The Maine @ The Sound Credit: Photo by Jack Cymbryla

It’s not a phase, mom. It’s been a Sad Summer for half a decade now.

For the fifth time Sad Summer Fest is on the road with plans to take the stage in Tampa Bay.

Festival founders Mayday Parade and The Maine are headlining, plus support from Knuckle Puck, Real Friends, We The Kings and others.

Tickets for the Sad Summer Festival happening Saturday, July 27 at Clearwater’s BayCare Sound are on sale now for $54.50.

Sad Summer Fest began in the wake of Vans Warped Tour’s termination, and members of the emo scene wanted to fill the void Warped left behind. So Sad Summer Fest was the phoenix that rose from the ashes. Last summer brought bands like Taking Back Sunday, L.S. Dunes, Pvris and more to the same venue.

This time, though, organizers prioritize a more intimate sort of festival, featuring only one stage for the whole lineup so fans don’t have to choose between sets and so smaller acts have a chance to really shine.

Mayday Parade guitarist Alex Garcia sums up the sentiment best.

“For most of my adult life, I’ve associated the summer with music festivals; their open-air venues, the mix of tour bus exhaust and heat radiating off asphalt, and, of course, hearing my favorite music at twilight, lit by the flicker of fireflies – Sad Summer epitomizes this experience. It also serves as a unifying force in our music scene, a place for every emo kid to gather around, connect with fellow fans, and truly be themselves,” he said in a press release.

The festival’s collaboration with voter registration and environmental nonprofits HeadCount and Reverb continues, plus a new partnership with Calling All Crows in support of social activism.