Warped Tour

About Warped Tour

Warped Tour is a touring music and extreme sports festival. The tour is held in venues (generally parking lots or fields upon which the stages and other structures are erected). The BMX/skateboarding shoe manufacturer Vans has sponsored the tour among others every year since 1995 and it is often referred to as the Vans Warped Tour.

As of the mid-2000s, the Warped Tour has featured as many as 100 bands per show. The bands play for up to 30 minutes over approximately 10 different stages, although the biggest bands generally play the two "Main" stages. A typical day would have bands starting at 11:00am and end at 9:00 p.m. with several bands playing at once. The individual band times and stages where each band play is marked on a large board usually centered in the middle of the venue. The full area is set up to prevent music from one stage disrupting other active stages. One band, by fan vote, is allowed to play ten extra minutes at each show.

Every year there is a "BBQ Band," which, in exchange for the privilege of playing on the tour, must prepare food for the bands and crew for the barbecue which is held most evenings. Past "BBQ Bands" have included Dropkick Murphys and "The Fabulous Rudies". Similarly, one band, Animo (formerly DORK) has been permitted for the past four years to play on the tour in exchange for work on the setup crew.