A Reddit user in r/WhenWeWereYoungFest shared a sunny shot under the festival arch and a simple, bittersweet caption: “The way I’m going to miss taking these photos every year🥺im the pale one🫣👻.” The picture — two friends posing on that unmistakably bright pink carpet — sparked a thread full of nostalgia, hope, and a little speculation about the festival’s future.
Why it matters
When We Were Young quickly became a go-to stop for emo, pop-punk, and early-2000s fans who wanted big nostalgia lineups and festival photo ops. Seeing people worried they’ve lost an annual ritual hit a lot of folks in the feels: the photo itself is shorthand for all the good times, band reunions, and late-night singalongs the fest has delivered.
Highlights from the thread
– A fan predicted a comeback: “I’m sure the festival will return either in 2027 or 2028… Give it a year or two and there will be a resurgence of interest.”
– Plenty of people were just grateful: “it was so great while it lasted! definitely took advantage!”
– Some are hoping for crossover ideas — one commenter floated a cheeky idea for a special Vegas Warped date called the unofficial “When We Were Warped.”
– Others held out hope for an official announcement: “I’m still holding out hope for some news 🥲” and “Not giving up until after Sick New World.”
The vibe
The replies skewed nostalgic but upbeat. People were posting memories, praising the lineups, and — as you’d expect at this corner of the internet — getting hyped for whatever comes next. A few folks pointed to touring festivals like Warped returning as competition, while many argued demand for a big emo-leaning festival will come back.
Bottom line
Even if this particular photo op becomes a once-in-a-while thing, the thread shows the festival built community moments that stick. Whether When We Were Young returns in the same form or inspires a new iteration, fans will be watching (and posing on that pink carpet) when it does.
If you snapped one of these photos too, share it with us — nostalgia travels better in groups.