Concert Review: Sublimefest at Zion Banks Stadium in Salt Lake City, Utah

July 18th, 2026, Sublimefest took over Zion Banks Stadium in Salt Lake City, Utah let's talk about it. So, this was actually the first concert held at Zion Banks Stadium which normally is home to Major League Soccer's Real Monarchs, but the stadium transitioned nicely to a music festival grounds. Just like the Portland Stop on the tour getting in and out was an absolute breeze and having plenty of onsite parking made this a super convenient stop. 

Upon entering the grounds, it was obvious some things were very different: no beer tasting, no tattoos, but also no absolute downpour of rain. Weather was hot but tolerable.

I really believe weather played a small part in how the day's events unfolded. The crowds to start the day were not as big as I expected but I feel like many of the fans were pacing themselves for the later acts and chose to avoid some of the sun and heat skipping over the first few acts. To the people who skipped you really missed out.

Once again, the Svnbvrnt stage was a real MVP. Set up slightly differently than the Portland stage. In Portland this second stage gave off the vibes of a small club show. Everything was up close, no separation between the bands and the fans. For this SLC stop it felt a lot more punk rock. For those old enough to remember the old days of Warped Tour where a few small bands would always show up in the parking lot and scrap together a small stage. This was the vibe in SLC. Not really a stage just a small riser on the back side of the sound booth I was slightly disappointed that they had a guardrail set up around this area but it makes sense being that it was so close to the sound booth and someone will always ruin the fun by rushing the stage and unplugging something important. So, while the distance between bands and fans was disappointing it was something that needed to happen.

The first band to take the stage was Untitled proving that the Portland stop was no fluke these guys really tore it up and set a tone for the days. While many of the bands who played the Svnbvrnt stage leaned heavy into either a punk or reggae blend of sounds Untitled stood out as a band who seems more influenced in the grunge era of music.

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Nice and Swell was up next. From Huntington Beach, CA Nice and Swell have a more reggae influenced sound really giving those beachy laid-back groovy vibes. Honestly every band that came on the Svnbvrnt stage I plan to continue to follow. Everyone was young and energetic and had just so much potential. The future of representing this punk, reggae, alternative style of music is alive and well.

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Next up is our opener for the mainstage. The Codefendants. This band totally won me over at the Portland Sublimefest and they proved at the Salt Lake City stop that Portland was no fluke. I truly think given the state of the country I fully believe that Codefendants need to be on every punk's playlist. 

The lyrics from their song really reflect the world we live in.

Pressure builds when you run out of space

The choices you make become mistakes you made

So run fast as long as you can

Sometimes we need to take some power back

This system is an economic trap

Sometimes we gotta trap

So we don't slip through the cracks

Our morals are not like theirs

Our rules are not like theirs

Our laws are not like theirs

But we still care

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During 8thball and Long Beach Dub AllStars I took some time to escape the heat, check out the food selection and just check out the view. For their first time holding a concert I have to say that Zion Banks Stadium really transitioned well into a music venue. Being an actual stadium rather than converting a park into a music venue had some big advantages. Stadium seats were nice and the SLC crowd was very aware of what side was getting hit by direct sunlight as one side of the stadium was always packed but it rotated to the other side as the day went on.

Strange Case was next up on the Svnbvrnt. This was the site of some of my favorite moments of the day.  Seeing Jakob sitting crisscross applesauce just waiting for the set to start like an excited little kid, the fans screaming to get his attention and he is just rocking out like a total fan. A younger fan walked up to the rail to get Jakobs attention to get the band's name and Jakob was so excited to share Strange Case with all the fans. This really highlighted some of the best parts of this festival, the line up was built on family and friendship. It felt like getting invited to a California family reunion. Strange Case absolutely tore it up if Sublimefest does a 2027 run I expect Strange Case to either move to the mainstage or be the headlining act of a side stage. Probably the biggest breakout band of the festival.

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The Ataris were next up on the mainstage. It felt strange that all my years going to Warped Tour and just punk shows in general that somehow this was my first time seeing the Ataris live.  They were a good addition to the lineup, and I was excited to hear they actually have a new album they are planning to release this year. However, I will be honest I would have not been the least bit disappointed if they had moved the Ataris to the second stage and promoted Jakobs Castle or Strange Case to the main stage. This is not a slight at the Ataris but more just an example of how good Strange Case and Jakobs Castle were.

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Jakobs Castle hit the Svnbvrnt stage to shut it down and man it was at this time I really felt the crowd energy change. Most of the day the festival was really like a relaxing day in the park. Many people just sunbathing on blankets laying out listening to the music. But when Jakobs Castle hit the stage, it really started to feel like a full-blown music festival. The smaller early day crowds had been swallowed up by the full-on festival crowd. Many of the bands who played earlier on the Svnbvrnt stage had made their way back to support their friends. Warped Tour used to be referred to as punk rock summer school. The Svnbvrnt stage had that type of energy.  Just a bunch of younger friends having the time of their lives.

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If Jakobs Castle was the turn of the day Pennywise set the tone and kicked it up to a whole new level. I have lost track of the number of times I have seen Pennywise for a while. It felt like I was seeing them no less than every other year. Somehow a band who is nearing 40 years playing together just seems to get better with age. The energy and attitude brought to the stage took my back 20 years to old school warped tour days. I had to fight the urge to jump in the mosh pit reminding myself that cameras just don't mosh well.  Rolling through a catalog of hits, samples, and covers. The highlight without a doubt was Bro Hymn. When at least 50 people joined the band on stage to sing along and stage dive and just bring the full-on punk rock experience to SLC.

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The next part of the night was one of the few criticisms I have for Sublimefest in Salt Lake City. With the Svnbvrnt stage already being done for the day this meant that between main stage bands we were now met with downtime between sets like a more traditional concert. On one hand, this gives you a break to grab a bite or a drink, use the restroom, visit merch, or just lay down and get a little break. However, if they could have just rolled the energy that Pennywise created directly into the next act would have been top Notch. Maybe even just a Dj set up on the Svnbvrnt stage to keep the live music feel going I think would have helped a lot. 

After this short break Slightly Stoopid took the stage. I have personally always enjoyed Slightly Stoopid but for some reason I have never seen them live. Man, I was sleeping on this live act. The second they hit the stage the crowd went nuts. Absolute amazing vibes, everyone dancing and having a great time. An amazingly fun set that included guest appearances by Chali 2na and Don Carlos. I have slept on Slightly Stoopid as a live act for far too long. This may have been my first time seeing them, but it will not be the last.

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And now it is time for the Main event. Sublime hit the stage blasting through a 20-song setlist Hit after Hit.  All set long Jakob paid homage to his father Bradley and I can say Bradley and Lou Dog were looking down proud of what Jakob and Sublime had accomplished with this year's Sublimefest the new album. The hits were the hits that did not disappoint but what I was very curious about was how the new album was going to play live. They played 3 tracks off the new album and I can say they fit in seamlessly into the set. The song Until the Sun Explodes specifically already feels like a core piece of the Sublime history. Like if a new greatest hits album came out today I feel like it would 100% have to be added to the list.  One of the wiser moves I think Jakob and the band made when Jakob took over as lead singer is the fact he brought in an additional guitar player, not that he can't play and sing but by sitting the guitar down it allowed him to really embrace being a frontman moving around on stage and interacting with the crowd.

Closing the night out with Santeria was really a perfect end to the night.

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As I sat in my car reflecting on the day. I was asking myself some questions. First should Zion Banks Stadium hold more concerts in the future. Absolutely yes. It's sad that the way the stadium is set up you couldn't flip the stage to the other end of the field and look at the amazing Utah backdrop but still the stadium is large enough to comfortably house a festival the size of Sublimefest. Having onsite parking was amazing, real bathrooms, seats and then if you decided you wanted to sit out on the field the fact it is perfectly flat, its artificial turf meaning no bugs in the grass or the itchy feeling you get when you are all sweaty sitting in natural grass. Second question is Sublime worth seeing in 2026 and beyond. Absolute yes as long as Jakob, Bud and Eric are doing this thing together 100% yes buy your tickets and enjoy your show.

Last question is should Sublimefest come back for 2027. Yes, but I would like to see a few alterations. The first thing is for me personally I really enjoyed the SLC lineup much more than the Portland lineup. I love the more punk rock style line up, it might be a personal taste and if we are going to have hip hop acts let's stick to things closer related to the Sublime scene (like Cypress Hill) the other thing that I would have loved to have seen was some female representation. I find it a little disappointing that over all 3 stops not a single female took the stage. As a whole though Sublimefest was a hit in my eyes. Across both Portland and SLC the Svnbvrnt stage was a real stand out and a great way to get introduced to some newer bands and really get up and close. I liked that SLC did not overlap sets so that if you were willing to fight the heat it was very possible to see every band that played. I feel like the Portland stage set up was more photogenic but overall, I was very impressed with Zion Bank Stadium as a music venue