When We Were Young organizers announced the festival will take 2026 off and return to Las Vegas in October 2027. The statement (shared by the fest) framed the pause as a chance to “give this festival the care it deserves” and promised that “this isn’t goodbye — it’s just a pause.”
Redditors on r/festivals reacted quickly to the news, offering a few common theories and takes:
- Many pointed out that several of the scene’s biggest acts are touring on their own this year, making smaller, cheaper local shows a better option than a Vegas trip.
- Some commenters said the festival has milked the nostalgia angle and may have peaked after earlier big bookings, leaving increasingly repetitive lineups and fatigued crowds.
- Others suggested broader factors like falling Vegas tourism numbers likely played a role.
Representative comment snippets from the thread (via r/festivals): “A lot of the biggest bands are touring on their own this summer,” and “You can only juice the nostalgia fruit so much before it needs a break.”
What this means for fans: if you were counting on a 2026 When We Were Young run, plan for a return in October 2027 instead. Organizers framed the break as a reset intended to make future editions feel “just as special as what came before.”
Source: Reddit — r/festivals (original thread)
Source: https://www.reddit.com/r/festivals/comments/1rghet1/when_we_were_young_2026_canceled/