RIOT FEST
Frequently Asked Questions
READ UP, FRIENDS.
TICKETS, ORDERS & UPGRADES
WHERE TO BUY TICKETS?
ONLINE: Riot Fest 2024 Tickets are available here. Buy Early to secure best price!
We strongly encourage you to purchase tickets only through our official ticketing provider, Tixr. Please note, customer support and ticket assistance can only be offered for tickets purchased through Tixr.
IN-PERSON: 3-Day General Admission Passes available for $225 (no additional fees) at select consignment locations. Cash Only.
- Pinwheel Records at 1722 W 18th St, Chicago, IL 60608
- Bucket O’ Blood Books and Records at 3182 N Elston Ave, Chicago, IL 60618
- Rush-mor Records at 2635 S Kinnickinnic Ave, Milwaukee, WI 53207
Additional information on ticket types and amenities can be viewed here.
TROUBLE WITH YOUR ORDER?
Tixr Fan Support is here to help!
LAYAWAY PAYMENT PLANS?
Yes! Payment plans are an available option during the checkout process in Tixr. Learn more here: https://support.tixr.com/how-do-i-select-the-payment-plan-option
CAN I UPGRADE MY TICKET AFTER I’VE BOUGHT IT?
Yes! There is a new upgrade process with Tixr this year. All you have to do is pay the difference in cost between your original purchase and the new, higher-value purchase.
Please note, tickets with outstanding payment plan balances are not upgrade-eligible. The system will recognize these purchases and won’t allow the ticket to be selected.
How To Upgrade: When you are logged into your Tixr account, go to My Events and then click on Upgrade Available. Complete the purchase. Ta-da!
Riot Fest is a rain-or-shine event. Tickets are non-refundable. All event information, including the lineup, is subject to change.
GENERAL QUESTIONS
Which bands will be playing at Riot Fest 2024?
Slayer reunites for Riot Fest 2024 for an exclusive Midwest performance. Stay tuned for the full lineup announcement in Spring 2024.
What time do the bands perform each day? Is there a schedule?
Detailed schedule with set times will be released closer to the festival.
If you haven’t already, download the RF app and sign up for our newsletter!
How do I get to Riot Fest?
We’ve rounded up the best routes to get you to the festival hassle-free with our Travel Guide. And if you’re looking for some extra tips, don’t forget to check out our 2023 First Timers Guide.
What time do gates open each day?
Historically, festival gates opened at 11:00 am CT and curfew is 10:00 pm CT each day of the event (Fri-Sun).
Can I re-enter the park throughout the day?
As a courtesy to neighbors, re-entry is not permitted for GA ticket holders. VIP, Deluxe, and Deluxe+ wristbands permit re-entry; a GA ticket will allow you to enter the grounds once each day listed on the ticket.
Where can I put my stuff? Do you have lockers?
Yes, we do have locker available on-site. You can reserve them here.
Is camping allowed at Riot Fest?
All attendees are to exit the premises at the end of each night. There are no camping areas, nor is it allowed on the festival grounds. Please do not camp. We are not in the woods.
I am an awesome parent. Can I bring my kid? Is Riot Fest all ages?
Hell yes, you can. Riot Fest is all ages. Exposing kids to music is important. Children 5 years old and under will be admitted (with a ticket-holding adult) for free.
What types of payment are accepted at Riot Fest?
Typically, cash and cards will be accepted onsite (but payment may vary by vendor). ATMs will be available across the festival grounds.
Does Riot Fest use facial recognition?
No. Riot Fest does not and will never use facial recognition technology at their events. (We couldn’t afford it even if we wanted to.)
HEALTH & SAFETY
At this time, Riot Fest does not have any Covid-related requirements for entry. All restrictions are currently lifted in the City of Chicago. However, this is subject to change. The safety of all patrons is our top priority, and we will continue to work in conjunction with city health officials to ensure we follow all appropriate guidelines. If any policies change, we will make announcements accordingly. For further information regarding Covid-19, please visit www.Chicago.gov.
MEDICINE / EQUIPMENT
Prescription medications are allowed under the following conditions:
- Must be in the original bottle.
- Quantity cannot exceed the prescribed amount needed while at the fest.
- Must have gov’t-issued photo ID that matches the Rx bottle.
- Don’t mix different pills in one bottle.
If you have pre-existing medical conditions that need medication, special diets, or extra awareness, please talk to the security personnel at the entrance. They’ll direct you to the first aid tent and make sure your medications are stored should they need refrigeration and that any other needs are taken care of.
If you have any other medical equipment, such as an oxygen tank, please be sure to present it at security when entering the festival.
Over-the-counter medications are allowed, provided that they are new and in the original, factory-sealed container.
IS IT ALLOWED AT RIOT FEST?
Your safety at Riot Fest is our utmost priority, and all guests and their belongings are subject to search. Any prohibited item that is surrendered to security at search points will not be returned.
Our Allowed / Not Allowed list is subject to change, and security reserves the right to make the final determination on allowed and not allowed items.
YES Air loungers
YES Blankets (But please, be courteous of other fest attendees and keep blankets out of pathways.)
YES Breastfeeding pumps — We have an EMT/Medical tent and a Family tent available on-site, both of which have electric outlets and would provide a comfortable and secure area to pump. The Family tent will be located by the Information Booth, near the main entrance. A standard hard-sided cooler will not be permitted, however, a soft-sided insulated lunch box cooler bag is allowed. If you have any trouble at the main entrance, please request a Supervisor and/or medical representative.
YES Bug spray in NON-AEROSOL containers
YES CamelBak-style water bladder systems (bladder must be transparent, empty, and removable)
YES Camping/stadium seats (like this)
YES Cell phones & portable chargers/batteries
YES Earplugs
YES Empty PLASTIC water bottle, ie. a Nalgene or similar reusable bottle. No metal, no glass.
YES Factory-sealed E-cigs (i.e., Blu, Juul, etc.) ONLY
YES Fans – small (approx 10″ or less) motorized handheld fans, neck fans, & paper fans.
YES Hats
YES John Stamos
YES Medical mobility devices, both powered and manual. ie. Canes, crutches, knee scooters, walking sticks, walkers, & wheelchairs.
YES Non-professional cameras and digital cameras, ie. Point-and-shoot. (No cameras with removable lenses.)
YES Phone Chargers / Portable Phone Chargers/batteries
YES Prescription and OTC medications (subject to specific conditions – refer to Health and Safety section)
YES Raincoats & ponchos
YES Standard sized backpacks (like a school backpack), bags, and purses. They don’t have to be clear.
YES Strollers & soft-sided wagons
YES Sunscreen in NON-AEROSOL containers
NO Air horns
NO Audio/Video equipment of any kind (including personal camcorders and GoPro cameras)
NO Bicycles, rollerblades, skateboards, scooters (inside festival grounds)
NO Cantaloupe
NO Chairs with metal frames (except medical devices, obviously)
NO CM Punk (Until he apologizes for what he did…)
NO Coolers of any kind, including hard-sided and soft-sided coolers
NO Crying
NO Drones
NO Eve 6 or people who follow Eve 6 on Twitter
NO Fireworks or incendiary devices
NO Focused-light devices, including laser pointers
NO Glass and metal containers of any kind
NO Glass (Of any kind! Yes, that includes glass bottles!)
NO Glow sticks
NO Hula Hoops
NO Illegal and Illicit substances of any kind (Chicago Cannabis Consumption & Possession Laws)
NO Item(s) that can be used as a means to disturb the peace, endanger the safety of the crowd, and/or inflict damage to people and goods.
NO Items intended for sale/promotion
NO Kid Rock’s stupid ass and any Kid Rock fans
NO Laptops
NO Littering
NO Mace
NO Megaphones
NO Metal containers of any kind, including metal cans and reusable metal water bottles
NO Native American headdresses
NO Outside food and beverages of any kind (*unless medically necessary)
NO Pets (except service animals)
NO Pineapple on Pizza (Jen does not agree with this rule)
NO Professional radios or walkie-talkies
NO Professional cameras with removable lens
NO Selfie Sticks
NO Sharp objects, long chains, or anything that an unreasonable person could use to harm others
NO Soccer balls, footballs, frisbees, or other projectiles (ie. glow sticks)
NO Totems/signs on poles
NO Water guns, water balloons, and/or any other kind of water projectile
NO Weapons, knives, or firearms of any kind
NO Umbrellas
I am vegan, or vegetarian, or have severe food allergies. What can I eat?
We host a variety of food vendors each year, with multiple vegetarian and vegan options. Here is a list of our food vendors from Riot Fest 2021 as an example (*denotes Vegetarian and/or Vegan options):
Novi’s Beef
Island Noodles*
Suzie’s Fun Foods LLC*
Cold Stone Creamery*
Bacci Pizzeria*
Don Pez Fish Tacos
Premier Catering & Events
Fro-Zen Smoothies*
Billy Goat Tavern
Dark Matter Coffee*
Taco In A Bag
Quang Noodle*
Lee Concessions*
Dumpling House*
Royal Ice Cream*
Reggies*
Harold’s Chicken
Adriana Escarcega Quesadillas*
Home Team Pizza*
Josephine’s CookingA&M Italian Ice*
Gold Coast Market
CoCo Crissi Italian Ice*
RIOT FEST ANTI-HARASSMENT POLICY
Riot Fest believes everyone should feel safe during the music festival. We will help maintain this by not tolerating harmful behaviors, which may include non-consensual touching or verbal harassment. If a participant chooses to break these policies, they may be removed from the festival grounds and/or be banned from attending in the future.
Riot Fest has a ZERO TOLERANCE POLICY for harassment of any kind, including but not limited to: race, color, national origin, gender, gender identity, gender presentation, sexual orientation, age, body size, disability, appearance, religion, citizenship, pregnancy.
Harassment includes but is not limited to: stalking, verbal or physical intimidation, offensive verbal comments, physical assault and/or battery, harassing or non-consensual photography or recording, bathroom policing, inappropriate physical contact, unwelcome physical attention.
If someone or something makes you feel uncomfortable or unsafe, no matter how minor it may seem, please do not stay silent. You can report it to any Riot Fest staff member, including those stationed at our Info Booth or at the Our Music My Body tent. We’ll follow your lead, work with you, and do our best to prevent it from happening again—so that you can continue to feel safe at our festival.
Read our full Anti-Harassment Policy here, which includes written examples and scenarios of what isn’t acceptable behavior.
ACCESSIBILITY AT RIOT FEST
Riot Fest is committed to making the festival accessible for all festival attendees. We’re happy to offer accessible entrances, viewing platforms, and bathrooms, along with ramps around the curb lines of Douglass Park (in addition to existing sidewalk inclines). There is a drop-off & pick-up area, detailed below.
If you need any assistance entering the festival grounds, please notify security upon arrival and inform them of your needs. They’ll be able to help you access the festival once notified. Make sure to visit the Accessibility Tent post-entry—located near the main entrance—to get a wristband and receive further assistance onsite. There are outlets on the festival grounds for those who may need to charge equipment such as a powered wheelchair.
The festival grounds are wheelchair accessible. While there are paved pathways to use across the festival grounds, some travel across the festival grounds will be over natural terrain. Please note the possibility for mud or puddles if it rains. Those with trouble walking or standing should consider attending the festival with someone who can help navigate, or using an all-terrain wheelchair.
We want all Riot Fest attendees to have the best experience possible over the weekend. For anything that isn’t covered in this section, please contact us ahead of time with any questions or concerns at [email protected] with the subject line “Accessibility” so we can assist you.
DROP-OFF, PICKUP, & PARKING
There will be a designated drop-off and pick-up lane near the main entrance. There will be designated, first-come-first-served ADA parking near the main entrance.
ACCESSIBLE VIEWING PLATFORMS
We have elevated viewing platforms stationed by all of our main stages, each equipped with a ramp. Since space on these platforms is limited, please note that only one guest is allowed to accompany an attendee with an accessibility wristband, if needed. Please be sure to give yourself enough time to head to these viewing platforms early if you’re planning to see a headliner, as space is available on a first-come, first-served basis.
SERVICE ANIMALS
Pets are not allowed inside the festival grounds, but we do allow trained service animals to accompany those with disabilities to Riot Fest. Emotional support animals are not allowed.
AMERICAN SIGN LANGUAGE (ASL) INTERPRETER REQUESTS
We’re here to make Riot Fest inclusive to those who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing. Requests for American Sign Language (ASL) interpreted performances can be submitted to Info@RiotFest.org with the subject line “ASL Interpreter Request”. While we are unable to offer ASL interpreters for every performance, we will carefully review each request and assign interpreters based on demand.
COMMUNITY
Since 2015, Riot Fest has called Douglass Park its home. We value community inclusion, and we want our neighbors to feel that Riot Fest is not only something they can take part in, but also be proud of. You can read a list of our community involvement highlights here.
Each year, we launch a series of community initiatives to support the communities surrounding Douglass Park, such as (but not limited to):
- Community Job Fairs: Multiple hiring events providing paid, temporary positions for locals to work the festival weekend. More info here.
- Community Ticket Registration: Neighbors within the pre-determined radius of Douglass Park may register for complimentary festival entry. Find out more information here.
- The Douglass Park Beautification Initiative: a series of volunteer park cleanups organized by the festival. More info here.