The Vans Warped Tour 2026 moshes back to Montréal
Music Festivals and events
Anyone who attended the Vans Warped Tour’s first stop at Montréal’s Hippodrome (a.k.a. the Blue Bonnets horse racing track) in 1996 will remember the towering tornado of dirt and dust that emerged from the mosh pit every time a band took the stage. Soon-to-be monumental artists like Blink-182, Beck, Deftones, NOFX, Pennywise and Mighty Mighty Bosstones set the stage, literally, for a primal celebration of all things punk, ska, hardcore, skate-punk, metal, pop-punk and more. Now, 30 years later and after a lengthy hiatus, the action-packed Vans Warped Tour returns to Montréal in the summer of 2026.
Let’s do the Vans Warped again
The Warped Tour launched in 1995 and became the longest-running touring music festival in the United States by far. After calling it a day in 2019, the tour roared back to life for its 30th anniversary last year with a limited run of shows. The fan response was off the chart, and now the Vans Warped Tour is back in action for a five-city North American run in 2026, hitting Washington D.C., Long Beach, Orlando, Mexico City and, of course, Montréal at Parc Jean-Drapeau on August 21 and 22.
Montréal is the only Canadian city to host the tour
That Montréal, thus far, is the only Canadian date on the Vans Warped Tour is special testament to the depth and diversity of the city’s music fanbase, a sentiment echoed by the tour’s creator.
“Bringing Warped back to international stages is an exciting milestone,” said Kevin Lyman, founder of the Vans Warped Tour, in a press statement. “Montréal and Mexico City are home to some of the most dedicated music fans in the world, and expanding into these cities lets us share the Warped spirit with even more people. It’s the perfect time to grow the tour and celebrate the global community that’s been with us from the beginning.”
Bringing Warped back to international stages is an exciting milestone
Kevin Lyman, founder of the Vans Warped Tour
Montréal’s Vans Warped lineup is stacked with over 100 acts
Over the course of two days, Vans Warped fans will be able to jump into a massive mosh pit of music legends, returning festival favourites, ascendant artists and likely a few surprises, bringing together musicians spanning rock, punk, alternative, pop-punk, rap, emo, hardcore, ska and more. To name but a few…
- Pennywise: Pioneering SoCal punk rockers whose song Bro Hymn is one of the undisputed anthems of nu-skool punk rock.
- Simple Plan: Homegrown, internationally renowned pop-punk band and MTL’s high-energy answer to Blink-182.
- Agnostic Front: Formed in 1980, this fierce, pioneering New York hardcore band is one of the giants of the genre.
- Taking Back Sunday: Still-raging rockers who refuse to be stylistically pinned down, with influences ranging from emo to post-punk to pop and beyond.
- Yellowcard: The reformed Vans Warped staples are renowned for their unconventional use of violin on their many pop-punk hits.
- Good Riddance: One of the mainstays of the famous Fat Wreck Chords label, the socially conscious group has been influential with their combination of skate punk and ’80s hardcore.
- MxPx: Originally self-identified as a Christian punk rock band — a rarity unto itself — MxPx have been prolific producers of all manner of punk rock since their early teens in 1992.
- The Planet Smashers: Local legends, Montréal’s godfathers of ska have been starting the party for the better part of 35 years.
Also, Silverstein, Of Mice & Men, Bowling for Soup, Jimmy Eat World, Flogging Molly, Madball, Comeback Kid… the lineup of rock awesomeness goes on and on.
Vans Warped action offstage is also guaranteed to please
Concertgoers will be able to take advantage of a number of fan experiences, including an artist alley (where bands will be selling merch out of their own booth), a sponsor village (featuring DIY-style pop ups, acoustic sets and product giveaways), extreme sports demos (BMX and skateboarding), a record label row (merch and potential artist signings) and much more.
- When: August 21 and 22, 2026
- Where: Parc Jean-Drapeau
- Tickets: Vans Warped Tour Montréal
Jamie O'Meara
Jamie O'Meara was the Editor-in-Chief at C2 Montréal and the former Editor-in-Chief of alt-weekly newspaper HOUR Magazine.