Every summer, thousands of fans flock to Chicago for three-day music fests in the city. In total, more than 250 acts will crowd into town to put on a show for Lollapalooza, Pitchfork, North Coast and Spring Awakening. It would take 11 days, $555 and limitless energy to attend all four. With tickets on sale now and going fast, concertgoers have little time to pick their festival of choice. One of the confused? Check out this guide:
Spring Awakening
New to Chicago’s music festival scene, Spring Awakening will premier June 16-17 at Soldier Field. The show will be the first electronically exclusive festival to hit Chicago, featuring headliners Skrillex and Afrojack, as well as 35 other digitally laden names. According to springawakeningfestival.com, tickets are set at $119.99, with children 5 years old and under admitted free.
Pitchfork
Chicago-based Pitchfork Media began throwing its own event as a spin-off of its website, Pitchfork.com, in 2006. Housing three stages in Union Park, the festival will showcase more than 40 bands and artists July 13-15. The line-up strikes a balance between hot-as-fire new artists and lesser-known, independent ones. A $110 three-day pass will get you a spot at shows such as Vampire Weekend, Feist, A$AP Rocky and more, according to pitchfork.com.
“It’s a really good way to both get exposed to new music and see things you already liked live,” said Allison Schloss, a Pitchfork veteran of two years. “The reasonable price will draw you in, but you’ll stay for the bands you discover there.”
Lollapalooza
The oldest of the four, Lollapalooza celebrated its 20th anniversary last year. After its start as a musical road show in 1991, Lollapalooza has since put down roots in Chicago’s Grant Park, claiming the first weekend of August as its yearly appearance (this year’s dates are set for Aug. 3-5. The show now spans over 115-acres, hosting 130+ artists on multiple stages, according to lollapalooza.com. It includes music ranging from indie, rock and hip-hop to reggae, electronica, world and much more. With three-day passes at $230, Lollapalooza is one of the costlier festivals, but fans are not discouraged by the steep prices.
“It’s frustrating because it’s a lot of money, but it’s totally worth it for what you’re getting,” said Chimdindu Onuigbo, who attended the show for the first time last year. “Tickets to the headliners alone would probably cost that much, but you’re getting to see them as well as a bunch of other bands you love in the same weekend.”
North Coast
Still in its beginning years, North Coast will return to Union Park for its third summer during Labor Day weekend, Aug. 31 through Sept. 2. The festival trademarks itself on their website, northcoastfestival.com, as “summer’s last stand,” kicking off the end to a music-filled season with three days of up-and-coming artists.
“North Coast is especially great because they draw an incredible line-up, but they’re really under the radar,” said Samantha Bronner, a Chicago native and music festival enthusiast. “You get to see a lot of bands right before they blow up, which is awesome.”
Tickets are not yet on sale, but last year’s price was $95 for a three-day pass.
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Northwestern chapter.