By Brooke Schultz

DOVER — Halsey, My Chemical Romance, Green Day and Dua Lipa will headline the 10th anniversary of the Firefly Music Festival, officials announced Tuesday.

Technically in its 11th year — the pandemic canceled the festival in 2020 — Firefly is slated for Dover’s Woodlands Sept. 22-25.

The event will kick off with Halsey headlining Sept. 22, followed by MCR on Friday and Green Day on Saturday. Dua Lipa will close out the festival Sunday.

“We’re always looking for something special for the show,” said Sean O’Connell, Firefly’s vice president of programming. “I think the anniversary means a lot because we’ve had a lot of fans who have stayed with us … And the whole (festival runner) team has been there since day one. The show has evolved; we’re pretty excited how it’s evolved.”

Booking MCR has been a long time coming for the festival, said Mr. O’Connell.

“That’s a conversation that has been going on for years and we’re excited to finally release it to the public,” he said.

While some of the artists at the top of the lineup have been on the scene for decades such as Avril Lavigne and Weezer, Mr. O’Connell noted that the acts are still “very much in the moment.”

“The show, I think, is always programmed to be very, very much in the moment. Something about those bands (MCR, Green Day, All Time Low), feels very perfect right now,” he said.

Mr. O’Connell said he was proud that almost 50% of the lineup was women, especially since a “bulk of the folks who work on this show year round are women.” He highlighted headliners Halsey and Dua Lipa.

Halsey was originally slated on the 2020 Firefly ticket and, despite that year’s cancellation, the artist is no stranger to Firefly.

“We all remember Halsey playing this show before. So having her play the main stage is awesome,” he said. “So excited.”

He pointed to alternative rock indie band Rainbow Kitten Surprise, DJ Porter Robinson, and Japanese band Chai, which he just saw live, as additional bright spots.

“I’m, kind of like a lot of folks, curious to see some folks who have really risen during the last few months,” he said, noting the artist GAYLE, who rose to fame with her TikTok hit “ABCDEFU.”

“This will be one of her first festival performances,” he said.

Mr. O’Connell said the 2021 festival was “seminal” for the showrunners, particularly with the layout of the festival grounds. This year will look similar to last year’s setup, he said, with the same number of stages. Last year, organizers moved a stage that was in the Long Field and placed it adjacent to the mainstage field, he said.

“So fans got to see the same amount of bands, the same amount of music — just a little bit less walking,” he said. “We added a really special camping area called The Meadows that’s in that old part of the festival. So we’ve got, I think, a permanent festival design that’s the best I think we’ve had in years.”

Beyond the music, Mr. O’Connell said they have a few surprises in store, but fans will have to wait to hear those.

“I can tell you we are very proud of what we accomplished with our Pride Parade (last year) and the big part of our programming,” he said.

Limited quantities of tickets are available per price tier. Attendees can sign up online to register ahead of the presale, which begins Friday at 10 a.m.

Pass prices start at:

• Weekend GA: $299

• Weekend VIP: $739

• Weekend SUPER VIP: $2,699

Sounding off in the comments on the festival’s Facebook post announcing the lineup, reviews were mixed. Some called it “underwhelming” for an anniversary year, while others dubbed it “impressive” or “amazing.”

Mr. O’Connell said organizers saw “tens of thousands” preregistrations following the lineup announcement Tuesday.

He anticipated the festival would hit at least 50,000 concertgoers, which was the estimated attendance last year.

Last year’s event boasted headliners Billie Eilish, Lizzo, The Killers, Tame Impala, Megan Thee Stallion, Cage the Elephant and Machine Gun Kelly.

“I’m feeling really strong about the lineup (this year),” Mr. O’Connell said.

Other artists in the 2022 lineup, listed alphabetically, are: 100 gecs, Alexander 23, All Time Low, Anna of the North, AmyElle, Ashnikko, Avril Lavigne, Bakar, Bankrol Hayden, Benny The Butcher, Big Sean, Bleachers, Casmalia, Chai, Charli XCX, Chloe Moriondo, Cloonee, Cochise, Cold War Kids, Conan Gray, Cordae, Daisy the Great, Dayglow, Dorian Electra, Elderbrook, Emmy Meli, Ezra Furman, flor, ford., GAYLE, Girl Talk, Gryffin, Gunna, Gus Dapperton, Indigo De Souza, Jamie xx, John Summit, Jordana, Jungle, Little Simz, Loud Luxury, Lucii, Mallrat, Manchester Orchestra, Mannequin Pussy, Matt Maeson, Mod Sun, Neil Frances, Phantoms, Porter Robinson, Princess Nokia, Rainbow Kitten Surprise, Renforshort, Sadie Jean, SAINt JHN, San Holo, SEB, Ship Wrek, spill tab, Sueco, The Backseat Lovers, The Brook & The Bluff, The Head And The Heart, The Kid LAROI, The Regrettes, Tsu Nami, VNSSA, Wax Motif, Weezer, Wenzday, Weston Estate, Whipped Cream, Willow, Wolf Alice, Yung Bae, YUNGBLUD and Zedd.