HISTORY
ESTABLISHED 2005
Founded in 2005 in Chicago. Riot Fest is a multi-day music festival specializing in punk, rock, alternative, metal, and hip-hop. Carnival Rides, amazing food vendors, sideshow performers, and more add to the atmosphere of this independent music fest.
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2005: THE BEGINNING
Photos courtesy of Mike V
In 2005, Riot Fest booked a multi-venue weekend of punk and rock in Chicago with bands such as Dead Kennedys, The Misfits, and The Bouncing Souls kicking things off. We even had ticket giveaways on our sweet Myspace page, and since then have been working hard every year to bring you the best fest we can.
2011 – 2012: BEYOND CHICAGO
Photos courtesy of Dante Torrieri
In September 2011, Riot Fest found its way to the east coast in Philadelphia for the very first Riot Fest East that featured The Descendents, The Dead Milkmen, and Hot Water Music. This was also, technically, the first time Riot Fest was held outside. In the following year Riot Fest found its way both north and south in Dallas, Brooklyn and Toronto with bands like Rise Against, NO FX, Gogol Bordello, and The Gaslight Anthem.
Photos courtesy of Caitlin Deweese (left) and Gretchen Robinette (right)
2012: MOVING OUTSIDE
In 2012, we realized the amount of things we wanted to bring to you could no longer be contained inside a few venues, and decided to expand to the sunny and spacious Humboldt Park in Chicago. We expanded to other cities. We added carnival rides, Lucha Libre, porta-potties, and much more. 2019 marked our 15th year, and we can’t thank all of you, our fans, enough for making it so awesome.
2005 – 2024 LINEUPS
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