How Does the Vans Warped Tour Work?

History of the Tour

The Vans Warped Tour is an outdoor live music festival sponsored by the skate shoe company Vans. The tour started in 1995 and played mostly punk music. Now the tour has expanded to include hard rock, Christian metal and hip-hop groups. At the same time the bands are performing, BMX riders and skateboarders are on half-pipes. The name Warped comes from the now-defunct skateboarding and surfing magazine called "Warp." Although the magazine is no longer published and the music has changed over the years, the spirit of the Vans Warped Tour remains true.

Tickets

Tickets can be bought at the Vans Warped Tour website or at other online venues such as Ticketmaster. Tickets can be found for around $30. All dates and bands are listed on the Vans Warped Tour website.

Music

Although the gates might open earlier, the bands usually do not hit the stage till 11 a.m. The shows continue throughout the day, with the last show at 9:00 p.m. It's not uncommon to have 10 or more bands playing simultaneously. The headlining bands can be found on the bigger stages; the smaller unknown bands can be found on smaller ones and even under tents. Within the last couple of years there has been at least one hip-hop group in the lineup. Past acts have included Blest-E-Nation and K-os. Each band's set usually lasts for about 30 minutes.

Merchandise

While the shows are going on, bands that are not playing have tents and merchandise booths set up. Here you can buy CDs and T-shirts and even get autographs of your favorite band members. You can even pick up a compilation CD of all the bands performing on the tour. Although the food and water prices are out of this world, be sure to stay hydrated; it can get very hot during the day. The tour begins near the end of June and ends near the middle of August.

Resources

• Vans Warped Tour
• Ticketmaster