When We Were Young Festival on Hiatus for 2026

Feb 28, 2026 1:34pm PT When We Were Young Festival on Hiatus for 2026, Will Return Next Year in Las Vegas By Steven J. Horowitz Plus Icon Steven J. Horowitz Senior Music Writer speriod Latest ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ Singers EJAE, Audrey Nuna and Rei Ami Perform ‘Golden’ at BRIT Awards 46 minutes ago Harry Styles Brings Disco to the BRIT Awards With First-Ever Performance of ‘Aperture’ 1 hour ago Ava Max Returns With New Label Partnership and Sharp Pop Single ‘Kill It Queen’: ‘I Want to Do Everything 10 Times Better’ (EXCLUSIVE) 3 days ago See All Getty Images Fans hoping that the nostalgia-heavy When We Were Young Festival would return this year will have to wait a bit longer, as organizers for the event have announced that they’re taking a year off before picking back up in 2027. Organizers announced on Friday that the next iteration of When We Were Young will take place in Las Vegas in October 2027. A specific reason for the delay was not given. “After an unforgettable run in Las Vegas, we’ve decided to take 2026 off to give this festival the care it deserves and to make sure what comes next feels just as special as what came before,” read the statement. “When We Were Young Festival will return to Las Vegas in October 2027. Thank you for showing up with your whole hearts every year. This isn’t goodbye — it’s just a pause.” View this post on Instagram When We Were Young has become a nostalgia haven for concertgoers — specifically millennials —  since its inaugural year in 2017 at Santa Ana, CA’s Observatory. The festival moved to Las Vegas for its second iteration in 2022, where it has returned every year through 2025. Popular on Variety The festival featured bands and artists often performing their classic albums in full, and leaned on nostalgia much like fellow festivals Vans Warped Tour (which will once again take place this year) and the ill-fated Lovers & Friends Festival, which also took place in Las Vegas and was canceled the night before it was supposed to begin in 2024 due to extreme weather. Last year, When We Were Young was headlined by Blink-182 and Panic! at the Disco, the latter of which performed their seminal album “A Fever You Can’t Sweat Out” in its entirety. Jump to Comments Could EU Regulators Favor Paramount Over Netflix in Battle for Warner Bros. Discovery? ‘Scooby-Doo’ Live-Action Netflix Series Casts Mckenna Grace as Daphne Paramount Is Expected to Raise Price of Warner Bros. Discovery Bid. Will Netflix Walk Away? ‘Pachinko’ Stars Kim Minha, Noh Sang-hyun Reunite for Netflix Rom-Com ‘Messily Ever After’ Netflix Wins U.S. Rights to ‘Lord of the Flies’ Series From ‘Adolescence’ Creator Jack Thorne Netflix Shares Pop More Than 5% As Warner Deliberates Next Steps JavaScript is required to load the comments. Loading comments...