NEWS
UPDATE (1/21): On Friday, LiveNation announced that the When We Were Young Festival will now feature a second date with the exact same stacked lineup on Sunday, Oct. 23.
Featuring multiple stages across festival grounds, earlier acts will perform 20- to 30-minute sets while top-billed acts will perform sets that are 45 minutes or longer.
“We have seen a lot of excitement around this festival and we look forward to putting on an incredible event for all of the fans this October,” festival organizers said in a statement, adding that the event is “thoroughly planned.”
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Paramore might not be interested in rehashing the past for their upcoming album, but when the three-piece group gets back on stage, it’ll be part of the most mid-2000s meets early-2010s lineups since Warped Tour wrapped in 2019.
The band is slated to headline the emo and rock event When We Were Young Festival on Oct. 22 at Las Vegas Festival Grounds. General sales for When We Were Young Festival begin on Jan. 21 via the official festival website.
Paramore share the headlining bill with My Chemical Romance and are joined front and center on the Hot Topic-core lineup poster by Bring Me the Horizon, A Day to Remember, Avril Lavigne, Bright Eyes, and Jimmy Eat World.
Scattered throughout the rest of the lineup are some of the genre’s long-dormant, once-hit-making acts, including Pierce The Veil, All American Rejects, Boys Like Girls, the Ready Set, 3OH!3, and We the Kings.
Veteran bands are also joined by a number of acts currently setting the pace for the future of pop-punk, including Fueled By Ramen signees Meet Me @ the Altar and TikTokers turned punk-rockers Jxdn, Lil Huddy, and Nessa Barrett.
Earlier this month, Hayley Williams told Rolling Stone that Paramore’s forthcoming album — their first since 2017’s After Laughter — isn’t a “comeback ‘emo’ record,” but it will have a particular emphasis on guitars. By the time they step on stage in Vegas, their ever-evolving sound will set them apart once more.
Zara Larsson has indicated that she may have cancelled her December 3 appearance at the Formula One Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. The singer initially confirmed that she would not attend, before removing the comment and sharing a more detailed explanation of why the performance no longer feels right for her.
The Swedish star was scheduled to take the stage at Etihad Live on Yas Island during the Yasalam After-Race Concerts. Zara and Lewis Capaldi were due to launch the weekend’s entertainment. However, supporters encouraged her to reconsider the booking because of concerns surrounding the United Arab Emirates’ reported connections to Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces, a paramilitary organisation accused of committing atrocities during the nation’s civil conflict.
A fan commented: “Please read about what UAE is doing to Sudan then cancel your Abu Dhabi show!” Zara responded: “I will not be going to Abu Dhabi.” Fans later realised that both comments had been removed.
She then shared that she had been considering what it means for her, as an artist, to perform in particular countries.
The Midnight Sun singer explained: “I think about that a lot in my life as an artist… I wanna perform and spread joy and music for people in every country, because no single person is their government.
“I’ve met so many wonderful people from every corner of the world and I know this to be true in my heart. I love people, and I love my fans soooo much.”
Zara acknowledged that her original comment “maybe came off as an impulsive response,” but explained that she had given the booking serious thought. She now believes withdrawing is the decision that “aligns with me the most right now, for many different personal reasons beyond politics.”
She continued: “Maybe I’ll delete both comments and do a better statement soon. I hope to sing with you in the beautiful future!”
