When We Were Young 2023: You Just Had to be There

share-7E45A916-2126-49A5-BA0B-F5ABEBBE4040-1536x1024

11AM sharp, LAS VEGAS — Gates officially opened for the second year of When We Were Young Festival. Lines stretched with millennials of all walks from the entrance all the way to the gates. This once-in-a-lifetime experience offered pop punk and emo enthusiasts a truly remarkable experience to connect with fellow dedicated fans, choose from a wide range of exclusive merchandise from both individual artists and the event, a peaceful and respectful environment, a half pipe where legendary skateboarder Tony Hawk and others showed off their talent and a diverse musical lineup that celebrated the magic of the elder emos’ youth.

Spread across 4 stages, the fest hosted a variety of over 40 bands. Attendees were spoiled for choice with a lineup that spanned different sub-genres and generations, ensuring there was something for everyone. From iconic headliners to recent emerging talents, the stages delivered memorable performances that left fans more than satisfied. Overall, it was quite the harmonious atmosphere — we enjoyed a virtually drama-free experience throughout the day. The days of shoving and smashing the crowd into the barricade were officially extinct — hard to believe, right? Some brought their younger kids, so this aided in the welcoming and safe space for pop punk lovers of all ages.

Many artists had array of limited edition merch available exclusively at the festival. Good Charlotte sold out of their day 1 merch by late afternoon. Blink 182 sold out in some sizes early on as well. The event merch itself was nostalgic in color variation and details like checkerboards and skulls. The prices were fair and we happily came home with 6 new shirts. There was plenty of access to drinks (both the bar and non-alcoholic) and food throughout. The bathrooms were clean and spacious. We really can’t stress enough that this festival was truly an exponential upgrade from the decades of Warped Tours that we all barely made it out alive from.

We were graced with incredible stage production and experiences including fireworks, confetti, inflatables and a variety of pyrotechnics (notable artists: Green Day, Blink 182, Good Charlotte, 30 Seconds To Mars, Sum 41). Simple Plan showcased a bunch of Scooby Doos onstage with them in light of their infamous “What’s New Scooby Doo?” track. These extra special touches really brought the crowd together as well as set the scene for a gloriously cliche festival atmosphere. We were showered with incredible surprises throughout the weekend including unannounced guest appearances and artist collaborations. Keep up with us for a full recap of all the bombshell moments coming soon (did we mention we were onstage with 30 Seconds To Mars?!) Give us a follow (and our photographer, too!) on social media for the link when our list of surprises drops!

Enjoy our recap gallery below and peep our Instagram and X (Twitter) for even more photos from this incredible weekend!