Ready for Your First or Next Warped Tour?

What You Need to Know: Warped Tour 2025 Guide, Tips, Tricks, and More

The legendary Warped Tour is back for 2025, and if this is your first time, you’re in for a treat! More than just a music festival, Warped Tour is a cultural phenomenon for the emo and pop-punk community. Since it began in 1995, it has been a rite of passage for fans of punk, emo, nu metal, and alternative music.

In this guide, you’ll find everything you need to know about preparing for the event, tips for navigating the Warped Tour lineup, and advice for making the most of your experience. Whether you discovered this through my r/WarpedTour SubReddit or a Google search, this guide will ensure you’re ready to rock.

Quick note of transparency: there are product & travel links here—purchasing helps me out, but this guide will help you regardless, I promise. Oh visit my Instagram page too!

In This Post, I Will Cover:

• Preparing for the event & what to bring

• Lineup, set times, and band planning

• Day-of tips

• Moshing, crowd surfing, and concert etiquette

• Out-of-towners: Regional travel tips for DC, LA, and Orlando

Lets get started!

Preparing for the Event

Know the Basics

This year, Warped Tour is a two-day summer festival, and most venues are outdoors with blacktop surfaces. Don’t show up unprepared!

Warped Tour, which started in 1995, has become a cornerstone of the alternative music scene, hosting countless legendary bands over the years. This event’s history is as rich as the experiences you’ll have attending it.

Ear protection

Only going to say this once. GET EAR PROTECTION. Doesn't matter if it's your first concert or your hundredth concert. These high Fidelity ear plugs will still allow you to talk to people nearby and hear the band sing and hit all the good notes.

Get Moving

Start walking now and break in comfy shoes like Hokas Men or Hoyas Women or grab some high-quality insole inserts. You’ll likely walk ~5-miles (8km) or more each day, at the fest grounds, without much sitting.

Track your steps with a fitness watch like the Apple Watch—AND ALSO it’ll be a lifesaver later when you loose you phone while the pit (more on that later).

Hydration, Cooling, and Sun Protection

• 2-Pocket Hydration Packs are allowed! But you could also bring an empty water bottle, this one folds up and you can keep it in a clear festival backpack as long as it meats the size requirements like this one does.

• Pack a hat, like the one I designed here and a sunscreen stick to protect your eyes from the blazing sun and some sunglasses too.

• Portable fans may also be allowed, depending on venue rules, it’s unclear on the venue site but there not too expensive if you have to leave them behind. See below about security.

Communication

Cell service at crowded events is notoriously spotty, and your phone will drain its battery quickly looking for better connections. It drains faster if you’re snapping photos and recording videos all day.

A portable charger is essential to not miss getting pics the end of the day bands and also navigating back to your home/hotel.

I recommend this one with MagSafe compatibility that can wirelessly charge your iPhone twice over and even power your Apple Watch. Keep it in your festival approved fanny pack.

For the 21+ Crowd

If you’re enjoying a few beers, drink as much water as alcohol to avoid dehydration. For the inevitable hangover, pack electrolyte packets to recover quickly.

Warped Tour 2025 Line Up Set Times and Rankings Your must see bands

Warped Tour Lineup 2025

Like in years past, the Warped Tour Lineup is shared overtime starting at the end of January. Follow my Instagram to be sure you are up to date on the full lineup.

Set Times

Set times won’t be released until the day of the event. As you enter the venue, you’ll see a giant inflatable schedule wall that lists the stages and set times.

Pro Tip: Take a photo of the
wall immediately to plan
your day.

Plan Your Must-Sees

Rank the bands you want to see ahead of time because you won’t catch them all. Personally, I prioritize bands that don’t tour often or that I’ve never seen live.

Study the Venue Map

Closer to the event date, a venue map will be released. Familiarize yourself with the stage layout to minimize time lost navigating.

Day-of Tips

1. Security & Packing Smart: Whatever you bring in your festival-approved backpack, be okay with leaving it behind. If security flags it (e.g., unlabeled prescriptions or prohibited items like selfie sticks) you will need to surrender/trash it or will have to take it back home before entering the event.

2. Plan Early: Once inside, take a photo of the set-time wall and start mapping out your day. It’s easier to move between stages early in the day than during headliner sets. So give your self more time to move between stages for the big bands.

3. Secure a Spot: If there’s a band you must see up close, claim your spot at that stage early. Be prepared to park yourself there for a while.

4. Stay Aware With large crowds and constant movement, stay mindful of your surroundings and your belongings. What do you need to keep your head on a swivel for? I cover that next

Etiquette: Moshing and Crowd Surfing

Moshing and crowd surfing are unavoidable parts of the Warped Tour experience. If you’re participating or want to know how to avoid it, check out my guides on:

• Moshing

• Crowd Surfing Tips

• Getting to the Barricade (the front)

• General Concert and Festival Etiquette

Pro Tip: If you drop your iPhone while moshing or surfing, use your Apple Watch’s “Find My Phone” feature to recover it quickly. It’s saved me more than once!