Pitchfork Fest will not return to Chicago in 2025. For the past 19 years, the festival has been hosted in Chicago, most recently taking place in Union park. The site stated, in part, "This decision was not made lightly. For 19 years, Pitchfork Music Festival has been a celebration of music, art, and community—a space where memories were made, voices were amplified, and the shared love of music brought us all together. The Festival, while aligned with the taste of the Pitchfork editorial team, has always been a collaborative effort, taking on a life of its own as a vital pillar of the Chicago arts scene. We are deeply grateful to the City of Chicago for being our Festival’s home for nearly two decades, to the artists who graced our stages with unforgettable performances, and to the fans who brought unmatched energy year after year."
At this point, it is not clear if there will be a pitchfork festival in 2025 in another location, or of the installment is canceled.
It may be a coincidences, but Pitchfork's announcement follows a summer where Riot fest struggled with hosting their own festival in Chicago and at Union field, with Riot Fest first announcing that it would not host its 2024 event at Union Field, and expressing annoyance with Chicago officials. After a period of negotiation, Riot fest did indeed return to Union Field in 2024. We'll keep you updated.
Pitchfork statement To our Chicago festival community:
As the music festival landscape continues to evolve rapidly, we have made the difficult decision not to host Pitchfork Music Festival in Chicago in 2025.
This decision was not made lightly. For 19 years, Pitchfork Music Festival has been a celebration of music, art, and community—a space where memories were made, voices were amplified, and the shared love of music brought us all together. The Festival, while aligned with the taste of the Pitchfork editorial team, has always been a collaborative effort, taking on a life of its own as a vital pillar of the Chicago arts scene. We are deeply grateful to the City of Chicago for being our Festival’s home for nearly two decades, to the artists who graced our stages with unforgettable performances, and to the fans who brought unmatched energy year after year. Thank you to At Pluto and the rest of the hardworking Festival team whose dedication and creativity were the backbone of every event, and to the broader community whose spirit and support made the Festival a truly unique experience. And thank you to Mike Reed for founding the Festival and for your inspiring vision.
Pitchfork will continue to produce events in 2025 and beyond. We look forward to continuing to create spaces where music, culture, and community intersect in uplifting ways—and we hope to see you there.