When We Were Young Festival Skipping 2026, Returning October 2027

The emo festival circuit is losing a key player for one year. When We Were Young Festival organizers revealed they're taking 2026 off, but confirmed the Las Vegas staple will make its comeback in October 2027.

The festival, which kicked off in 2022 and has run every October at Las Vegas' Festival Grounds since then, has become a cultural touchstone for the emo and pop-punk community. Organizers explained their reasoning in an Instagram statement: "After an unforgettable run in Las Vegas, we've decided to take 2026 off to give this festival the care it deserves and to make sure what comes next feels just as special as what came before."

They added: "This isn't goodbye – it's just a pause."

The past two years showed what the festival does best. In 2025, Panic! At The Disco reunited to play 'A Fever You Can't Sweat Out' from start to finish for its 20th anniversary, joined by comebacks from letlive., Never Shout Never, Jack's Mannequin, The Cab, and The Gaslight Anthem. The roster also featured heavy hitters like All Time Low, Yellowcard, The Used, Simple Plan, Taking Back Sunday, Mayday Parade, The Story So Far, Alexisonfire, Ice Nine Kills, Motionless In White, Kublai Khan TX, Bad Religion, Beartooth, and Loathe.

The 2024 edition took a different approach: most bands performed a full album from their catalog across two days. My Chemical Romance tackled 'The Black Parade', while Jimmy Eat World delivered 'Bleed American', A Day To Remember brought 'Homesick', and Dashboard Confessional performed 'Dusk And Summer'.

The hiatus comes as the festival's sister event, Sick New World, also adjusted its schedule. Sick New World cancelled its 2025 edition but will return in 2026 with dual locations—Las Vegas Festival Grounds on April 25 and Texas Motor Speedway on October 24. System Of A Down will headline both shows. The Las Vegas lineup includes KoRn, Bring Me The Horizon, Evanescence, Marilyn Manson, Ministry, AFI, Knocked Loose, Danny Elfman, Acid Bath, Cypress Hill, Melvins, Mastodon, and Underoath. The Texas edition features Deftones, Slayer (marking the 40th anniversary of 'Reign In Blood'), The Prodigy, Evanescence, Power Trip, Ministry, AFI, Mastodon, Knocked Loose, Underoath, Clutch, Down, and Melvins.