Overview Riot Fest is Chicago's three-day punk, rock, metal, alternative and hip-hop festival in Douglass Park, with a carnival running between the stages, and it is where the Misfits reunited with Glenn Danzig in 2016, their first show together in 33 years. It books 80-plus bands across five stages. Riot Fest started in 2005 as club shows at the Congress Theater, the Metro and the Double Door, moved outdoors to Humboldt Park in 2012 and to Douglass Park in 2015. On site The carnival sits among the five stages: rides, games, sideshow performers and wrestling, with food vendors through the grounds. General admission covers the stage fields, Standard VIP passes add a lounge, and Deluxe passes sit above that. The 2026 bill had Twenty One Pilots, Iggy Pop, Rise Against, Pixies and Alkaline Trio on the Friday; Tool, Morrissey, Social Distortion, Nas, Bad Religion and Bright Eyes on the Saturday; and Pierce the Veil, Alanis Morissette, Elvis Costello and the Imposters and Patti Smith and her band on the Sunday. Talent and Influencers The Replacements played their first show since 1991 at Riot Fest in 2013, the Misfits reunited with Danzig in 2016, and Jawbreaker came back after 21 years in 2017. Green Day, Blink-182, Weezer and Jack White were on the 2023 bill, and 2024 was the 20th anniversary edition. Track record Riot Fest also ran editions in Toronto, Denver, Dallas and Brooklyn after it moved outdoors. The 2020 edition was postponed over COVID-19, and much of its lineup played the 2021 festival instead. Founder Mike Petryshyn started it with Sean McKeough, and after McKeough's death in 2016 it carried on as an annual Chicago event. Brand presence Beyond on-site footprints, Riot Fest sells a retail product program. A partner can take category-exclusive marketing rights, use Riot Fest's marks for 180 days before and 120 days after the festival, and produce up to 5,000 co-branded items for sale in Chicago-area stores. The festival runs an "Ultimate Fan" sweepstakes on RiotFest.org whose opt-in data is shared with the partner, puts branded posts on its own social channels and newsletter, and has its artist relations team place product in the artist areas.