Riot Fest 2025 hits Douglass Park in North Lawndale, Chicago, from September 19 to 21. The festival recently announced its full daily schedule, and fans face tough choices with many big acts playing at the same time on five different stages.
The first night pits punk icons Blink-182 against Celtic legends The Pogues at 8:30 p.m. Night two forces fans to pick between alt-rock giants Weezer and punk pioneers Sex Pistols. Performances will start at noon each day, and Green Day will end the final night with an exclusive 8:15 p.m. slot. There will be no competing acts during their set.
Music will fill the air from five stages: Riot, Roots, Rebel, Rise, and Radical. Opening night brings a twist: comedy king Weird Al Yankovic will transform the Rise Stage into Weird Al’s Weird World Stage, with Emo Philips hosting the madness.
The Riot Fest schedule creates some additional dilemmas. Metalcore band Knocked Loose competes with Weird Al and punk veterans Stiff Little Fingers. Indie darlings Rilo Kiley clash with Alkaline Trio’s time slot, and Beach Boys’ surf rock sounds off against Dropkick Murphys’ Celtic punk.
The festival started in 2005, and this year, declared, “We’re turning 20!” You can buy tickets through Riot Fest’s website, and payment plans are available. One-day tickets cost $110, two days run $220, and full weekend passes hit $330. The festival will stay at Douglass Park through 2027. Organizers struck a fresh deal with the Chicago Park District, and it includes a $1 million investment in the park over five years. This deal ended last year’s talk of moving to the suburbs.
