During the weekend of November 15 and 16, Camping World Stadium turned into a sea of checkerboard prints and sun-faded band tees, all of threaded together by a shared love for alternative music – for an era that refuses to age into a memory or a phase. Under the punishing heat, we clung to broiled metal barricades and climbed onto shoulders with paper singers that wilted in the wind, all to welcome the familiar ghosts and new heroes of the scene. I had the pleasure of witnessing 21 artists take the stage at Vans Warped Tour on Saturday, a marathon of sound and nostalgia that stretched across the whole stadium.

My day opened with the set I’d been itching for far too long: The Maine. Somehow, every attempt to see them in New York was foiled by life’s inconvenient timing, but when their crew switched on the amps, I felt that old spark – the same one from my unapologetic emo phase that still lives somewhere under my ribs. John O’Callaghan’s voice rang out pristine and bright, the kind of clarity that slices straight trough an open-air venue. No echo. Just emotion. Just vibrato that made the lyrics feel bone-deep. Their set leaned into the fan favorites, the songs that make you dance without thinking, and the crowd woke up instantly. O’Callaghan pulled a front-row fan onto the stage for “Right Girl,” and it felt like watching lightning touch down. That’s what The Maine does: they make you drop you guard and just be. Honestly, it was questionable to see them slotted so early in the day, but maybe that was the point: nothing kick-starts Warped Tour energy quite like their brand of breezy pop-punk melodies.

From there, I trekked to the Beatbox stage, the long haul across the venue, and arrived just as Point North struck their first cord. I’d seen them back in 2022 when they opened for Sleeping With Sirens, but this was an entirely different machine. Tighter. Sharper. Louder. The pits opened like clockwork, and Beatbox turned into a contained storm. It set the tone for the heavier bands creeping up on the schedule.

Escape The Fate followed on the opposite side of the stadium, carrying the type of nostalgia that Warped Tour was practically build on. When “One For The Money’ and “Ashley” tore through the speakers, I was transported back to my teenage bedroom plastered with Alternative Press clippings and printer-paper posters.

Wyndham stage greeted me next with Oxymorrons, who wrestled through a few early technical issues but emerged even fiercer for it. Fans who’d been guarding those barricade spots all morning were rewarded with a set that felt like a lit fuse. Every inch of that stage was theirs: chaotic, elastic, a challenge to photograph because the moment you framed the shot, they were already somewhere else. The dual vocals slide between R&B smoothness and post-hardcore grit, and it shouldn’t work, but it does. Perfectly.

Then came Mod Sun, whose reputation for being an entertainer undersells how deeply he cares about the people in front of him. His set made the whole crowd lean inward, as if we were gathering around a campfire instead of a festival stage. His gratitude felt so genuine, his vocals somehow stronger while he sprinted, played guitar, and held an entire stadium’s attention all at once. He carved out one of the standout sets of the day – the kind that lingers for hours afterward.

After inhaling same food, I made it to Story Of The Year – heavily encouraged by contributors at The Concert Chronicles, and now I fully understand why. Pop-punk and post-hardcore fused into one tight, delicious blend. Onstage and off, they carried themselves like longtime friends who still can’t believe they get to do this. Their performance radiated everything Warped Tour used to stand for: community, chaos, and camaraderie.

I finally grabbed a moment of shade before hustling to Millionaires, a set I’ve been dying to experience for years. If you know their music, you know it’s an instant dance soundtrack: glittery, bold, shameless fun. The Trojan stage pulsed under the weight of everyone screaming lyrics like gospel. Outfits sparkled, smiles stretched wide, and judgement didn’t exist in this perimeter of the stadium. It felt like utopia.

Movements followed, a band I hold painfully close. Their music is the kind that speaks to you when you can’t yet form the words. When they opened with “Full Circle,” I almost forgot I was holding a camera. Around me, faces twisted with emotion, voices breaking as we screamed along. It was catharsis – the kind that Warped Tour always promised and guaranteed. This was the power of music in its purest form: a reminder that we weren’t alone.

As the sun dipped, the nostalgia wave hit with 3OH!3. The classics tasted just as sweet as they did in my childhood bedroom, whispered after dark when my parents assumed we were asleep. The crowd sang every word, laughing through memories that came rushing back with each hook.

Crown The Empire threw the day’s biggest circle pit, a rightful throwback to the traveling Warped Tour’s wildest years. Their set was a cyclone of metalcore, melody, and adrenaline – a testament to how essential they’ve become to the lineup.

Angel Du$t stunned me next with a set so chaotic that fans were practically scaling the barricades. It wasn’t just excitement, it was something deeper, a need to show these artists how much their work meant.

Black Veil Brides gave a mix of new and old, honoring the legacy while pushing their sound into new territory. This is the beauty of Warped Tour: witnessing a band evolve right in front of you.

Then, unexpectedly, Yung Gravy pulled one of the most engaged crowds of the day. His trap-influenced set shouldn’t have fit the lineup, but it did – especially when he started sampling classics that once defined early Warped eras.

Yellowcard followed with a performance that felt like balm. Nobody was moshing. Everyone was singing. Tears sparkled in the crowd, arms draped across shoulders, voices tremoring as the violin whined across the stadium. This was healing disguised as a setlist.

Machine Gun Kelly appeared next, shimmering on the main stage. Though the stage design was elaborate, his presence felt a bit lackluster, but nonetheless the vocals were shockingly pristine – pure pop-punk gold. Like many, I first found him during his rap era, but after hearing him live, it’s clear this sonic world fits him best.

I stumbled into the Geico/Owen’s Mixer stage and was greeted by a dirt bike show midair. Totally unexpected, but somehow perfectly Warped Tour: a celebration not just of music of the adrenaline culture that surrounds it. Boundaries soundtracked the chaos with a set dripping in metalcore intensity, and they easily took the prize for the most crowd-surfers of the day.

Royal & The Serpent followed, absolutely embodying the stage. Every detail felt deliberate, theatrical but raw, and she commanded the space like it was built for her. Her sound leaned more hyper-pop but her presence just made sense in the grand scheme of Warped Tour. It was one of those sets you stumbled upon and immediately became captivated.

I nearly skipped ISeeStars to rest, but in the final stretch of the marathon, I landed up smack in the middle of their crowd – and I’m so glad I did. Their electronica-laced metalcore felt like entering a rave and a pit simultaneously. Their chemistry is unmatched and their sound is organically authentic, there’s simply no comparison to make; ISeeStars is the mold others try to mesh into.

And finally, my night ended with State Champs. My forever comfort band. I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve seen them, but it never matters – their sets always feel intimate, warm, like you’re crashing a practice session with friends. The most ideal way to close my first day of Warped Tour 2025, with something familiar and familial.

Warped Tour’s return to Orlando was stitched with legacy – Black Veil Brides, Crown The Empire, Story of the Year, State Champs – but still pulsed with discovery – Yung Gravy, Royal & The Serpent, Oxymorrons, Boundaries: all proof that this event isn’t just about preserving the past, but making space for the future.

Until next year, Warped Tour reminded me why this music saves people, shapes them, and keeps them coming back.

I already can’t wait to return.