Vans Warped Tour 2018 - July 17th, 2018 Toronto, ON

     After years of what fans of punk, rock and metal music called their version of summer camp, the Vans Warped Tour is making its final full cross country tour around the United States and Canada. As an avid music fan myself, I was sad to hear the news of one of the most iconic summer festivals coming to an end. I have only been to one Warped Tour in the past, Warped 2015, so I knew I had to go this year for the last time ever.

     The 2018 Vans Warped Tour had a stop in Toronto, Ontario, Canada on July 17th, 2018. It took place at the Flats by the iconic Budweiser Stage (formerly Molson Canadian Ampitheatre). The event was very organised, even more organised than previous years! Both the General Admission lines and Early Entry lines were separated to provide easy entrance to those who gained access to Early Entry. A quick donation of 3 canned goods, a used working cell phone Or $5 to the "Feed Our Children NOW!" tent is all that is required to acquire a Early Entry wristband.

My EE wristband after donating an old cell phone

    Doors were meant to open at 11am but with the advantage of the Early Entry, we were let in at 10:30. Being let in early gets you a few extra minutes to figure out where all the tents and stages are without having to push through a crowd. Not all bands require wristbands to participate in signings or meet and greets so be sure to check the bands merchandise tent for information regarding them. NOTE: all meet and greets and signings at Warped Tour are FREE and do not require any purchase what so ever in order to attend them, in the case where a wristband is needed, go to the tent where the meet and greet will take place, you will either need to fill out your email, sign up via text, or just ask, but you NEVER have to pay to meet your favorite bands.

     With 6 stages at this years Warped Tour, everything was a lot more organized and easy to find. I was never more than a 5 minute walk from a specific stage. Utilizing Echo Beach as the two main stages (Journey's Left and Right Foot) was a great way to avoid running back and forth as most "bigger" bands who garnered bigger crowds were on main stage. It was a great way to make sure you had a great spot because as the bands would rotate, fans would leave to go see another band on a different stage. Lucky for me I was able to see 6 bands this year as opposed to the 4 I saw back in 2015. It was much more relaxed this year as I spent the first few hours I was inside the venue cooling off in the shade and talking to band members at their tents. I did not have to run around missing bands that I desperately wanted to see. My experience this year was so much better than my past experience and for it being the last time I'll get to experience a music festival like Warped Tour again, that was very nice to live. Warped Tour doesn't end until August so if you haven't gotten around to attending Warped Tour, now is your last chance! I wouldn't wait much longer as most dates are selling out, and selling fast. Warped Tour is a great opportunity to expose yourself to new music and it is something I would recommend to all music fans to do at least once in their life time!

     All the crew working at the venue and with the tour overall were amazing! They were friendly and did their very best to keep the fans safe. I did not witness any problems or complaints which is always nice to see at a sold out event where around 5,000+ people are present.

     Below you will find some photos from my day at the Final Warped Tour.

     As this is the final Warped Tour that will tour cross country, I want to thank founder Kevin Lyman for always giving the fans an amazing festival with all of our favorite bands. The memories you have helped create for people is something that we will always be eternally grateful for! You introduced so many of us to new favorite bands and are responsible for bands finally getting the recognition they deserve. From all us alternative music fans, we thank you Kevin!

For more information about Warped Tour and its sponsors, go to https://vanswarpedtour.com/ or follow them on Twitter @vanswarpedtour