The 2025 edition of When We Were Young Festival lit up the Las Vegas Festival Grounds on Saturday (Oct. 18), bringing together thousands of fans eager to relive the pop-punk and emo anthems that shaped their youth. Under the desert sun, the multi-stage setup kept the energy constant as bands rotated seamlessly from one performance to the next.

Panic! at the Disco delivered one of the day’s biggest highlights with a full performance of A Fever You Can’t Sweat Out, complete with Brendon Urie’s signature theatrics and powerhouse vocals. blink-182 followed with a hit-packed set that had the crowd jumping and singing every word, while The Used channeled raw emotion and intensity that reminded fans why they remain cornerstones of the scene.

Avril Lavigne’s set was a major moment of the day. Backed by a tight band and surrounded by fans, many of whom likely grew up on her music, she turned the festival grounds into a massive sing-along with “Complicated,” “Sk8er Boi” and “Girlfriend.” Her energy and charisma felt both nostalgic and timeless, proving her influence still runs deep in the pop-punk world.

Elsewhere, The Offspring, All Time Low, Weezer, and Simple Plan kept momentum high with crowd-pleasing favorites and plenty of playful banter.

As night fell over the Vegas skyline, the atmosphere remained electric. Generations of fans sang together, celebrating not just the music of their past but the community it continues to inspire. As it has been since its move to Las Vegas in 2022, When We Were Young 2025 wasn’t just a trip down memory lane; it was proof that pop-punk and emo still have a powerful pulse.

See photos from this year's When We Were Young below.

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