Warped Tour at 35,000 Feet: Simple Plan, Hoobastank and The Used Play an In-Flight Set

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Vans Warped Tour Orlando 2026 lineup artwork for November 14 and 15 at Camping World Stadium

On Friday, November 13, the FAA halted departures nationwide after an air traffic control communications failure. The agency lifted the ground stop at 8:19 p.m. ET. By the time passengers on the Los Angeles to Orlando charter heard about it, they were already at about 35,000 feet, according to LØLØ, who was on the flight. Back on the ground, bands and fans were trying to figure out how they’d make it to Camping World Stadium Campus for the last U.S. Warped stop of the year in Orlando Florida

As the FAA panicked, band’s eased passengers by playing some music on their downed flights. Hoobastank’s Doug Robb took “The Reason” down the center aisle, and the band played “Crawling in the Dark,” too. Simple Plan’s Pierre Bouvier went acoustic for “Perfect” and “I’m Just a Kid.” The Used played “The Taste of Ink,” and LØLØ sang “hot girls in hell.” Somewhere in that cabin, an elder emo with an aisle seat got the best upgrade of their life.

LØLØ’s clip shows how they got the sound to the back of the plane. Someone held the cabin announcement handset up to a speaker so everybody could hear. There are basement shows with a worse PA. And yes, passenger footage also caught Bouvier playing the What’s New, Scooby-Doo? theme. Imagine trying to explain that flight to whoever picks you up at baggage claim.

In a Saturday morning Instagram update reported by Entertainment Weekly, Warped Tour founder Kevin Lyman said a few bands would have to cancel. Others were rebooking flights or piling into vans, with some driving from as far away as Chicago and Houston. He said some Saturday acts would move to Sunday and that the festival had made room for longer sets. “Bear with us. We’re all working hard,” he said.

I’ve covered Warped in D.C., and this is the stuff that makes me love the Warped Tour and punk rock, even when the world wants to shut down, defiant punks say “no.” If you’re in Orlando, check the updated set times before you hike across the grounds, your screenshots have probably had a hell of a morning, too.

WATCH | WARPED TOUR AT 35,000 FEET