20 Riot Fest Bands to Perform Entire Albums by Weezer, Sex Pistols, and The Hold Steady

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This year’s Riot Fest, taking place from September 19-21 in Douglass Park, will feature an impressive lineup with twenty bands scheduled to perform full-album sets. Headliners like Blink-182, Weezer, and Green Day are set to take the stage, with Weezer performing their iconic record, “The Blue Album,” in its entirety.

This year’s Riot Fest marks the 20th anniversary of the festival, and to celebrate, the event organizers have increased the number of artists performing full-album sets. In 2023, only eight artists performed full-album sets at the festival, making this year’s lineup the most extensive offering of its kind. The bands that will be performing full-album sets include Weezer, Sex Pistols, Alkaline Trio, Bad Religion, The Pogues, The Hold Steady, The Academy Is…, The Front Bottoms, Knuckle Puck, The Bouncing Souls, Screeching Weasel, Helmet, Pegboy, The Ataris, Agnostic Front, Smoking Popes, The Effigies, Samiam, Agent Orange, and Zero Boys.

After securing a deal with the Chicago Park District to continue holding the event at Douglass Park until 2027, Riot Fest is set to return this year. The agreement also includes a significant increase in festival payouts to Douglass Park. Despite facing challenges from neighbors and city officials in the past, the festival organizers are looking forward to celebrating their 20-year milestone at the West Side park.

Reflecting on the festival’s longevity, Riot Mike Petryshyn, owner of Riot Fest Music Co., expressed gratitude for the unexpected success of the event, stating, “We didn’t plan on making it for 20 years. We planned on making it through one weekend. But here we are — still loud, still weird, still building something bigger than we ever meant to.”

Tickets for the three-day festival are currently available, and Riot Fest is set to proceed rain or shine. By supporting community news outlets like Block Club Chicago, readers can help fund independent journalism that reports on stories from Chicago’s neighborhoods.