I would like to start this review off by giving a special shout-out to the entire Warped Tour staff for creating one of the most enjoyable, safe, and well-run festivals in the world. I have been attending music festivals across the country for over 10 years, and this year’s Warped Tour had some of the best staff and logistics I have ever seen at any major festival.

For decades, the Vans Warped Tour served as a rite of passage for music fans across the country. The festival’s return last year was one of the most celebrated moments in the scene, and now, for the second straight year, Warped Tour has kicked off in the Nation’s Capital. Tens of thousands of fans descended upon Washington, D.C. on Saturday, June 13th, for Day One of Warped Tour, bringing with them an exuberant energy that set the stage for a memorable weekend.

This year’s festival faced an unusual competing event that brought even more people into DC. Just a few miles away from the RFK Fields, fight fans packed into Ellipse for UFC Freedom 250, creating one of the more unique weekends Washington has hosted in recent memory. Throughout the city, it felt like a guessing game of who was embracing their inner emo and heading to Warped Tour or who was heading to the fights. The city’s museums and Metro stations became an unlikely crossroads of cultures.

Fortunately, there proved to be more than enough room in Washington for both crowds. While UFC fans prepared for a night of fights, Warped Tour attendees gathered for something equally intense in its own way. A full day of circle pits, crowd surfers, singalongs, and unforgettable performances spread across six stages. The atmosphere throughout the grounds was exactly what longtime fans have come to expect from Warped Tour. Veterans of the festival exchanged stories about past summers while younger fans experienced their first taste of an event that has helped shape music culture for generations.

The day started off as it always does at Warped with fans rushing the inflatable set time list, trying to figure out where they would spend the next 11 hours of their day. Not knowing the set times until the gates open is something extremely unique to Warped Tour and adds to the atmosphere.

The Off the Wall stage kicked off the music for the day with DMV locals, Hue, taking the reins. The band blends Djent, R&B, and Trap for an extremely unique sound that doesn’t seem like it would work on paper but absolutely electrifies a crowd in person. The Vans stage, immediately adjacent to the Off the Wall stage, hosted Nashville Emo band Free Throw next while the Beatbox stage enjoyed the stylings of Beauty School Dropout. The stages were close enough that fans could walk a short way every other song and enjoy the amazing sets from both bands. BSD was a highlight of the day, with a massive crowd and a lot of participation.

The Wrecks and Girlfriends duoed the Vans and Off the Wall stages next. Both bands delivered solid sets that kept the momentum moving. Both bands are young and will continue to make an impact on the scene for years to come. The midday portion of music hosted a lot of competing sets that made it hard to choose where to go. The Home Team, Suicidal Tendencies, Elijah, and Teen Mortgage all played amazing sets scattered across the festival grounds. The energy from ST was extremely unexpected given the younger crowd and the fact that the band has been around for almost 50 years. The crowd was bumping along with Tye Trujillo’s bass and singing along to every word with Mike Muir.

The next highlight of the day came from Warped Tour veterans Hawthorne Heights. The Ohio natives played to a filled crowd at the Vans stage, with numerous hit songs playing up the nostalgia factor to elder emos who grew up with the band. The almighty GWAR took to the Beatbox stage next with gallons of fake blood spraying over fans. The set featured power metal, a fight with a dragon, and an appearance from an incredibly accurate caricature of President Trump. Florida Rockers Fame on Fire joined the foray playing the Verizon stage. The band, known for pop covers early in their career, have developed a heavier style over the years that played well to the Warped Tour crowd.

The Eagle stage was another bright spot in the middle of the day with Drop Dead, Gorgeous and Upon a Burning Body playing back-to-back and absolutely destroying the crowd. Drop Dead, who made their return in late 2024, have been on a tear recently. They signed with the also recently reformed Artery Foundation, released their first new music in a decade, and have been playing a steady stream of shows across the country. UABB, hailing from San Antonio, put their Texas metalcore style on full display. Danny Leal, the lead singer, jumped across the stage to scream in the face of every fan. Although the band is heavier than the typical Warped Tour act, it worked well and was one of the best sets of the weekend.

Sleeping With Sirens and Underoath took to the Vans and Off the Wall stages, respectively, to start the back half of the day. Spencer Chamberlain jumped down to the crowd during Underoath’s set and the crowd erupted with crowd surfers toppling across trying to meet Chamberlain at the barricade. The band played a set of old and new songs with an assortment of fans that were also old and new. The Sleeping With Sirens crowd was also filled with Warped Tour veterans and newbies. Fresh off their new album i, Kellin Quinn and co. made easy work of getting fans excited. SWS has always put on great shows, and with a catalog spanning almost 20 years, it is hard for them to put together a setlist without leaving off a few crowd favorites.

Jinjer and Taking Back Sunday were the next pair to take over the festival grounds. Ukrainian metal band Jinjer brought their progressive and technical style to the Ghost stage, showcasing the unique sound that has helped them build a dedicated following around the world. Frontwoman Tatiana Shmailyuk’s ability to transition between powerful clean vocals and brutal screams was one of the highlights of the set, proving why Jinjer has become one of the most respected names in modern metal. Taking Back Sunday followed on the Off the Wall stage, bringing nearly 25 years of emo and alternative rock history with them.

As the day wound down, the Beatbox stage hosted one of the heaviest bands on the festival’s line up, The Ghost Inside. The SoCal metalcore band has been on a tear over the last couple of years with two new albums, dozens of festival appearances, and touring with some of the biggest names in rock and metal music. Their set was among the best of the day and weekend and brought a level of intensity that perfectly matched the late-day atmosphere and gave fans one final surge of energy before the festival’s closing sets.

The backside of the festival was headlined by Norma Jean and Meet Me at the Altar on the Verizon and Eagle stages. Norma Jean delivered their signature metalcore sound and melted faces. Their set was extremely energetic and provided a balanced contrast with some of the lighter pop-punk bands that had played on that side of the festival throughout the day.
Dance Gavin Dance, hailing from Sacramento, CA, headlined the Beatbox stage. The band has gone through a series of member changes over the years, with a different line up every time they have played Warped Tour. The majority of the night’s setlist came from the 2025 album Pantheon. Something unfortunately felt like it was missing from the band’s performance with their set not feeling like a true stage closing performance.

Although Rise Against was not the last band of the night when they closed out the Vans stage, they felt like the true headliner to Day One. The Chicago-based Punk band have been putting on amazing shows for almost three decades now, and their Warped Tour set was no different. In the Nation’s Capital and in an era of extreme political discourse, lead singer Tim McIlrath was not afraid to speak his mind through his lyrics. The set opened with a trio of Rise Against classics, “Re-Education,” “Under the Knife,” and “Satellite.” There was not a still body or silent mouth in the crowd. Through an 11-song set, the band proved why they deserve to be a headliner. Even though DDG and Norma Jean were playing at the same time, a majority of the crowd were at Rise Against from the beginning through the end. And when the final note of “Savior” rang out, a roar of cheers could be heard throughout the entire festival grounds. The band embodied Warped Tour culture and gave every fan a night to remember.

If Day One proved anything, it is that Warped Tour’s comeback is no longer a novelty. One year after its long-awaited return, the festival feels right at home once again. And for a scene built on community, passion, and live music, there could be few better places to begin another summer than Washington, D.C. The weekend continued with Day Two and a review will be coming soon.

Check out our favorite photos of Day One below or head to our Facebook page for the full gallery!

RISE AGAINST

NORMA JEAN

THE GHOST INSIDE

JINJER

SLEEPING WITH SIRENS

UPON A BURNING BODY

DROP DEAD, GORGEOUS

GWAR

FAME ON FIRE

THE WRECKS

SUICIDAL TENDENCIES

BEAUTY SCHOOL DROPOUT

FANS

All Photo Credit: Ryan Renger