Chicago Concerts & Festivals

The Windy City plays host to a dizzying amount of killer shows year-round. Rain, shine or blizzard, there are always tons of concerts in Chicago to choose from!

Year-round Paloozas

Sure, Chicago might be best known as the home of Lollapalooza, the wildly popular festival that draws hundreds of thousands of music-lovers and scores of A-list bands to Grant park each summer. But the festivals don’t stop there! The city is graced year-round with fests like Pitchfork, Riot Fest, North Coast, Spring Awakening, TNK and more.

Park Picnics

In the summer, Millennium Park’s Pritzker Pavillion is taken over by a massive free concert series. Locals pack the park with extravagant picnics. While the series generally features smaller groups, past lineups have included bigger names like Dawes and Iron & Wine.

If you’re strapped for cash, this is a great way to enjoy the beautiful skyline and summer nights like a native. The venue also hosts free classical concerts and events like yoga in the park all summer long.

Go Big or Go Home

Chicago is a go-to stop when the biggest names in the industry go on tour. And with all the huge stadiums throughout the city, it’s not hard to find an arena show with tens of thousands of screaming fans. Wrigley Field, Soldier Field, Allstate Arena and The United Center all host massive shows for the likes of Beyoncé, Phish, and Bruce Springsteen.

Venues for Everyone

The city is packed with venues for all sorts of shows beyond the arena experience.

The Aragon Ballroom, The Vic and the Chicago Theatre are all stunning mid-sized venues where you can find your favorite bands rocking out amidst marble staircases and ornate balconies. There are tons of great smaller venues throughout the city- like the Metro and Schubas, where you can get a more intimate concert experience. Lucky for you, it’s easy to get to all of these venues since Chicago’s “L” train makes the whole city accessible for concert goers!

For tickets to concerts in Chicago, browse EvilTickets.