Warped Tour Founder Honored as 2025 Visionary, Reflects on 30-Year Legacy

As Warped Tour prepares to celebrate its 30th anniversary edition in 2025, founder Kevin Lyman was honored as Billboard's 2025 Visionary at the recent Billboard Live Music Summit. Lyman, joined by Warped veterans like Pennywise's Fletcher Dragge and first-time performer Devin Papdol, reflected on how the iconic festival has evolved over the past three decades.

Lyman revealed that he initially thought the honor was for making the "64 Under 65" list, joking that he finally made the cut. The panelists shared fond memories of Warped Tour, with Dragge describing it as the "best summer camp on the planet" and Papdol recalling how the festival introduced him to a vibrant local music community.

Lyman emphasized that his goal was always to get young people engaged with music at an early age, from the reverse daycare center that allowed parents to attend for free to the festival's early sunset schedule to minimize issues. The Warped Tour founder's innovative approach helped revolutionize the live music industry over the past three decades.