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“When We Were Young” Festival Raises Questions and Concerns Surrounding Safety

January 19, 2022

When the “When We Were Young” festival was announced on Tuesday, many old and new fans of the Emo and Pop-Punk genres were excited, as it seemed like their favorites would be reuniting for a giant tour for the sake of old times. However, when the excitement died down, fans realized that something seemed a little bit fishy. With a packed setlist, expensive but nonrefundable tickets, and the fact that the concert is being put on by those who were in charge of the deadly Astroworld festival, many are wondering if this is really a dream come true or just a scam.

The concept of When We Were Young fest:

The logistics of When We Were Young fest:

— Luc (@ellkay_) January 19, 2022

Scam or not?

After taking a closer look at the logistics of the concert, some had some questions and concerns. First, the company organizing the concert, Live Nation, is the same company that organized Astroworld. As a reminder, Astroworld was a festival led by Travis Scott that led to the death of 10 people. This was due to a lack of trained medics, not enough safety exits, and an incredibly packed concert where people were being shoved and pushed.

When We Were Young Fest looked pretty cool until you notice it's $225 nonrefundable for one day and it's run by the same company who was responsible for AstroWorld and you realize they're actually just preying on the pop punk scene to pay back their litigation fees

— Pfizer Nation's Princess Azula (@space_mom_) January 19, 2022

After noticing this, many brought up the fact that Live Nation had also scammed people before, where they promised a large R&B concert that was later canceled with no refunds. Many felt that it was a scam and there would be no concert.

Stages of elder emo tik tok finding out about the When We Were Young fest

Stage 1: panic, excitement, and singing up for presale ticket info

Stage 2: realizing it’s a logistical nightmare, way overpriced, and being put on by the same people who did Astroworld

Stage 3: grief.

— Izzie (@curlyhairpunk) January 19, 2022

Others worried, however, about the safety precautions of the concert if it were to not be a scam. With over 6o artists lined up to perform, and the concert only lasting the span of 12 hours rather than a weekend like many musical festivals do, some were worried about the logistics of keeping everyone safe as they try to see their favorite bands. The venue also has only three stages, which led some to believe that the venue booked would be too small to hold the capacity this concert would require.

Y’all this When We Were Young festival is run by the same ppl who ran Astroworld and has scammed many fests before. ugh was so happy about it too but not anymore pic.twitter.com/QxTw3p3YXV

— CRG Reezie DH Atlanta (@badgirlReezie) January 19, 2022

Lastly, some were worried about the moral and ethical reasons behind attending the concert. Many believed that the money would be used to pay legal fees from Astroworld, and using nostalgia from those in the punk scene to fuel this. Overall, it seems like many people’s hopes were crushed as they realized the logistics behind the concert and how it might not be the best investment of money.