25 Must-See Artists at Riot Fest Chicago 2025

This weekend, Riot Fest will kick off its three day festival in Douglass Park on Friday, September 19th, bringing in 130,000+ fans and a full lineup of artists including Blink-182, Green Day, Weezer, and Jack White alongside 90+ additional performances.

Known for a wide range of genres— punk, heavy metal, hip hop, and pop punk to name a few— Riot Fest has called Chicago home for 20 years. Riot Fest began in 2005, originally spread across various Chicago venues. It moved to Humboldt Park from 2012 to 2014 before settling at Douglass Park starting in 2015. The festival's return in 2025 reflects not only its musical legacy, but also its ongoing relationship—both celebrated and contentious—with the West Side community.

In anticipation of Riot Fest 2026, we’ve put together some of the must-see artists with our favorite tracks.

1. CHASE PETRA – “CENTRIFUGAL FORCE”

2. RICO NASTY – “TIME FLIES”

3. HONEY REVENGE – “HABITUAL”

4. JULIA WOLF – “GET OFF MY”

5. HARRISON GORDON – “DRIVER’S SIDE”

6. WISHY – “LOVE ON THE OUTSIDE”

7. DEHD – “DOG DAYS”

8. FREE THROW – “THE CORNER’S DILEMMA”

9. CITIZEN – “THE SUMMER”

10. CLIFFDIVER – “DAYZ GONE”

11. THROWN – “GUILT”

12. THE LINDA LINDAS – “GROWING UP”

13. LAMBRINI GIRLS – “LOVE”

14. KNUCKLE PUCK – “PRETENSE”

15. TOUCHÉ AMORÉ – “PALM DREAMS”

16. MICROWAVE – “BUT NOT OFTEN,”

17. INHALER – “CHEER UP BABY”

18. SENSES FAIL – “GOLD JACKET, GREEN JACKET…”

19. THE PARADOX – “BENDER”

20. MAC SABBATH – “PAIR-A-BUNS”

21. KNOCKED LOOSE – “MISTAKES LIKE FRACTURES”

22. GIRL IN A COMA – “THEIR CELL”

23. FOOTBALLHEAD – “TIGHTROPE”

24. SPEED OF LIGHT – “KILL THE VIBE”

25. SOFT PLAY – “EVERYTHING AND NOTHING”

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