Dust off your black van Sk8-Hi’s, reapply that smudged eyeliner, and re-install the ultimate side part – because emo is so back!
Between recent rumors of Panic! At the Disco reuniting (yes, with Spencer Smith), My Chemical Romance rising back from the dead, and When We Were Young turning all of Las Vegas into a 2000s fever dream, 2026 is looking like the year of the comeback tour we never thought we’d get.
What started as truly ironic nostalgia has officially become the new emo movement. I don’t know about anyone else, but my TikTok has since been flooded with new scene-core edits, and I am seeing two different generations uniting behind, subjectively, the best genre of music. Gen Z is discovering the poetry of “we’re not okay” and Millennials are dusting off their old Hot Topic merch like emotional war medals.
panic! (At the comeback?!)
If there’s a Ground Zero for the emo renaissance, it’s definitely When We Were Young. What started as a one-off nostalgia festival in 2022 has become the beating heart of the scene’s comeback. Bands thought to have been forgotten rise from the depths of 2008 to create the most insane emo lineups. Bands like The All-American Rejects, Pierce the Veil, Taking Back Sunday, Sum 41, and Green Day, to name a few, have all been featured highlights of this fest. Every year, the lineup somehow outdoes itself, and this year takes the cake, with rumors of Panic! at the Disco’s real reunion nearly breaking the internet.
Fans lost it when whispers started spreading about original drummer Spencer Smith rejoining Brendon Urie on stage, marking the first time the OG duo had performed together in nearly a decade. Then you add in the speculation about a 20th anniversary tour for A Fever You Can’t Sweat Out, and suddenly, 2026 feels less like another year and more like the spiritual rest I have been needing for so long.
I will admit I was too young when the album was released in 2005, being I was 3, but I do recall hearing my mom listening to it when I was a bit older. Which naturally transitioned into me listening to “I Write Sins Not Tragedies” repeatedly on my lime green iPod shuffle. Needless to say, this band helped me figure out what I still consider to be my taste in music, and also, I’m allowed to be a little biased with Panic! because they were the first concert I went to.
Along with the rumored tour of Panic!, My Chemical Romance officially announced that they will continue the Black Parade tour, with openers like Pierce the Veil, Franz Ferdinand, and Jimmy Eat World. I could only tell you how my friend and I reacted when we got the news together, I almost thought she was going to burst into tears of joy, with me right along with her.
After this past weekend, my For You Page (FYP) has been flooded with Panic! videos of the band performing in Vegas. However, Panic! isn’t alone in their return from the grave. My Chemical Romance, Paramore, Fall Out Boy, and Pierce the Veil have all been riding along on that comeback wave. By casually dropping new singles and going viral all over again, these bands are recapturing our hearts with the same music that broke them too. Whether it’s Hayley Williams reclaiming pop-punk for the girls with her new album Ego Death At A Bachelorette Party, or Gerard Way showing Gen Z what real stage presence looks like. The scene thrives in a way that feels both nostalgic and brand-new.
Eyeliner, vans, repeat.
So why now?
Why are we, as a collective internet generation, putting back on the lace chokers and spiraling to edgy guitar riffs?
Nostalgia is a big part of it. The bittersweet itch to revisit the music that saw us through the awkward transitioning phases of being a teenager. I also think that after the chaotic post-pandemic years, people are craving honesty again, even if it comes off as messy and dramatic. Emo has always been about feeling everything loudly, and maybe we all just missed that kind of sincerity through music.
But it’s not just a millennial thing. Gen Z is embracing the movement in our own way. I am in this funny area of being considered Gen Z, but sometimes acting like a Millennial, it’s very confusing. However, I can see that I am trying to revive my own emo style while following current trends. But just to be clear, I will fight tooth and nail to keep my middle part. I don’t know if I can keep up the maintenance of having the massive side part of the classic emo look. Instead, Y2K grunge fashion and softer eyeliner have redefined what emo can look like. This way, it’s more inclusive and more playful, while you can still proudly dress in black from head to toe.
Even mainstream pop is feeling the ripple effect of the emo renaissance. Artists like WILLOW and Meet Me @ The Altar are carrying the torch with emotionally honest lyrics and trashy but nostalgic production.
The message is pretty clear: it’s cool to care again.
Sugar, We’re going viral
If there’s one thing more powerful than an emo comeback, it’s genuinely the internet’s ability to collectively lose its mind about it.
TikTok is basically a hugee digital mosh pit right now. Edits of Brendon Urie hitting high notes, no matter the year, are hitting millions of views, and fan theories about a Fever You Can’t Sweat Out anniversary tour have entire comment sections crying, in lowercase, of course.
The nostalgia wave isn’t just about the music anymore, it’s about who we were when we first heard it. I’ve seen edits of people making side-by-side TikToks of their 2007 selves vs. now, screaming the exact same lyrics but this time with shoe cushions in their vans. There’s something deeply comforting about realizing you can outgrow the angst but still keep the love you had for the music.
so long and goodnight (until 2026)
If the past few years were about readopting our parents’ style, like platform Uggs, bedazzled everything, and flip phones, then 2026 feels like full-on reclamation of early 2000’s. The emo scene isn’t just reliving the past, it’s rewriting it. Bands are older, wiser, and way more self-aware, and so are the fans.
With Panic! possibly rising from the dead, Paramore teasing new projects, and MCR continuing their eternal encore, it’s clear that emo was never just a phase, it’s a community. What’s different now is how it’s evolving between two generations. The gatekeeping is gone, the audience is broader, and the energy is louder.
So yeah, the emos are back. But this time, we’ve got better eyeliner, real jobs (still working on that part), and a Spotify Premium account to repeat the same songs that we’re seeing live in 2026.
BRB, I have to go find my Sk8-Hi’s.