Details Emerging Of Warped Tour’s Australian Return

Soundwave promoter AJ Maddah has revealed he is involved in plans to bring iconic American touring punk festival the Warped Tour back to Australia this year.

Ads for the event appeared on screens at the weekend's Soundwave events in Brisbane and Sydney, with Maddah then confirming the news over Twitter.

The festival's founder Kevin Lyman will be bringing the tour to Australia, with Maddah presumably providing local assistance and expertise.

Both parties were contacted by theMusic.com.au today but failed to respond in time for the article deadline.

Triple M have reported that the event will take place in mid-December, which would appear close to the Soundwave event in February, but it is believed organisers are confident fans will be prepared to commit financially to both events.

In a tweet Maddah said the two events were inherently different, saying, “Warped is about mayhem and DIY punk rock spirit. Soundwave is about delivering a slick and orchestrated day of performances.”

The festival will tour Adelaide, Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane with a splattering of regional events – possibly including Canberra if a venue can be sought – also on the cards. Costs associated with getting the tour to Perth will see Western Australia miss out.

The line-up is expected to be released in two months time, but artists have been announced for the American leg – including Hawthorne Heights, Goldfinger, Chiodos, The Used and 3OH!3.

The Warped Tour – often referred to as the Vans Warped Tour given the shoe company's long-standing sponsorship – first took place in 1995 and has attempted to establish itself in Australia twice. It first appeared with events in 1998 and 1999 through before a one-off year in 2002. Michael Chugg was the last promoter to tour the event as a local partner.