Brat summer this, Brat summer that. It’s time for Sad Summer, Brat Summer’s weird sister. This is a music festival designed entirely for those who served in the dusty trenches of Warped Tour in the 2000s. For people who took high school fashion inspo from Pete Wentz and still turn their heads when they hear one G note played on the piano. Celebrating its fifth anniversary this year, Sad Summer grew out of the ashes of the Vans Warped Tour, America’s largest touring rock festival during the almost twenty-five years that it ran. Co-founded by members of pop rock group The Maine and emo acolytes Mayday Parade, who are also both headliners this year, the festival exists to keep the community that Warped Tour cultivated alive.
This is also a touring festival, but unlike its predecessor, Sad Summer has taken a more intimate approach, breaking from the mold of many stages spread out over a huge venue to one stage and a relatively small festival environment. There’s no racing to catch bands who overlap anymore, or trekking through muddy fields in your Dr. Martens, just one long concert with up to 11 sets (not all performers will play every date), a fraction of what you may see on the lineup of a similar festival. On top of the co-founders, performers this year will include pop-punk staples like The Wonder Years, We The Kings, Real Friends, Knuckle Puck, The Summer Set and more. Each venue on the tour will be organized differently, but you can expect to find one stage with a lawn, plus lots of tents filled with food, drinks, merch and nonprofits sprinkled around the grounds.
Some people are emo for the fun of it, but Sad Summer is emo for a good cause. Multiple of them. Continuing in their partnerships with nonprofits, which the festival has done each year, this year they’ll be working with Reverb to combat the impact of the tour on the environment, Headcount to register festival goers to vote and Calling All Crows, whose goal is to make a “more feminist music industry,” among others.
The Specs
- While attendance numbers are unavailable at the time of writing, the festival founders have reported that Sad Summer attendance has almost doubled over the past four years.
- Tickets begin at $65 for original general admission, however, at some locations, the starting price for resell tickets has gone up to $85.90 or higher.
- The festival is hitting 17 cities across 14 states this summer. Check out Fifty Grande’s guide to the best things to do at each location here.
FAQs
Where does the festival take place?
Sad Summer is touring the country this summer, running through 17 different cities: Sacramento, CA, Santa Ana, CA, Denver, CO, Milwaukee, WI, Chicago, IL, Pontiac, MI, Pittsburgh, PA, Columbus, OH, Atlanta, GA, Clearwater, FL, Cleveland, OH, New York City, Worcester, MA, Asbury Park, NJ, Buffalo, NY, Philadelphia, PA and Columbia, MD.
Are there any age restrictions?
Young and veteran emos alike are welcome at Sad Summer, however, the bar in the VIP section is 21+ only.
Is the festival ADA-accessible?
Every venue on the tour is ADA-accessible. As each has a different accessibility plan, the festival encourages reaching out to determine how ADA needs can best be accommodated at your planned festival date.
Who’s on this year’s lineup?
The lineup includes Mayday Parade, The Maine, The Wonder Years, We The Kings, Real Friends, Knuckle Puck, The Summer Set, Hot Milk, Diva Bleach, Daisy Grenade and Like Roses.
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