Yellowcard perform at Warped Tour in Washington, DC. Mike Kim for Rolling Stone Warped Tour returned for yet another summer of sticky pavements and pure punk joy. The eclectic lineup featured all sorts of exciting bands and moments, from Jimmy Eat World’s grand return to the Lambrini Girls’ relentless rage. Bands like Yellowcard, New Found Glory, the Story So Far, Gwar and more kept the energy high and the crowdsurfers coming.
Last year, the long-running punk rock festival made a monumental comeback after a five-year hiatus with a new two-day edition across three cities. This year, it expanded into five cities, including international stops in Montreal and Mexico City, and kicked things off in the Nation’s capitol at RFK Stadium. “There’s some other things going on in this town that maybe were a distraction for some people,” founder Kevin Lyman tells Rolling Stone, referring to the UFC Freedom 250 fight held at the White House. President Trump’s latest ego trip was no match for the excitement, vivacity, and punk spirit that bands brought to Warped Tour 2026 in D.C. Here are the best sets we saw.
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Yellowcard’s Massive Moment
Image Credit: Mike Kim for Rolling Stone “This will officially be the biggest production the world has ever seen from our band,” Yellowcard’s Ryan Key told Rolling Stone before the pop-punk rockers closed out the D.C. Warped Tour stop on Sunday night. They did not lie. From the very first song, the pop-punk band literally brought the heat with pyrotechnics and confetti flying out. Their set marked a special moment for the band, marking the first time they ever closed out a major festival — and they made sure to honor every second of it. Throughout their hour-long set, the band included clips and references to iconic films from Ghostbusters to Top Gun, adding to the cinematic feel of their performance.
But the over-the-top production was only supplemental to the band’s incredible energy as they ripped through their catalog, Key’s vocals top-notch as Sean Mackin killed it on the band’s signature violin. Before they wrapped things up with their pop-punk classic “Ocean Avenue,” Key even took time out to tell the crowd about how special the night was for Yellowcard: “We owe more than I could ever express in words to Kevin Lyman and all of our friends and family that put together the Vans Warped Tour and make bands like Yellowcard what we have become today.” —Maya Georgi
