Sad Summer Festival is excited to announce their 2024 lineup today as the event looks to celebrate its 5-Year anniversary. Originally launched in 2019 by some of the artists and industry folks lamenting the loss of the long-running Vans Warped Tour, Sad Summer was the first major event to emerge in the wake of Vans Warped Tour’s end. Initially serving as a way for the community to continue to come together, Sad Summer has grown significantly each year becoming a scene staple and contributing to its reemergence over the past four years. The nationwide run features festival founders Mayday Parade and The Maine along with The Wonder Years, We The Kings, Real Friends, Knuckle Puck, & Daisy Grenade on all dates with support coming from The Summer Set, Hot Milk, Diva Bleach, and Like Roses on select shows.
“For most of my adult life, I’ve associated the summer with music festivals; their open-air venues, the mix of tour bus exhaust and heat radiating off asphalt, and, of course, hearing my favorite music at twilight, lit by the flicker of fireflies – Sad Summer epitomizes this experience. It also serves as a unifying force in our music scene, a place for every emo kid to gather around, connect with fellow fans, and truly be themselves. With this in mind, it is a deep honor to close Sad Summer; the music we’ve poured our hearts and souls into becoming an indelible part of those warm summer nights, where friends and memories are made.” – Alex Garcia of Mayday Parade
“A lot can change in four summers. And for me, a lot has. But a constant throughout the peaks and valleys of the last four summers has been my love for playing music loudly, seeing old faces and making new amigos. This marks the 5th anniversary of the Sad Summer Festival, and I couldn’t dream up a better place to rip gigs and see smiling people lose their heads. But the real question at hand is…Corn dogs or nah?” – John O’Callaghan of The Maine
Unlike most major festivals that feature multiple stages and hundreds of bands each day, Sad Summer opted to create a more intimate experience with one stage and a smaller curated lineup each year. This intentional decision eliminates any competition and the need to decide which act you are going to watch, while simultaneously providing the smaller acts on the bill a real chance to be seen and heard. In addition, festival co-founders Mike Marquis, Josh Terry, and Tim Kirch, made it a goal with Sad Summer to create an environment that is inclusive and independent. This conscious choice has been well-received making them one of Pollstar’s “Top Grossing Tours of 2021” and seeing overall attendance nearly doubling in the last four years.
Another important theme of Sad Summer is its ongoing commitment to non-profit partnerships and involvement. As they look to celebrate their fifth-year anniversary in 2024, the festival will continue to build upon their dedication to giving exposure and access to a variety of causes the artists, founders, and community are passionate about. This year fans can expect to learn more about previously involved non-profits like HeadCount and Reverb, as well as learn about Sad Summer’s new partnership with Calling All Crows among others. Each organization will have an on-site presence, providing education and resources.
Sad Summer Festival started in 2019 with The Maine and Mayday Parade topping the bill and over the next four years the annual event has featured All Time Low, Taking Back Sunday, PVRIS, Neck Deep, Waterparks, The Story So Far, and more. This year will be the first time The Maine and Mayday Parade have toured together since Sad Summer’s inaugural run. They will be joined for each show by The Wonder Years, We The Kings, Knuckle Puck, & Daisy Grenade. Like Roses can be caught July 12 through 19, Diva Bleach July 20 through August 9, The Summer Set is July 12, 13, and 19-21 and Hot Milk is playing July 23 through August 9. Reminder Pre-sale sign-ups start March 1, 2024, on-sale is March 8, 2024 and information for all fans can be found via SADSUMMERFEST.COM.
Sad Summer Festival Confirmed Dates
Friday, July 12, 2024 Sacramento, CA The Backyard%$
Saturday, July 13, 2024 Santa Ana, CA Observatory Festival Grounds%$
Tuesday, July 16, 2024 Denver, CO Mission Ballroom%
Friday, July 19, 2024 Milwaukee, WI Eagles Ballroom%$
Saturday, July 20, 2024 Chicago, IL Salt Shed Outdoor+$
Sunday, July 21, 2024 Pontiac, MI Crofoot Festival Grounds+$
Tuesday, July 23, 2024 Pittsburgh, PA Stage AE Outdoor+^
Wednesday, July 24, 2024 Columbus, OH KEMBA Live! Outdoor+^
Friday, July 26, 2024 Atlanta, GA Coca-Cola Roxy+^
Saturday, July 27, 2024 Clearwater, FL The Sound at Coachman Park+^
Monday, July 29, 2024 Cleveland, OH Jacobs Pavilion+^
Thursday, August 1, 2024 New York, NY The Rooftop at Pier 17+^
Saturday, August 3, 2024 Worcester, MA Palladium Outdoor+^
Sunday, August 4, 2024 Asbury Park, NJ Stone Pony Summer Stage+^
Tuesday, August 6, 2024 Buffalo, NY Terminal B at the Outer Harbor+^
Thursday, August 8, 2024 Philadelphia, PA Highmark Skyline Stage+^
Friday, August 9, 2024 Columbia, MD Chrysalis Stage+^
%Like Roses
+Diva Bleach
$The Summer Set
^Hot Milk
