Festivals

When Topps partnered with Riot Fest in September 2016 for an on-site release in Chicago, the collaboration came as a surprise to many collectors. Topps had previously tested musical waters with an online exclusive focused on bands touring during the summer, but building a complete series around a single concert event had never been attempted. The project came together almost overnight, approved by Topps barely a week before the festival opened its gates for the September 16 through 18 weekend. Organizers quickly reached out to participating musicians to see who wanted their own sticker, pulling together Riot Fest Series One in a matter of hours.

Fans had to purchase them at the Chicago show for twenty dollars, with no option to place an order online. Buyers simply received the complete eight-card set.

The checklist ran from card 1 through card 8. Musical parodies drove the lineup, opening on card 1 with NOFX, parodied as Fat Mike, alongside a sticker for The Lawrence.

The festival format returned the following September, when Riot Fest offered an expanded ten-card Series Two for the same twenty-dollar price without packaging. That 2017 checklist lampooned further acts, featuring Riot Beast for Riot Fest, New Found Gory for New Found Glory, Agnes T. Me! for Against Me!, Tim Strong Arm for Tim Armstrong, Mighty Migh-Ty for The Mighty Mighty Bosstones, and Rise Aghast for Rise Against. Topps later revisited festival culture through its online store with the Lord of the Flyes set, a six-card parody of the failed Bahamas Fyre Festival featuring artwork by Camera, Simko, Engstrom, and Gross sold during a three-day window.