Vans Warped Tour Makes Long Beach Comeback After Six-Year Break, Pulls in Fans of All Ages

Music blasted through Long Beach's Shoreline Waterfront as the Vans Warped Tour stormed back on July 26 and 27. After six years, the 30th anniversary show drew massive crowds spanning three decades of fans.

"People are craving connection, live music, and the raw, unfiltered experience that Warped has always offered," Kevin Lyman said per ABC7.

True to tradition, the show times stayed secret until the day started. Early birds watched staff pump up a red-and-yellow board that spelled out who played when.

Skating icon Tony Hawk joined Goldfinger on stage for "Superman," the hit track from his 1999 video game. Old-school bands Less Than Jake, Pennywise, and Sublime rocked the crowds, with Jakob Nowell stepping into his father Bradley's shoes.

"If you look around at all of us, we're all outcasts. But we came together to listen to music," Hawthorne Heights singer JT Woodruff said, according to the Press Telegram.

Between sets, crowds watched skaters flip tricks and BMX riders soar through the air. A makeshift museum displayed snapshots and passes from past tours.

First-timers mixed with old-school fans who'd been there since day one. Parents pushed strollers past teens in the pit, while tiny fans wore noise-blocking headphones.

Warped Tour started in 1995 and grew into the biggest traveling music show in North America. What began as an alt-rock fest grew to mix metal, hip hop, reggae, and pop over its first 25 years on the road.