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Music Festivals in Chicago
Music Festival / Concert
May 23-26, 2013 Three Sisters Park (Chillicothe, IL) Music lovers from all over the Greater Chicago area head to the annual Summer Camp Music Festival. Held for ... more
17189 Illinois 29
Chillicothe, IL 61523
May 24-26, 2013 Chicagoland Speedway (Joliet, IL) Beats are in full bloom at the Electric Daisy Carnival. The three-day spinfest books some of the biggest names ... more
500 Speedway Boulevard
Joliet, IL 60433
Jun 1 Northwestern University Every year on the last Saturday of May, Northwestern University students on the north side of Chicago head to Dillo Day for an end of school year celebration and all-day music festival complete with performances by popular ... more
1818 Hinman Avenue
Evanston, IL 60208
Music Festival
Jun 6-9, 2013 Grant Park / Millennium Park When June arrives in Chicago, Windy City residents can’t wait to head to the Chicago Blues Festival. The ... more
Between South Michigan Avenue to Lake Michigan and East Roosevelt Road to East Randolph Street.
Music Festival
Jun 6-Sep 15, 2013 Bennett Gordon Hall (Highland Park) Summertime across the globe is chock-full of concerts, music festivals, and various other live music performances. In Chicago, there’s no better summer-long family-friendly music celebration than the Ravinia Festival ... more
201 Saint Johns Avenue
Highland Park, IL 60035
Jun 7-9, 2013 Northcenter Chamber of Commerce The beginning of June marks the beginning of summer. In Chicago, there’s no better way to celebrate the abundant sunshine and balmy temps than by heading to the delicious Ribfest. Started in 1999, Ribfest has ... more
4054 North Lincoln Avenue
Chicago, IL 60618
Music Festival
Jun 12-Aug 17, 2013 Jay Pritzker Pavilion Nothing’s free anymore. That’s what your grandpa and grandma say. They’re right about most ... more
201 E. Randolph Street
Chicago, IL 60602
Jun 14-16, 2013 Soldier Field Sweet Home Chicago is known for the awesome blues music it has turned out over the years. However, Chi-town is up on the tunes kids dig these days too, and proves it with the EDM infused Spring Awakening Music Festival ... more
1410 Museum Campus Drive
Chicago, IL 60605
Beer Festival
Jun 21-23, 2013 Saint Michael in Old Town Beer (in a frosty mug) is the best drink to embody the spirit of Chicago. It gives you a buzz, goes down smooth ... more
1633 N. Cleveland
Chicago, IL 60614
Music Festival
Jun 21 Sometimes in the summer we just want to belt out a tune to celebrate the amazing sunshine and perfect temperature ... more
Throughout the cityArts Festival
Jun 22-23, 2013 Damen Avenue When Americans are asked to name the most eco-friendly cities in their country, they might leave out Chicago. Every June in the Second City, hundreds of denizens flock to the Green Music Fest in Wicker Park, proving Chicago ... more
Chicago, IL 60622Chicago Music Festivals Overview
Music festivals in Chicago take place all year round, but the big guns come out in the summer, when sunburned music fanatics can spill onto park grass to hear their favorite bands. The two best-known Chicago music fests are Lollapalooza and Pitchfork. Originally Perry Ferrell’s brainchild, Lollapalooza evolved from its 1990s grunge gathering into an enormous yearly event in Grant Park. Hundreds of bands play on many stages simultaneously, giving fans an endless buffet of talent. World-famous headliners share the schedule with promising up-and-coming bands, some of whom have eventually ended up in the world-famous camp. It’s a massive affair over three days, and no attendee will be at a loss for music.
Lollapalooza’s hipster little brother, the Pitchfork Music Festival, is associated with the “we discovered it first” music website Pitchfork. Though it has a much smaller scale than Lollapalooza, Pitchfork is still a big event with famous headliners and a cool-kid crowd. The side acts are carefully curated and may give you street cred one day when you can say that you saw them first.
Pretend you don’t have the big bucks to spend on Lollapalooza, Pitchfork, or similar large-scale festivals. It’s okay! Most Chicago street fests have bands playing, and though a lot of them are of the cover band/jam band/one-hit-in-1996 category, some of the festivals somehow manage to wrangle big names. Unsurprisingly, fests in hipsterish neighborhoods, like the Do Division Fest and Wicker Park Fest, tend to impress with their line-ups every year. For just the cost of the “suggested” festival donation, you could be singing along to one of your favorite bands.
More Upcoming Events in Chicago
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May 24–26, 2013
Miami Marlins vs. Chicago White Sox
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May 24–26, 2013
Electric Daisy Carnival Chicago 2013
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Jan 17 through Jul 31, 2013
Blue Man Group
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May 28, 2013 6:00 pm
Nature On Tap
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May 29, 2013 8:00 pm
David Ford
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May 30–31, 2013
Alkaline Trio
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May 31, 2013 8:00 pm
The Rolling Stones
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Jun 1, 2013
Dillo Day 2013
Popular Chicago Neighborhoods
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