Written by Shannon Shumaker

The Vans Warped Tour kicked off last week and with the traveling festival already in full swing, now is a better time than ever to brush up on your Warped knowledge and prepare yourself for one of the best (and likely hottest) days of the summer! Easily one of the best aspects of Warped Tour is how accessible it is, making for the perfect all day event for younger first-time attendees or a day of fun and relaxation for old school veterans. From free merch to artist signings, meet and greets and even one on one classes, Warped Tour is a quintessential festival for music lovers of all ages, and this year, they’re really celebrating just that by combining road-tested Warped tour alumni with this year’s rising artists.

Whether you’re here for a refresher before spending all day out in the hot sun or are looking for some good tips and guidelines for your first Warped Tour, we’re here to help!

STAGE BREAKDOWN

Last year, Warped Tour cut down their stages from nine to seven, and this year, they’re sticking to a similar layout. The smaller amount of stages makes it easier to navigate and harder to miss your favorite bands, even if they’re playing around the same time as one another. We’ve included the lineup for each stage below so you can start planing your day accordingly. We also recently shared some of our MUST SEE newcomers on this years Warped Tour, and highly recommend checking some of them out! The best part about Warped Tour is discovering great new artists.

* BOLDED ARTISTS ARE THE PRELUDE PRESS’ RECOMMENDED ARTISTS TO CHECK OUT! 

Journeys Right Foot Stage:

American Authors: 6.16 – 7.19, 7.21 – 8.6
Andy Black: 6.16 – 8.6
Beartooth: 6.28 – 8.6
Dance Gavin Dance: 6.16 – 8.6
Goldfinger: 6.16, 6.17, 8.4 – 8.6
Hands Like Houses: 6.16 – 8.6
Memphis May Fire: 6.16 – 8.6
Neck Deep: 6.16 – 8.6
Our Last Night: 6.16 – 8.6
Save Ferris: 6.22 – 8.1, 8.5
Streetlight Manifesto: 6.24

Journeys Left Foot Stage:

Attila: 6.16 – 7.2, 7.6 – 8.6
Bowling For Soup: 6.27 – 7.2, 7.26, 7.27, 7.29,7.30
CKY: 6.16 – 8.6
Futuristic: 6.16 – 6.23, 6.25 – 8.6
Hawthorne Heights: 6.16 – 8.6
I Prevail: 6.16 – 8.6
Jule Vera: 6.16 – 8.6
Never Shout Never (Throwback Set): 6.27 – 7.7
New Years Day: 6.16 – 8.6
Sammy Adams: 6.16 – 7.28, 8.1 – 8.6
Watsky: 6.17 – 7.14, 7.16 – 7.18, 7.20, 7.21, 7.23 – 8.6

Skullcandy Stage:

Alestorm: 6.21 – 8.6
Bad Seed Rising: 6.16 – 7.4
Barb Wire Dolls: 6.16 – 8.6
Big D and The Kids Table: 7.6 – 7.16
Microwave: 6.16 – 8.6
Riverboat Gamblers: 7.29, 7.30
Sonic Boom Six: 6.16 – 8.6
Stacked Like Pancakes: 7.16 – 8.6
Street Dogs: 7.6 – 7.16
Twilight Creeps: 8.4 – 8.6
War On Women: 6.16 – 8.6
The White Noise: 6.16 – 8.6
William Control: 6.16 – 8.6

Hard Rock Stage:

The Adolescents: 6.16 – 8.6
The Alarm: 7.7 – 7.16, 8.4 – 8.6
Anti-Flag: 6.27 – 7.24
The Ataris: 6.16 – 8.1
Bad Cop / Bad Cop: 6.16 – 8.6
The Dickies: 6.16 – 6.22, 6.24, 6.25
Doll Skin: 6.16 – 6.25
Fire From The Gods: 6.16 – 8.6
Municipal Waste: 6.16 – 7.2, 7.6 – 8.6
Sick Of It All: 6.21 – 8.6
Strung Out: 6.16 – 7.11, 8.4 – 8.6
Suicide Machines: 7.18 – 7.21
T.S.O.L.: 7.22 – 8.6
Valient Thorr: 6.16 – 8.6

Mutant South Stage:

After The Burial: 6.16 – 8.6
Blessthefall: 6.16 – 8.6
Carnifex: 6.16 – 8.6
Emmure: 6.16 – 8.6
GWAR: 6.16 – 8.6
Hundredth: 6.16 – 8.6
Silverstein: 6.16 – 8.6
Sworn In: 6.16 – 8.6
Too Close To Touch: 6.16 – 8.6

Mutant North Stage:

The Acacia Strain: 6.16 – 8.6
Being As An Ocean: 6.16 – 8.6
Candiria: 6.21 – 8.6
Counterparts: 6.16 – 8.6
Fit For A King: 6.16 – 8.6
Hatebreed: 6.21 – 8.6
Silent Planet: 6.16 – 8.6
Stick To Your Guns: 6.16 – 7.2, 7.6 – 8.6
Sylar: 6.16 – 8.6

Full Sail Stage

Bad Omens: 7.4 – 7.24
Boston Manor: 6.16 – 8.6
Carousel Kings: 6.16 – 7.4
Courage My Love: 6.16 – 8.6
Creeper: 6.16 – 8.6
The Dukes: 6.27 – 7.2
Eternal Boy: 7.14
Fantastic Plastics, The: 6.16 – 7.2
Farewell Winters: 6.16 – 8.6
Feeki: 6.16 – 8.6
The Gospel Youth: 6.16 – 8.6
Knocked Loose: 6.16 – 8.6
Montage: 7.18
Movements: 6.16 – 8.6
Naked Walrus: 6.23, 6.24
One Last Shot: 7.7 – 7.10
Playboy Manbaby: 6.22, 8.6
Sarah and The Safe Word: 6.29
Separations: 7.6 – 7.24
Shattered Sun: 7.26 – 8.6
tiLLie: 7.26 – 8.6
Trophy Eyes: 6.16 – 8.6
The Waves: 7.18

NON-PROFITS & EDUCATIONAL WORKSHOPS

Each year, Warped Tour hosts a wide array of non-profit organizations and educational workshops for attendees. Some of the most notable are Teens With a Purpose, American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP), Donate Life New England, Planned Parenthood, Keep A Breast, Testicular Cancer Foundation, and Project HEAL, just to name a few. At each date this summer, fans can see their favorite bands as well as become educated on these causes and how they can help.

How can you get involved?

GET INTO THE SHOW EARLY BY DONATING CANNED GOODS:
Feed Our Children NOW! accepts donations of three canned goods (cannot be dented or expired cans), a $5 donation, or a used cell phone. You can bring your donation to the Feed Our Children NOW! Tent (located at the main entrance gates near the Express Entry flag) to receive your Express Entry wristband. All donations go to feed hungry children in each city and fund their youth empowerment programs!

DONATE BLOOD AND GET BACKSTAGE ACCESS:
Music Saves Lives offers a backstage wristband for the first 100 fans daily that redeem their Music Saves Lives Blood Donation Voucher at the Music Saves Lives tent. In order to get your MSL Blood Donation Voucher you will need to donate blood or have someone donate blood on your behalf at a Music Saves Lives sponsored blood drive.

To donate blood most all states require you to be 16 and have parent approval. If you are 17 and older you can donate without a parent approval. You CAN have someone donate on your behalf if you can’t. All Music Saves Lives sponsored blood drives will be posted starting April 2016. The information for signing up and donating blood can be found at MusicSavesLives.org

Visit http://vanswarpedtour.com/nonprofits/ for more info

Take a workshop by your favorite artist:

The Entertainment Institute (TEI) will be offering workshops with musicians all summer long on the Warped Tour again! Through these workshops, TEI gives attendees the opportunity to spend 40 minutes backstage in a small group conversation with various artists on the lineup.

For the past two years, TEI has handpicked a set of gurus from the Warped Tour lineup with a unique message, educational style or an ability to create an elevated experience for the fans. This year’s classes include How To Remain Positive During Dark Times lead by Hawthorne Heights, Harnessing Your Confidence to Reach Your Goals with Ash Costello of New Years Day, Control and the Art of DIY by William Control, Thinking for Yourself with Andy Biersack and many, many more. For a huge list of full workshops, visit http://www.thinktei.com/warpedtour/.

WHAT TO BRING:

For Warped veterans, the tried and true method of filling a lightweight backpack with food, water, cash and sunscreen is all the prepping necessary for spending the day out at the show, but for any first timers, this is for you. Here are some necessary items to bring to Warped Tour as well as a list of items that are not allowed inside the festival.

Items such as chains (ex: wallet chains), alcohol, recording devices, firearms, weapons, knives etc. and any illegal substances are not allowed in the festival. We recommend either bringing a small lightweight backpack with the following (or designating one of your friends to be the responsible pack mule):

• Lots of sunscreen
• A water bottle or camelback. Camelbacks are a godsend – they’re fairly lightweight and Warped Tour has a water refill station. *Fans are allowed to bring one sealed water bottle in when they enter the show and that can be continuously filled up at the station. Cambelbacks or other similar water carriers are allowed into the show but must empty at time of entry and can be filled up at the Cool Gear Water Hydration Station for free.
• A small snack. Food at the festival tends to be a bit pricey, so if you’re trying not to spend a lot, or want to save money for merch, this is ideal.
• Some paper and a sharpie to write down set and signing times. The sharpie will also come in handy if you run into any artists and want them to sign something.
• Your fully charged cell phone and (if needed) a portable cell phone charger. Service at the venue can sometimes be spotty with so many people in one place, so your phone’s battery may drain quicker than usual. This is especially crucial if you’re coming with a group or need to meet up with friends and/or family after the show.
• A poncho. It might sound like a bit much, but a poncho at Walmart literally only costs $1 and it is totally worth it when those afternoon thunder storms hit. Still packaged, it won’t take up much room in a backpack.

What about parents?

Due to popular demand, Warped Tour is still offering the free parent ticket this year! Instead of eliminating the program, it has been reworked, and the rules are as follows:

1 ticket = 1 parent

One parent (age 28 and older) will be permitted to accompany a child (under the age of 16) with a PAID TICKET to the event for FREE. This is a omplimentary, non-transferrable ristband; the tour reserves the right to deny entry.

To get the PARENT WRISTBAND the morning of the show, the PARENT must bring their photo ID, the child they are accompanying, and the PAID ticket to the yellow guest list tent by the main gates

NO EXCEPTIONS – if you do not have all 3 items listed above, you will not be provided with a wristband.

THE PRELUDE PRESS STAFF’S PERSONAL TIPS:

• IF YOU’RE PLANNING ON SEEING GWAR, PLEASE INVEST IN A PONCHO. Or wear clothes you don’t care about. Seriously. (See the photo below)
• Showing up to the festival early isn’t required, but it is suggested. Normally, gates open at 11am, although this varies from city to city, so be sure to come prepared and arrive on time, because artists generally start playing shortly after gates open. Not only do the set times vary each day, with at least one big artist always playing first, but some bands will also be walking through the line with their set times, which can give you a head start on planning your day.
• Once you’re in the venue, walk through it and get a feel for where things are. Find the location of each stage and figure out where the merch booths are early in the day, that way you’re not struggling to find it later or scrambling to make it to a stage that you haven’t been to yet when a band you love is about to go on.Not only that, but most bands will have signing and meet & greet times posted at their merch booths!
• Make sure you’re drinking plenty of water and getting something to eat. This may sound like something your parents might say, but it can be easy to forget between running to stages to catch your favorite artists, waiting in line for signings, or taking a TEI class in the middle of the day. The last thing you want is to pay a visit to the medical tent because of heat exhaustion on what is supposed to be the best day of the summer.
• Put on sunscreen. Keep putting on sunscreen. Think you have enough sunscreen on? You don’t.
• Figure out a schedule, but don’t plan on sticking to it all day long. Sometimes, you’ll find yourself walking past a stage and hear a band you didn’t plan on seeing, but who really catches your attention. This is one of the best things about Warped Tour – discovering great new music!