Green Day is an American punk rock band formed in 1986. Originally a trio consisting of Billie Joe Armstrong, Mike Dirnt, and John Kiffmeyer, the band has gone through several lineup changes over the years. Green Day is known for songs like “Basket Case”, “When I Come Around” and “Boulevard of Broken Dreams”. The band has toured extensively since their early days playing small clubs and venues. Over their decades-long career, Green Day has toured with a diverse range of bands and artists across many tours and festivals. Let’s take a closer look at some of the major acts Green Day has toured with over the years.
1994 Dookie Tour
In 1994, Green Day embarked on a worldwide tour in support of their third studio album Dookie, which contained several of their most popular songs such as “Longview” and “Welcome to Paradise”. During the Dookie Tour, Green Day toured with fellow California punk bands The Offspring and Bad Religion. This tour helped grow each band’s fanbase and exposed them to larger audiences. The Offspring were supporting their 1994 album Smash, which also went on to be highly successful. Bad Religion, veterans of the punk scene since the early ’80s, opened for Green Day and gained new fans. The three bands toured across North America and Europe, playing sold-out shows and proving that punk rock still had a strong following in the mainstream. Green Day and The Offspring did joint performances of songs like “Self Esteem” during this tour.
1996-1997 Insomniac Tour
Following the breakthrough success of Dookie, Green Day returned to the road in October 1996 to promote their fourth album Insomniac. This tour saw them bring along punk bands like The Riverdales, The Bouncing Souls and Deftones as supporting acts. The Riverdales featured members of The Ramones and other punk groups. Deftones, who were still an up-and-coming band, gained exposure to larger audiences by opening for Green Day. During this tour, Green Day headlined major festivals in Europe like Reading Festival and Pukkelpop. Insomniac had a darker and more aggressive tone than Dookie, and the punk energy translated well to the live shows. The tour wrapped up in summer of 1997 after over 100 dates.
1998-1999 Nimrod Tour
Green Day kicked off their Nimrod tour in October 1998, this time bringing along alternative rock bands like Jimmy Eat World, Less Than Jake and MR. T Experience as openers. Nimrod showed Green Day branching out to more experimental sounds, and the diversity of supporting acts reflected this. Jimmy Eat World were just starting to break through with songs like “The Middle” catching on. Ska-punk band Less Than Jake and punk group MR. T Experience exposed fans to more varieties of the punk genre. Major concert venues and summer festivals were part of this tour’s itinerary. During a European leg, Green Day made appearances at the Roskilde Festival in Denmark and the Mutua Madrid Open tennis tournament. In August 1999, Green Day brought along AFI as openers for a tour of the Western United States, helping gain exposure for the upstart punk band.
2000-2001 Warning Tour
Green Day started the new millennium with the release of Warning in 2000 and brought along New Found Glory, saves the day and OK Go for an expansive tour. Warning marked a more pop-oriented direction, and the hand-picked openers shown Green Day’s knack for finding talented up-and-coming bands. New Found Glory rode the momentum of their album Nothing Gold Can Stay and their cover of “King of Wishful Thinking”. Indie rock band saves the day opened shows with their signature emotional, melodic punk sound. Quirky power pop group OK Go also joined the tour at select dates before getting their big break later. During this tour, Green Day gave a landmark performance at the Milton Keynes Bowl in England, playing in pouring rain to tens of thousands, many who had waited all day in the downpour. Material from Warning mixed with earlier hits and audience favorites made for an unforgettable show.
2004 American Idiot Tour
After a hiatus, Green Day returned re-energized with their politically charged punk rock opera American Idiot in 2004. They launched a massive world tour, bringing along supporting acts My Chemical Romance and Jimmy Eat World for American legs. The young stars of My Chemical Romance were riding high on their sophomore album Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge. Their emo-meets-punk appeal made them fitting openers for the American Idiot tour, exposing them to bigger mainstream crowds. Jimmy Eat World joined as openers for a number of shows too, returning years after their stint on the Nimrod tour. For European dates, Green Day were supported by Franz Ferdinand, Hot Hot Heat and The Hives. The tour was a massive success, introducing Green Day’s passionate political message to new fans and re-establishing them as punk rock heavyweights.
Additional Notable Tours
In addition to their album-specific tours, Green Day have performed at various festivals and one-off shows with other big name artists:
- In 2005, Green Day toured with blink-182 and No Doubt as part of the Pop Disaster Tour.
- They co-headlined Australian festival Big Day Out in 2009 along with My Chemical Romance.
- Green Day joined bands like Rancid, The Offspring, AFI and more at various Warped Tour dates over the years.
- In 2010, they headlined the Rock en Seine festival in France, supported by acts like NOFX and Dropkick Murphys.
- On a rare arena show with The White Stripes in Detroit in 2005, Green Day ripped through a high-energy set of hits.
Green Day have also allowed various smaller punk bands to open for them at live shows as they look to highlight up-and-coming talent. Their reputation as punk veterans has led many newer bands list them as musical inspirations.
21st Century Breakdown World Tour 2009-2010
Green Day followed up the enormous American Idiot album with 21st Century Breakdown in 2009, accompanied by another world tour. This time they brought along bands like Franz Ferdinand, Kaiser Chiefs, Prima Donna and more as supporting acts during various legs. The diversity of openers reflected Green Day’s evolution as a band and their punk rock influence on many genres. Upstart punk group Prima Donna joined them for dates in North America, while British indie sensations Franz Ferdinand returned as openers during the UK leg. Kaiser Chiefs brought along their mix of post-punk, indie pop and new wave to huge crowds. On the South American leg, Green Day were supported by acts like Venus and Airbag. Touring behind the ambitious 21st Century Breakdown, the band put on an impressive show of new material and greatest hits at massive venues globally.
2013 99 Revolutions World Tour
Green Day embarked on the 99 Revolutions Tour to support a trilogy of new albums released between 2012-2013 – Uno! Dos! and Tre! This massive world tour saw them perform over 150 shows across Europe, North America, Australia and more. A variety of punk and alternative rock bands joined them along the way, including Best Coast, Emily’s Army, The Frightlight, The Interrupters and many others. Young punk acts like Emily’s Army gained exposure opening for the veterans. California surf pop band Best Coast brought a different flavour to the shows with their fuzzy sonic vibes. This tour marked the live debut of many songs from the Uno-Dos-Tre trilogy, as Green Day showcased their continued creative output and high-energy performance decades into their career.
Revolution Radio Tour 2016-2017
In 2016, Green Day came together for their 12th studio album Revolution Radio and launched a world tour in support. Pop punk band SWMRS (formerly Emily’s Army) opened for them on North American dates, returning years after their stint as openers on the 99 Revolutions Tour. In Europe, Green Day were supported by bands like The Interrupters, The Living End, Rage Against The Machine, The Hunna and more. Australian punks The Living End joined them down under. These supporting acts reflected the continued influence of Green Day across punk rock, highlighting their legacy as one of the genre’s great live acts.
The Hella Mega Tour 2020-2022
Set to be one of their biggest tours ever, Green Day announced the Hella Mega Tour in 2019 alongside Fall Out Boy and Weezer. The extensive worldwide tour was planned to kick off in 2020. However, it faced extensive delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2022, the tour finally got underway in Europe, seeing the trio of pop punk heavyweights share a stage. The Interrupters returned as openers during the Europe leg. As the tour continues in North America in August 2022, Green Day will be supported by Fall Out Boy, Weezer and The Interrupters at stadium shows. This massive tour brings together generations of punk, alternative and pop rock fans.
Conclusion
Over four decades, Green Day have toured with a hugely varied range of bands and artists. From veteran punks like Bad Religion to pop upstarts like OK Go, their openers have spanned genres and eras. Green Day have also given a platform to budding bands, helping launch careers of groups like My Chemical Romance. Their energetic live shows have made them perennial live draws, capable of amazing massive audiences. For plenty of bands, touring with Green Day has been a career-defining opportunity. Green Day’s reputation as one of punk rock’s premier live acts has led to countless memorable joint concerts and festival appearances. As their 2022 mega-tour with Fall Out Boy and Weezer shows, Green Day’s appeal as a phenomenal live band has not diminished.