Kevin Lyman has always lived a life on the go. For years it was a symptom of working to keep up with Warped Tour, a punk rock circus on wheels. Since bringing back the festival last year to celebrate its 30th anniversary, it has changed its mode of transportation from buses to planes. What started as a two-month tour of the United States and parts of Canada is now a strategically placed five-date show that kicks off this weekend in Long Beach. With stops in Montreal, Mexico City, Orlando and Washington, the tour has gotten bigger with the partnership of EDM promoter Insomniac, but Lyman insists the soul remains the same.
Thriving with a mix of punk, emo, ska, hardcore, metal and action sports, Warped has become an entry point into festival culture for a new generation of fans, requiring Lyman to always advance his musical tastes while also trying to stay true to the essence of what made Warped more of a community than just an annual event.
He recently sat down with The Times to discuss the process of continuing the festival's revival and why it remains a vital part of the summer festival ecosystem.
What were your initial thoughts after Warped Tour's big return in Long Beach last year?
I was really nervous. To be honest, I knew I had a chance to do well. I knew there would be bigger stages, we'd have video and lights, but I also knew I had to make it look like Warped Tour between shows. So that little bit of controlled chaos we had between the stages (the merch tents, all the sponsorship booths, the skating ramps, the surprises we threw out every day) I think was mission accomplished. The overall response from fans has been fantastic. For some people closer to my age, maybe it was too much: their feet hurt. But Warped came back strong, we went back on sale. [for 2026] Pretty fast, and still having 50% of the people buy the tickets right away without knowing a band on the bill was great.
jimmy eats world is celebrating the 25th anniversary of “Bleed American” at this year's festival. What does it mean to you to have some of those early Warped Tour bands like that on the bill again?
It felt good to have a lot of those bands. For me, one of the most emotional of last year was Rise Against. They had a great time. They were a big part of the Warped Tour, and you make them come back and then look at the crowd, all the phones were ringing in the crowd and probably 50% of the people there had never seen them before.
“I've been a disruptor and the disruption I've caused has attracted enough people. We're a niche of people now,” Lyman says. “Warped is a great niche.”
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)You've always had your own way of doing things that created the Warped Tour culture. Why do you think it remains so vital in today's festival ecosystem?
I had to carve a niche for myself in the industry. I was never really going to settle completely. In a way I come from that rebellious spirit that Goldenvoice instilled in me in the '80s when I worked for them, and Gary Tovar was a rebel. So I've always had that mentality of, “Hey, let's go against the norm. Let's make it our own thing.” And even when I now teach at USC, I say that you have to learn the fundamentals of each business. And those foundations, for me, were working 12 years in the clubs of Los Angeles, 320 nights a year, and then you have to do something your own. I always say that when you decide to try it, do it. And I did, and it seemed to connect with enough people and resonate with enough people that I'd been around who said, “Wow, this is different. You need to work on it. But instead of tearing it down, let's support it.”… I've been a disruptor, and the disruption I've caused has attracted enough people. Now we are a niche of people. Warped is a great niche.
How did you manage to keep Warped in people's minds all year while planning it this year?
That was a challenge because before we had the two-month tour, so we were able to build a community to keep the conversation going. The community is a big driver for me. All we're doing now is investing in the community and I think it's working. [In January] We had an event in downtown Long Beach with the band Holy Wars, we had an event in Orlando. We had an event in the backyard of a fraternity house in Virginia, we had events in Mexico City and Montreal… canned food drives, blood drives or, you know, registering to vote. We will eliminate those types of events to constantly be in everyone's mindset. And it's not about monetizing. I think people always ask, “How do you monetize the superfan?” I say, “How do you reward them?” Giving people a free Sunday afternoon event in Long Beach is a thank you. Those are the people who will spread the word when you post a video, share it with all their friends, and then tell the kids in their schools. A third of the people who attend Warped have never been to a festival or even a concert before, so we need to engage them in a different way.
What are your ways of searching for bands you want to take a chance on when booking the festival?
Well, I have a great booker named Amanda Phelan. She books with me, so she's on the ground talking to agents and stuff. I don't necessarily do that much anymore. I talk to them, but my part is more like, “Oh, I want to see what bands other bands are talking about or what young people are talking about.” And then I'm also talking to a lot of the independent promoters that you know I used to work with.
Why do you think younger generations of festival-goers will continue to discover Warped Tour?
We used to be that festival where you knew it was over at dusk, your mom could pick you up on the sidewalk or you could get home at dusk, and then you'd go off to other festivals. We were your gateway to festivals. We may be that entry point again, but a lot of it will now come down to price. We know that the economy of Warped Tour is conducive to people who want to go on two levels: some who want to come and explore a festival, and others, maybe some of your mates, who can't go out every night and see bands anymore because they all have real jobs and stuff. But they can go for two days and catch up on all the music, which makes you feel like you're young.
