Riot Fest Returns For 20th Year with Green Day, Blink-182, Weezer, and More

For its 20th anniversary celebration, Riot Fest set up camp in Douglass Park on Chicago’s west side from Sept 19-21st, bringing in major performances from Green Day, Blink-182, and Weezer along with scores of other bands. Over three full days, thousands of enthusiastic attendees made it out to see their favorite hardcore, punk, and indie acts at the popular end-of-summer rock celebration.

Riot Fest kept its beloved traditions alive this year with the return of the John Stamos butter statue and drop in wedding chapel, while introducing new attractions like the Riot Fest Historical Society museum, inspired by Logan Square’s Fireside Bowl, where fans could purchase memorabilia from years past.

Friday embraced female-fronted artists like indie pop singer Julia Wolf, five-piece band Honey Revenge, and rapper Rico Nasty, who dominated the Riot stage for a major portion of the day. Elsewhere, standout sets included Rilo Kiley’s almost 20 year reunion, “Weird Al” Yankovic and his massive crowd, and Alkaline Trio’s full-album performance of Maybe I’ll Catch Fire. Knocked Loose delivered one of the hardest-hitting shows of the festival to an unrelenting mosh pit, complete with scorching flames and takeover of the Roots stage.

Finishing off the night, Blink-182 brought all the pop punk nostalgia with twenty-two songs from their three-decade career, with favorites such as “First Date,” “All The Small Things”, and “What's My Age Again?” as well as a number of songs from their latest studio album, One More Time. Half way through their set, Matt Skiba joined them onstage to perform “Bored to Death”— a nod to their era without founding member Tom Delonge and a welcomed addition for new and old fans alike.

On Saturday, pop punk took over the Rise stage with Cliffdiver, Free Throw, Citizen, Knuckle Puck, and All Time Low. British band James sparked an onstage dance party to their hit “Laid,” while Gwar put forth a political, blood-soaked performance much to the audience’s delight. John Stamos finally made his Riot Fest debut with The Beach Boys, performing a drum solo, dedicating “Forever” to Bob Saget, and popping up later in the weekend with Hanson for “MMMBop.”

Jack White turned in one of the most electrifying sets. Opening with a fiery Stooges cover and powering through White Stripes, Raconteurs, and solo tracks, he reminded the crowd how alive rock ‘n’ roll can feel. Without relying on spectacle, White’s performance proved that sheer musicianship and energy can captivate a sizable crowd. Later that evening, Weezer played their best-loved album front to back, creating a collective singalong as thousands of fans belted out every word.

Sunday celebrated Chicago’s alt-rock legacy, with The Effigies revisiting their 1983 debut album For Ever Grounded and newcomers Footballhead making their Riot Fest debut. Local favorites also came into the spotlight, as the Smoking Popes honored the 30th anniversary of Born to Quit while Pegboy powered through Strong Reaction. Idles lit up the stage with a politically charged and chaotic performance featuring singalongs, guest appearances by Jack White and Soft Play, and an energy that matched Riot Fest’s wild spirit.

Los Angeles punk band The Linda Lindas— all of whom are 21 years old and younger— performed on the main stage, while The Ataris played So Long, Astoria in full across the way on Rebel. The day took a civic turn when the mayor proclaimed Sunday as Riot Fest Day, just before Screeching Weasel and Dehd took the stage. Later that evening, emo bands took over with reckless abandon, including The Wonder Years and The Academy Is…

Closing out Riot Fest was Green Day, showcasing a 23 song setlist including infectious staples from American Idiot, Dookie, Nimrod, and more while ending with the anticipated “Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)”.

Since its inception in 2005, Riot Fest has grown exponentially in size and today stands as one of the country’s largest and most diverse annual punk festivals. It is most known for distinctive artist reunions, full album performances, and occasional pop legends— like No Doubt, Blondie, and M.I.A.— that bring together eager fans in the masses. Imagine Dragons played in 2012, and at the time, they were positioned lower on the bill than skate punk bands like NOFX and Less Than Jake. They blew up shortly after and are now one of the biggest bands in the world.

The festival hit a record year for attendance in 2014 when they housed seven stages and booked a series of highly sought-after headliners: The Cure, Jane’s Addiction, and The National, in addition to a long list of gigantic supporting acts. Since then, Riot Fest moved out of Humboldt Park to Douglass Park, with notable shifts in genres and the overall size of the festival production; however, the spirit of Riot Fest surges onwards with impeccable acts time and time again. Together, this year’s artists showcased Riot Fest’s balance of humor, nostalgia, and unrelenting energy, cementing its reputation as one of the most eclectic festivals in the midwest.

Riot Fest 2026 will take place from September 18-20th. Mark your calendars.