The festival's origins trace back to a December 1989 concert that was called the KROQ Xmas Bash.[1] By the mid-1990s, the festival had become bigger and attracted increasingly popular alternative rock bands and singers. The Almost Acoustic Christmas takes place over a weekend in mid-December, and has in recent years been broadcast for free on KROQ-FM's website.[5] The festival started off as a one-day event, and every year between 1992 and 2019 (with the exception of 1999, which was a one-day event), it was held as a two-day festival. Since its return in 2022 after a three-year hiatus, the Almost Acoustic Christmas has been held as a one-day event.
KROQ Almost Acoustic Christmas concerts benefit Para Los Ninos and the Al Wooten Jr Heritage Center, plus other local charities.
KROQ Almost Acoustic Christmas returned to the Kia Forum on December 10, 2022.
Bands listed in alphabetical order (or, if known, in reverse order of night's performance).
| Date | Lineup |
|---|
| December 1, 1990 | |
| December 21, 1991 | Ian McCulloch, Alison Moyet, School of Fish, Siouxsie and the Banshees, the Smithereens, This Picture, the Wonder Stuff |
| December 12–13, 1992 | Adam Ant, David Byrne, Cause and Effect, the Cult, dada, Duran Duran, EMF, the Farm, Michael Penn, the Rembrandts, Seal, Soul Asylum, the Soup Dragons, Toad the Wet Sprocket, Suzanne Vega, the Violent Femmes |
| December 11–12, 1993 | Night 1 (Saturday): Bad Religion, Belly, Tony Bennett, Cowboy Junkies, the Cranberries, 4 Non Blondes, General Public, Nick Heyward, Billy Idol, the Lemonheads, They Might Be Giants, the Wonder Stuff Night 2 (Sunday): Belly, Blind Melon, Cracker, the Cranberries, Porno for Pyros, Primus, Rage Against the Machine, Henry Rollins, the Smashing Pumpkins, US3, the Violent Femmes,
|
| December 10–11, 1994 | Night 1 (Saturday): Stone Temple Pilots, Hole, Liz Phair, Mazzy Star, Live, Meat Puppets, Veruca Salt, Bad Religion, Luscious Jackson, Sunny Day Real Estate, the Jesus and Mary Chain, Brian Setzer Orchestra Night 2 (Sunday): Simple Minds, the Black Crowes, Sheryl Crow, Candlebox, the Cranberries, Live, Seal, Weezer, Love Spit Love, Dinosaur Jr.
|
| December 17–18, 1995 | Night 1 (Sunday): Bush, Alanis Morissette, Lenny Kravitz, Joan Osborne, Oasis, Sonic Youth, the Presidents of the United States of America, Porno for Pyros, Foo Fighters, Toadies, No Doubt Night 2 (Monday): Bush, Alanis Morissette, Lenny Kravitz, Joan Osborne, Silverchair, Radiohead, Goo Goo Dolls, Garbage, Wesley Willis, Tripping Daisy, the Rentals
|
| December 13–14, 1996 | Night 1 (Saturday): Natalie Merchant, Sarah McLachlan, Tori Amos, Sheryl Crow, Garbage, Jewel, the Cardigans, Fiona Apple, Poe, Tracy Bonham Night 2 (Sunday): Bush, 311, the Presidents of the United States of America, Beck, Orbital, Cake, Eels, Republica, the Wallflowers
|
| December 5–6, 1997 | Night 1 (Saturday): Jane's Addiction, No Doubt, Scott Weiland, Sarah McLachlan, Beck, Matchbox Twenty, Rancid, Fiona Apple, Smash Mouth, Blink-182, Sneaker Pimps, Chumbawamba Night 2 (Sunday): David Bowie, Green Day, 311, Live, Sugar Ray, Third Eye Blind, Portishead, Save Ferris, Everclear, the Aquabats
|
| December 11–12, 1998 | Night 1 (Friday): Korn, the Offspring, Hole, Blink-182, Barenaked Ladies, Reel Big Fish, Sugar Ray, the Cardigans Night 2 (Saturday): Depeche Mode, Billy Corgan, Garbage, Brian Setzer Orchestra, Goo Goo Dolls, Cake, Everlast, Semisonic, Soul Coughing
|
| December 11, 1999 | One Night (Saturday): Bush, Blink-182, Rob Zombie, Beck, Tori Amos, Foo Fighters, 311, Oasis, Fiona Apple, Save Ferris, Powerman 5000 |
| December 16–17, 2000 | Night 1 (Saturday): Papa Roach, No Doubt, Deftones, Weezer, Moby, Incubus (w/ orchestra), Fuel, 3 Doors Down, Coldplay, At the Drive-In Night 2 (Sunday): Green Day, Papa Roach, No Doubt, Deftones, Weezer, Moby, Incubus (w/ orchestra), Everclear, Disturbed, Linkin Park |
| December 8–9, 2001 | Night 1 (Saturday):Linkin Park, Blink-182, Staind, System of a Down, Bad Religion, P.O.D., Sum 41, Puddle of Mudd, Alien Ant FarmNight 2 (Sunday):Linkin Park, Staind (acoustic), Bush, Foo Fighters, 311, No Doubt, Coldplay, Nickelback, Pete Yorn, Remy Zero, Travis (canceled) |
| December 7–8, 2002 | Night 1 (Saturday): P.O.D., Disturbed, Audioslave, Queens of the Stone Age, Sum 41, the Used, Zwan, New Found Glory, Trust Company, TaprootNight 2 (Sunday): Creed, Coldplay, Beck (w/ the Flaming Lips), Jack Johnson, Dashboard Confessional, Good Charlotte, Jimmy Fallon, the Vines, Jurassic 5 |
| December 13–14, 2003 | Night 1 (Saturday): Linkin Park (headliner), the Offspring, P.O.D., AFI, Pennywise, Puddle of Mudd, Chevelle, Thrice, the DistillersNight 2 (Sunday): Korn (headliner), Blink-182, Jane's Addiction, 311, Staind, Rancid, Brand New, Jet, Trapt |
| December 11–12, 2004 | Night 1 (Saturday): Jimmy Eat World, Interpol, the Killers, Franz Ferdinand, Gwen Stefani (special guest), Modest Mouse, Muse, Taking Back Sunday, the Shins, Keane, Snow Patrol, the Music Night 2 (Sunday): Green Day (headliner), Velvet Revolver, Incubus, Social Distortion, Papa Roach, Sum 41, Good Charlotte, the Used, Chevelle, My Chemical Romance, Hoobastank (canceled)
|
| December 10–11, 2005 | Night 1 (Saturday): System of a Down (headliner), Nine Inch Nails, Korn, Fall Out Boy, Avenged Sevenfold, Thrice, Rise AgainstNight 2 (Sunday): Depeche Mode (headliner), Coldplay, the White Stripes, Jack Johnson, the Bravery, Death Cab for Cutie, Hot Hot Heat, Nada Surf |
| December 9–10, 2006 | Night 1 (Saturday): Foo Fighters (headliner), AFI, Incubus, My Chemical Romance, Fall Out Boy, Thirty Seconds to Mars, Papa Roach, +44, Wolfmother, Saosin Night 2 (Sunday): Foo Fighters (headliner), the Killers, Beck, the Raconteurs, Evanescence, Panic! at the Disco, Angels & Airwaves, Gnarls Barkley, Snow Patrol, She Wants Revenge |
| December 8–9, 2007 | |
| December 13–14, 2008 | |
| December 12–13, 2009 | |
| December 11–12, 2010 | Night 1 (Saturday): The Smashing Pumpkins (headliner), Social Distortion, My Chemical Romance, Jimmy Eat World, Bad Religion, Cake, the Dirty Heads, Anberlin, Switchfoot, A Day to Remember Night 2 (Sunday): Phoenix (headliner), Vampire Weekend, Brandon Flowers, the Black Keys, Florence and the Machine, Neon Trees, the Temper Trap, Broken Bells, Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros
|
| December 10–11, 2011 | Night 1 (Saturday): Blink-182 (headliner), 311, Social Distortion, Sublime with Rome, Bush, Chevelle, Young the Giant, New Found Glory (Cancelled: Incubus)Night 2 (Sunday): Jane's Addiction (headliner), the Black Keys, Mumford & Sons, Death Cab for Cutie, Florence and the Machine, Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds, Cage the Elephant, Foster the People, the Naked and Famous, Grouplove |
| December 8–9, 2012 | Night 1 (Saturday): Linkin Park (headliner), Rise Against, Bush, Garbage, Slightly Stoopid, Awolnation, the Lumineers, Walk the Moon, the Gaslight Anthem, Two Door Cinema Club, Youngblood HawkeNight 2 (Sunday): The Killers (headliner), Jack White, No Doubt (surprise appearance), fun., M83, Neon Trees, Passion Pit, Grouplove, Of Monsters and Men, Alex Clare, Imagine Dragons |
| December 7–8, 2013 | Night 1 (Saturday): Kings of Leon (headliner), Vampire Weekend, Queens of the Stone Age, AFI, Arctic Monkeys, Cage the Elephant, Grouplove, Foals, New PoliticsNight 2 (Sunday): Arcade Fire (headliner), Phoenix, Lorde, The Neighbourhood, Capital Cities, Fitz and the Tantrums, Portugal. The Man with special guest Curt Smith of Tears for Fears, Bastille, Atlas Genius |
| December 13–14, 2014 | Night 1 (Saturday): System of a Down (headliner), Linkin Park, Incubus, Fall Out Boy, Bush, Rise Against, Walk the Moon, New Politics, Royal BloodNight 2 (Sunday): No Doubt (headliner), The Smashing Pumpkins, Weezer, Tears for Fears, Imagine Dragons, Modest Mouse, Interpol, Alt-J, Vance Joy (Canceled: U2) |
| December 12–13, 2015 | Night 1 (Saturday): Disclosure (DJ set), Weezer, Twenty One Pilots, Cage the Elephant, Bastille, Silversun Pickups, Awolnation, X Ambassadors, Foals, Halsey, The StrutsNight 2 (Sunday): Fall Out Boy (headliner), Of Monsters and Men, Chris Cornell, Cold War Kids, Panic! at the Disco, The Neighbourhood, The 1975, George Ezra, Elle King, James Bay, Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness |
| December 10–11, 2016 | Night 1 (Saturday): blink-182 (headliner), Kings of Leon, Jimmy Eat World, AFI, M83, X Ambassadors, The StrumbellasNight 2 (Sunday): Green Day (headliner), Beck, Weezer, Bastille, Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness, Phantogram, Bishop Briggs, The Head and the Heart |
| December 9–10, 2017 | Night 1 (Saturday): Muse (headliner), Thirty Seconds to Mars, Queens of the Stone Age, Rise Against, Prophets of Rage, Run The Jewels, Cold War Kids, Judah and the Lion, Royal BloodNight 2 (Sunday): The Killers (headliner), Weezer, The Lumineers, Foster the People, Phoenix, Walk the Moon, Franz Ferdinand, X Ambassadors, Vance Joy (Cancelled: Morrissey) |
| December 8–9, 2018 | Night 1 (Saturday): The Smashing Pumpkins, Thirty Seconds to Mars, Third Eye Blind, Greta Van Fleet, Bad Religion, The Interrupters, AFI, AJR, BadflowerNight 2 (Sunday): Florence + The Machine, Death Cab for Cutie, Bastille, Mike Shinoda, Billie Eilish, Young the Giant, Chvrches, Mike Posner, Lovelytheband |
| December 7–9, 2019 | Night 1 (Saturday): Cage the Elephant, Beck, Jimmy Eat World, Young the Giant, Angels & Airwaves, Cold War Kids, The Head and the Heart, Catfish and the BottlemenNight 2 (Sunday): Twenty One Pilots, Mumford & Sons, The 1975, The Raconteurs, Of Monsters and Men, The Interrupters, Lovelytheband, Matt Maeson |
| December 10, 2022 | One Night (Saturday): Imagine Dragons, The Black Keys, Social Distortion (replaced Yeah Yeah Yeahs), Death Cab For Cutie, Jimmy Eat World, Yungblud, Måneskin, The Interrupters, Wet Leg |
| December 9, 2023 | One Night (Saturday): The Offspring, 311, Garbage, Portugal. The Man, Bleachers, Cannons, Lovejoy, Bakar, The Beaches (Red Hot Chili Peppers were slated to headline; however, on December 5, 2023, it was announced that one of the band members (John Frusciante) was injured and unable to perform for six weeks, and the Red Hot Chili Peppers were replaced by 311. The Red Hot Chili Peppers played a makeup show on March 2, 2024 at the Kia Forum dubbed ‘KROQ’s March Two Re-Do’ with openers Alexsucks and Irontom.)[6] [7] | |
