Top Chicago Festivals For 2023

Blue Ox Music Festival returns next The Pines Music Park in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. The 9th annual installment of the three-day event hosted by Pert Near Sandstone will see performances by Mike Gordon, The Avett Brothers and Sam Bush as well as Charley Crockett, The Infamous Stringdusters, Sierra Hull, Charlie Parr, Kitchen Dwellers, Horseshoes & Hand Grenades, Daniel Donato’s Cosmic Country, The Lowest Pair, Yasmin Williams, Joshua Ray Walker, Them Coulee Boys, Kyle Tuttle, Rainbow Girls, Henhouse Prowlers and more.

“The World’s Largest Music Festival,” Summerfest takes place over three weekends and features hundreds of performances on 12 permanent stages. Those topping the lineup include Dave Matthews Band, Odesza, Eric Church, Zac Brown Band, Zach Bryan, Marcus King, The Avett Brothers, James Taylor, Elvis Costello and The War On Drugs, who will perform along with dozens of others.

Electric Forest is back for four more days of music and camping at the Double JJ Ranch and Resort. The 2023 lineup features The String Cheese Incident, Goose, Odesza, Illenium, Zeds Dead, Above & Beyond, Jamie xx, Gryffin, Lane 8, REZZ, SOFI TUKKER, Ganja White Night, Chris Lake, Madeon and Chromeo, Neighbor, Thumpasaurus, Dogs In A Pile, Opiuo, Cimafunk, Gorgon City and Aluna, are just a few of the scores of performers appearing on various stages throughout the forest.

Grant Park hosts this year’s annual Pride In the Park music festival featuring LGBTQ+ performers, artists and vendors. The two-day fest will see performances by Zedd, Saweetie, Years & Years, Zara Larsson, CircuitMOM, DJ Mohammad, Lady D, DJ Ca$h Era, Nico and others.

Chicago’s first-ever Michelada Festival Miche Fest celebrates its 5 year anniversary over two days at Harrison Park. This year’s performers include Natti Natasha, Alex Lora and El Tri, Prince Royce, Elvis Crespo and more.

NASCAR takes over Grant Park for two days of racing and live music. The NASCAR Chicago Street Race Festival will see performances by The Chainsmokers, The Black Crowes, Miranda Lambert and Charley Crockett.

Pickin’ On Picknic takes over Lost Hill Lake and will bring together many top bluegrass musicians. Headed to this year’s event will be Béla Fleck, Sierra Hull, Bryan Sutton, Keller Williams, The HillBenders, Michael Cleveland & Flamekeeper, The SteelDrivers, Horseshoes and Hand Grenades and others.

Rock Fest takes place on 360 acres of field in Cadott, Wisconsin with 75+ bands performing across five stages over three days. The hard-hitting lineup consists of Pantera, Slipknot, Godsmack, Papa Roach, Ice Cube, In This Moment, Falling In Reverse, Ice Nine Kills, Asking Alexandria and many more.

Those who believe in BBQ (and music) will find plenty to enjoy at the Windy City Smokeout. Held over four days at the United Center parking lot, the music lineup includes Luke Bryan, Darius Rucker, Zach Bryan, Zac Brown Band, Luke Grimes, American Aquarium and several more.

Rate the Pitchfork Music Festival 2023 lineup at 10. See some of the Best New Music around with a lineup made up of The Smile, Big Thief, Bon Iver, Alvvays, Perfume Genius, Weyes Blood, King Krule, Snail Mail, Panda Bear, Kelela Koffee, Killer Mike, Hurray for the Riff Raff, Mdou Moctar and many more headed to Union Park this summer.

One of Chicago’s top summer street festivals, Wicker Park Fest will bring together music, food and more. Performing across the free event’s three days will be Built to Spill, The Regrettes, Lido Pimienta, Biig Piig, The Good Life, Speedy Ortiz, BabyJake, Say She She, Billy Woods and Miloe.

Chicago’s summer staple Lollapalooza engulfs Grant Park for four days packed with music. Kendrick Lamar, Billie Eilish, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Odesza, Lana Del Rey and Karol G are headed to the four-day music festival at Grant Park. The 1975, Tomorrow X Together, Fred again.., Noah Kahan, A Boogie Wit da Hoodie, J.I.D., Maggie Rogers, Carly Rae Jepsen, Diplo, Thirty Seconds to Mars, Maggie Rogers, Lil Yachty, Portugal. The Man, The Revivalists, Beabadoobee, Sylvan Esso, Joy Oladokun and dozens of others.

Voice of America MetroPark hosts Voices of America Country Music Fest over four days. The top names in country music will perform including Dan + Shay, Old Dominion, Alabama, Chris Young, Jake Owen, Lainey Wilson, Chase Rice and several others.

Milwaukee Irish Fest, the world’s largest Irish music festival, returns to Henry Maier Festival Park for four days of music, culture and craic. Among the over 100 acts performing across 16 stages includes Gaelic Storm, Byrne Brothers, Hermitage Green, Scythian, Finbar Maccarthy, Lisa Canny, Drowsy Lads, The Scattering, Gross Isle, Mega Trad, Wallis Bird, The Finns, The Friel Sisters and many more.

Ruido Fest will be held at the Chicagoland Fairgrounds in the Little Village neighborhood. Performers include Kali Uchis, Juanes, Aleman, División Minúscula, Los Bunkers, Sabrina Claudio and several others.

Chicago Cultivate is a three-day celebration of cannabis culture presenting an eclectic lineup of rock, hip-hop, reggae and punk. Come out to see performances by GZA, The Record Company, Julian Marley & The Uprising, Crumb, Fishbone, Andy Frasco & The U.N., Earthless, Lucky Boys Confusion, Graveyard, The Pharcyde, Black Lips, Afroman and more.

Brandi Carlile, The Black Keys and more are on board the inaugural Evolution Festival. The new event premieres at St. Louis’ Forest Park with additional performances by The Black Crowes, Brittany Howard, Ben Harper & The Innocent Criminals, Ice Cube, Morgan Wade, Cautious Clay, Michigander, Modern English, Nikki Lane, The Sugarhill Gang, The Nude Party and more. The festival is also featuring BBQ curated by St. Louis’ Sugar Fire Smoke House as well as a spotlight on bourbon.

Host band Old Shoe will once again present Shoe Fest at Camp Shaw-Waw-Nas-See. Along with Old Shoe, additional performers include Eric Krasno, Stanton Moore, Kitchen Dwellers, Sierra Hull, Oliver Wood, Allie Kral, Henhouse Prowlers, Chicago Farmer & The Field Notes, Dead Horses, Mr. Blotto and Armchair Boogie, among others.

Some of the biggest names in EDM will perform at this year’s North Coast Music Festival. Among the bevy of artists making their way to SeatGeek Stadium will be Zeds Dead, Flume, Marshmello, Ganja White Night, Alesso, Liquid Stranger, Alison Wonderland, Gigantic NGHTMRE and DJ Snake, alongside many others.

Held in the birthplace of house music over Labor Day Weekend, ARC Music Festival brings together the top EDM performers from around the globe. Held at Union Park, this year’s lineup features Carl Craig, Fatboy Slim, Vintage Culture, Eric Prydz, Nina Kraviz, Hiroko Yamamura and others.

Music at the Intersection returns to the Grand Center Arts District with 50+ artists performing across two days. The lineup features Herbie Hancock, Thundercat, Smino, Masego, The Fearless Flyers, Taj Mahal, Tank and the Bangas, Grandmaster Flash, The Teskey Brothers, Andy Frasco & The U.N., Samantha Fish, The Bad Plus and Snarky Puppy, as well as a special celebration of hip-hop’s 50th anniversary.

Cypress Hill, Joe Russo’s Almost Dead and more will perform at the inaugural The Miracle In Mundelein festival, the first Illinois concert to permit legal, on-site cannabis consumption. Presented by RYTHM Premium Cannabis, Sacred Rose and Dayglo Presents, the historic event is set to take place at RISE Recreational Dispensary Mundelein and also see performances by Action Bronson, Stephen Marley, Lettuce, Karina Rykman and more.

Riot Fest returns to Douglass Park for its 18th year with Foo Fighters, The Postal Service and The Cure set to headline the three-day event. Among the many others scheduled to perform are Death Cab For Cutie, Queens of the Stone Age, Turnstile, Mr. Bungle, Kim Gordon, The Mars Volta, The Gaslight Anthem and AFI.