When We Were Young festival 2022: Fans react to Las Vegas emo lineup

Sign up to Roisin O’Connor’s free weekly newsletter Now Hear This for the inside track on all things music

Get our Now Hear This email for free

Please enter a valid email address

Please enter a valid email address

SIGN UP

I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice

Music fans are reacting to the news that a new festival hosting a number of emo bands will take place in October this year.

When We Were Young, a Live Nation-produced event, will be held at the Las Vegas Festival Grounds on 22 October.

Among the acts announced are headliners Paramore and My Chemical Romance, plus Jimmy Eat World, Avril Lavigne, Car Seat Headrest, The All American Rejects, Taking Back Sunday and Alkaline Trio.

There are also younger act including British band Wolf Alice, singer Jxden, the Linda Lindas and pop-rock group Pvris.

A similar festival under the same name was held in Santa Ana, California, in 2017, with the line-up including Morrissey, Cage the Elephant and Taking Back Sunday.

On social media, fans celebrated this year’s lineup while taking the opportunity for an early trip down memory lane.

“Rumour has it the When We Were Young festival wristband will be an i heart boobies bracelet,” Twitter user Molly Sheban joked.

“The millennial urge to make fun of When We Were Young fest, but also go to When We Were Young fest,” Brooklyn Vegan editor Andrew Sacher tweeted.

“When We Were Young Fest is God’s way of saying sorry you were bullied in middle school, go get f***ed up with your friends and relive the emo years baby,” one fan wrote.

Enjoy unlimited access to 70 million ad-free songs and podcasts with Amazon Music

Sign up now for a 30-day free trial

Sign up

Enjoy unlimited access to 70 million ad-free songs and podcasts with Amazon Music

Sign up now for a 30-day free trial

Sign up

Some expressed their suspicion that the line-up was too good to be true, fearing it would turn out to be “another Fyre Festival”.

Writing for Rolling Stone, Brittany Spanos questioned how organisers would make the festival work across one day with so many acts to fit in.

According to ticketing information, there will be three stages across the festival grounds, which means a ton of horrible choices about which bands to prioritise throughout [the day-long fest, which is due to begin at 11am. and end at 11pm,” she said.

This brought her to point out that it seems My Chemical Romance and Paramore could end up headlining on two different stages at the same time, resulting in another tough choice for fans of both bands.

Presale begins on Friday 21 January, with registration open now.