Riot Fest

Riot Fest, founded in 2005 by Mike Petryshyn and Sean McKeough, is a punk rock music event held yearly in Bridgeview, Illinois. Known for its impactful reunions and full album performances, it originally spanned multiple event centers before consolidating at SeatGeek Stadium.

Special for its genre diversity and carnival-like feel, it gained credibility with reunions like The Replacements in 2013 and Misfits in 2016. Despite challenges like venue changes and cancellations, the fest remains a must-go in the music fest scene, thanks to its multifaceted lineup and contributions to punk rock culture.

September 20, Friday

Riot Stage

Headliner: Fall Out Boy

Others: The Hives, Amyl and the Sniffers, Bad Nerves, Sprints.

Roots Stage

Performers: Sum 41 (Final Chicago Performance), Gogol Bordello, Slaughter Beach, Dog, Zheani, and Juliette & The Licks.

Rise Stage

Performers: Sublime, Descendents, Circle Jerks, Wine Lips, Show Me the Body, Drug Church, Grumpster, and Surfbort.

Radical Stage

Performers: The Marley Brothers, Beach Bunny, Narrow Head, The Aces, Big D and the Kids Table, Five Iron Frenzy, and The Doped Up Dollies.

Rebel Stage

Performers: The Jesus Lizard, Comeback Kid, The Exploited, A Wilhelm Scream, Soul Glo, The Armed, The OBGMs, Svetlanas, and Dying Wish.

September 21, Saturday

Riot Stage

Headliner: Slayer

Others: Mastodon (Album Play: Leviathan), Rival Sons, Fu Manchu, Nekrogoblikon, The Chisel

Roots Stage

Performers: Judas Priest, Clutch (Album Play: Blast Tyrant), L7, Gel, MSPAINT

Rise Stage

Performers: NOFX (Album Plays: Punk in Drublic/The War on Errorism), MxPx, The Bouncing Souls, Buzzcocks, Subhumans, The Flatliners, Bad Cop/Bad Cop

Radical Stage

Performers: Manchester Orchestra (Album Play: Cope), Basement, Saosin, FIDLAR, LS Dunes, Slow Joy, and Saturdays at Your Place.

Rebel Stage

Performers: Laura Jane Grace and the Mississippi Medicals, Fucked Up, The Dickies, 999, Vial, Starcrawler, We Are the Union and Niis.

September 22, Sunday

Riot Stage

Headliner: Beck

Others: Interpol (Album Play: Antics), Gary Numan, The Faint, Winona Fighter, and A Giant Dog.

Roots Stage

Performers: St. Vincent, Spoon, Dorian Electric, Ratboys, Teen Jesus, and the Jean Teasers.

Rise Stage

Performers: The All-American Rejects, Something Corporate, Loveless, Touché Amoré, Eighteen Visions, Pansy Division, and The Raging Nathans.

Radical Stage

Performers: NOFX (Album Plays: Self Entitled/So Long and Thanks for All the Shoes), Dropkick Murphys, Face to Face, The Vandals, Goldfinger, DOA, and The Last Gang.

Rebel Stage

Performers: Poison the Well, Stretch Arm Strong, Bane, Incendiary, Silly Goose, God's Hate, and Twitching Tongues

How Much Are Riot Fest 2024 Tickets?

You can find the cheapest Rock the Country Festival tickets from $288.24 at SeatGeek Stadium on Sep 20 on TicketX. Prices vary between packages and attendance days, so make sure you are checking the right option to get the most out of your ticket!

Riot Fest 3-Day Ticket Price

Riot Fest 2-Day Ticket Price

Riot Fest 2023 Review

Festival Dates: September 15-17

The 2023 slogan may have been Riot Fest Sucks, but this year's festival was a spectacular end to Chicago's festival season. Headlined by Foo Fighters, The Postal Service, and The Cure, the lineup also featured Turnstile, Death Cab for Cutie, Queens of the Stone Age, The Mars Volta, Mr. Bungle, Tegan and Sara, 100 Gecs, The Gaslight Anthem, and AFI.

The festival had five stages, with the Riot and Roots stages equipped with jumbo screens for excellent views of the headliners. The Rebel stage, praised for its contagious energy, offered an intimate setting.

One of the key moments was the Foo Fighters' return after the passing of their Taylor Hawkins in 2022. The Postal Service’s 20th-anniversary tour stop for their album Give Up was another spectacle, with frontman Ben Gibbard rendering a double set with Death Cab for Cutie's Transatlanticism.

Ticket prices were from $300 for a three-day general admission to $1,500 for Deluxe+ tickets. Regardless of the cost, many goers felt they got their money's worth. Hannah Berge from WZND praised the culinary range, activities, and lineup, stating, "I saw 24 bands over three days, making my average ticket price $12.50 per band."

However, there were some drawbacks. The Radical stage was noted as the least enjoyable due to its flat area, making it harder to see the bands. Food prices were generally high, so attendees were advised to budget accordingly.

Overall, Riot Fest 2023 was a massive success, blending legendary performances with a vibrant festival atmosphere.

How To Watch Riot Fest Online

To watch online, visit their official website, Riot Fest, or social media for streaming links closer to the event since there is yet no official streaming add-on. Platforms like YouTube, Facebook Live, and Twitch are commonly used for live-streaming festivals.

For curated content, you can bank on the Riot Fest app and navigate to Riot Fest TV, where there are music videos, live shows, cartoons, and more. Accessible anytime, it is convenient for enjoying entertainment from anywhere.

Riot Fest Aftershows

After the festival ends, the fanfare continues with a slew of aftershows across Chicago. Last year's lineup featured acts like Tegan and Sara at Bottom Lounge, Danzig at Aragon Ballroom, and Kim Gordon at Empty Bottle.

Musicians, performers, and DJs tend to promote their new music at bars, music halls, and clubs across the city, so make sure to catch them in action at the following locations. You can find more information about the aftershows on the event’s news section, riotfest.org.

Riot Fest Aftershow Performers 2023

• Tegan and Sara

• Danzig

• Kim Gordon

• Thursday

• Godspeed You! Black Emperor

Riot Fest Aftershow Venues 2023

• Bottom Lounge

• Aragon Ballroom

• Empty Bottle

• Metro

• Concord Music Hall

Riot Fest Outfit

For Riot Fest, embrace laid-back, punk-inspired fashion. Think flannel shirts, studded denim jackets, combat boots, and edgy fishnet accents. Unlike other Chicago festivals, like Lollapalooza and Pitchfork Music Festival, Riot Fest exudes a rock-centric vibe perfect for fall. Embrace the timeless appeal of these styles to make you stand out with an effortlessly cool and rebellious look that captures the festival's essence.