The second annual 'When We Were Young Festival' returned to the Las Vegas Festival Grounds this past weekend. The one-day extravaganza, which took place on both Saturday and Sunday with the same corresponding lineups, has called Sin City home since its inception in 2022, drawing in over 60,000 attendees. Selling out consecutively for its second year, attendees and fans have likened its creation to that of the defunct Vans Warped Tour, although its schedule is notably twice as chaotic. This year was no exception -- packing in nostalgic acts such as The Veronicas, Good Charlotte, and Yellowcard to even bigger household names such as All Time Low, The Offspring, and Thirty Seconds to Mars, all in a matter of less than 12 hours. Pop-punk pioneers Green Day and Blink-182 closed out the bill, clocking just before midnight.
Kicking off the festivities were The Veronicas, who despite being booked for the smallest of the four stages, drew in a crowd that extended to the food vendor booths. They truly got the party started with "4ever," "Take Me on the Floor," and of course, set-closer and crowd favorite "Untouched." Following their set, Michelle Branch brought her taste of the early 2000s with a slowed-down rendition of "The Game of Love," "All You Wanted," and "Everywhere."
Michelle Branch performs during the 'When We Were Young Festival' on Oct. 21, 2023, in Las Vegas, NV.
Taking place on the main stages, aptly named "Pink" and "Green" to reflect this year's color theme, including sets from New Found Glory, Pierce the Veil, and Yellowcard. If there's one thing that's been made abundantly clear over the past two years, it's that anything can occur on these grounds, including surprise collaborations and guest appearances. The festival is known for pulling out all the stops, and they did just that when Pierce the Veil's Vic Fuentes joined Yellowcard's set for a surprise number of "Three Minutes More," which sparked hysteria among those in attendance.
Also part of the early evening sets was Good Charlotte, who arguably dominated the hearts of 'elder emos' and every Hot Topic shopper in the early 2000s. They made their highly-anticipated return to the stage for their only-known live appearance of the year since 2019 and fans devoured every second. Cramming in a jam-packed setlist full of fan favorites, complete with pyrotechnics and strobe lighting, they breezed their way through hits like "The Anthem," "Little Things," "The River," "Lifestyles of the Rich & Famous." In a twist of events, Sunday attendees got a special cameo from Lil' Wayne for an unlikely collaboration on "A Milli."
Yellowcard performs with Vic Fuentes of Pierce of the Veil during the 'When We Were Young Festival' on Oct. 21, 2023, in Las Vegas, NV.
Other highlights included Thirty Seconds to Mars, fronted by Jared Leto, who brought arguably the most lavish production of the night. Their set even featured fan participation, bringing up a handful of individuals (including media personnel such as myself, shoutout to the band) to the stage following memorable performances of songs such as "Kings and Queens," "This Is War," and "The Kill (Bury Me)."
Blink-182 re-defined the true meaning of "The Rock Show" when they took the stage in the original formation, featuring returning member Tom DeLonge. Among the first of many festival appearances together since 2015, the trio didn't miss a beat as they made their way through their 23-song setlist. "Family Reunion," "Feeling This," "Aliens Exist," "I Miss You," and "First Date" were just a handful that made it into their highly-anticipated, very evocative set. It's safe to say it was an emotional moment in time for all in attendance.
Immediately following Blink-182, Green Day closed out the night's festivities with every ounce of energy they had. Commanding the festival grounds in a fashion only the Oakland, California natives could, Billie Joe Armstrong, Mike Dirnt, and Tre Cool brought the angst and politically-charged heat in tunes such as "American Idiot," "Holiday," "21 Guns," and "Minority." Special moments included "Know Your Enemy," in which Armstrong brought up a fan on-stage to sing the bridge in full. While most bands tend to end on a high note when it pertains to the encore, Green Day appeared to take their set in a different direction, coming down from that typical high before closing out with "Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)" -- which, in our opinion, couldn't be a more fitting choice to end the occasion.
'When We Were Young Festival' is likely to make its return in 2024, and if this year's demand was any indication for the future, its likelihood to sell out is imminently expected. A special thanks to Live Nation and C3 Presents for having us out for this momentous celebration. We can't wait to see what's in store for the next year!
To stay updated on the festival and ensure passes are secured when they go on sale, visit the official website or follow on Instagram, Facebook, and X.
