The 2024 edition of 'When We Were Young Festival' kicked off this past weekend, October 19th and 20th. The pop-punk spectacle returned once more to the Las Vegas Festival Grounds for its third annual occurrence, performing identical sets across the span of two days. This year's festival theme was built around setlists that featured full-album tracklists, packing it with unforgettable nostalgia for attendees to witness for quite possibly the first time in music history. The grounds pulsed with energy as festivalgoers frantically bounced between stages to catch full‑album performances, surprise reunions, and nostalgic era‑defining hits under the neon Las Vegas sky.
Cobra Starship performs during the 'When We Were Young Festival' on Oct. 19, 2024, in Las Vegas, NV.
Among those kicking off the festivities strongly was Mayday Parade over on the Purple stage. In keeping with the festival's theme, they performed their 2007 release, A Lesson In Romantics, in full. The set was complete with a backdrop that featured the instantly recognizable album art, along with renowned favorites like "Black Cat," "Jamie All Over," and "Jersey." Over on the Ghost stage, We the Kings kept the party going, performing their debut album set, albeit with a few numbers shortened due to time constraints. It's understandable, given the festival's schedule and the number of acts on the bill, that some performances would need to be shortened, but the majority delivered on this aspect.
But perhaps one of the most anticipated sets of the day was Cobra Starship, who marked their long-awaited return with a special set of Viva La Cobra!, as well as some other fan favorites such as "Bring It (Snakes on a Plane)" and "Good Girls Go Bad." Taking place on the Purple Stage, the set embraced a full aviation theme, with an elaborate stage design featuring the interior of an aircraft. Frontman Gabe Saporta and the rest of the band were also dressed as pilots and the backing band as stewardesses, before transitioning into their signature purple hoodies for the latter half of the set.
A Day to Remember performs during the 'When We Were Young Festival' on Oct. 19, 2024, in Las Vegas, NV.
A high-energy set from pop punk pioneers, Simple Plan, took place just shortly after at the adjacent Pink Stage, jam-packed with a near-complete tracklist of their 2002 debut, No Pads, No Helmets...Just Balls. Throughout their set, inflatable beach balls could be seen flailing throughout the crowd as they performed showstopping hits like "I'd Do Anything," "Shut Up," and "The Worst Day Ever." Multiple surprise guests, including Martin Johnson (Boys Like Girls), Jenna McDougall (Tonight Alive), Travis Clark (We the Kings), and both Dereks from Mayday Parade and State Champs, joined the band on stage for their iconic single, "I'm Just a Kid." The band finished out their set with a confetti-filled performance of "Perfect," encapsulating the perfect balance of joy, angst, and sentimentality.
As dusk settled onto the festival grounds, A Day to Remember took the stage with a real-life set design for their Homesick-inspired set, which was, of course, performed front-to-back. Complete with pyro, no shortage of confetti cannons, and plenty of crowd-surfing, the band treated attendees to jaw-dropping performances of "The Downfall of Us All," "NJ Legion Iced Tea," and "You Already Know What You Are." Of course, the set wouldn't be complete without a special guest addition of Mike Hranica of The Devil Wears Prada, who joined for "I’m Made of Wax, Larry, What Are You Made Of?" as he notably did on the album back in 2009. The set closer, "If It Means A Lot to You," resonated heavily with fans and reinforced the impact of the Homesick album still to this day.
Breaking up the full-album cycle was much-anticipated headliners Fall Out Boy, who weaved through their years-long catalog of music, perfectly crafted into a 23-song setlist. From the early days of Take This to Your Grave to their most recent release, So Much For Stardust, the band hit the mark with iconic performances of the likes of "Grand Theft Autumn/Where Is Your Boy," "Sugar, We're Goin' Down," "Thnks Fr Th Mmrs," "I Don't Care," "The Phoenix," and so much more. Peak moments of the set included sing-along era-defining anthems such as "My Songs Know What You Did in the Dark (Light ’Em Up),” “Centuries,” and “Saturday.” Quite possibly one of the biggest draws of the weekend, a highlight moment of the set included the fan-inspired Magic 8 ball, which served as a random song generator that resulted in performances of "G.I.N.A.S.F.S." and Wiz Khalifa-accompanied "See You Again."
As the night drew to a close, My Chemical Romance took to the Pink Stage to round out the festivities. The set was truly one for the books — a sweeping, emotional revival of The Black Parade album performed in full, that made the moment feel much bigger than just a festival headline. Kicking off their set with "The End." and "Dead!," both numbers which haven't been performed live in years, yielded some of the most thrilling reactions from those in attendance. The set design was in contrast to some of the other sets seen earlier throughout the day, featuring a simple black-and-white backdrop and atmospheric lighting. This was a powerful yet poignant design choice that really allowed festivalgoers to hone in their focus on the band and the emotional aspect of their set, rather than prioritize elaborate stage production. The band's set wouldn't be complete without encore closers "I'm Not Okay (I Promise)" and "Helena," both of which are a testament to why the band's legacy is cemented in pop-punk history.
A special thanks to Live Nation and C3 Presents for having us out for the festivities once more.
For more information on 'When We Were Young Festival', including potential future dates and tickets, visit the official website or follow on Instagram, Facebook, and X.
