 287 S. Tampa Ave., vanswarpedtourorlando.com, $109-419.
