Photo Credit: Miguel Ángel Sanz
Chicago’s Michelada Fest announces the cancellation of the two-day event. It was originally slated for July 19 and 20 at Oakwood Beach.
Michelada Fest 2025 organizers have announced the cancellation of this year’s two-day event, originally scheduled for July 19 and 20 at Chicago’s Oakwood Beach. In a post on the festival’s website, organizers cited concerns about visas for international artists—as well as the “rapidly changing political climate”—among the reasons for the decision.
Full refunds for ticketholders will begin “immediately” to everyone who purchased tickets directly through the festival’s website or Ticketon. Refunds will be issued to the original form of payment, and may take 7-15 business days to process.
“Due to the uncertainty surrounding visas and the rapidly changing political climate, we’re no longer able to guarantee the full experience we had dreamed up for you with all your favorite artists,” said the statement from the Michelada Fest team. “Although we tried to push through, it became clear that we wouldn’t be able to deliver the full lineup as planned.
This year’s Michelada Fest would have been the event’s second year at Oakwood Beach for a celebration of Latin music, art, food, and drink. The 2025 edition would have also included two stages, with one dedicated to showcasing local talent.
“We’ve had seven years of extremely devoted and loyal fans, and we felt that it wouldn’t be responsible […] to continue to push and promote the event,” said festival founder Fernando Nieto in a statement to the Chicago Sun-Times, adding that the absence of Michelada Fest is going to leave “a great cultural hole” in Chicago’s live events and arts scene over the summer.
The US Citizenship and Immigration Services increased visa fees for international musicians last year from $460 to over $1,615 per application. It can cost an artist around $3,000 to have their visa expedited. While some festivals will cover or contribute to visa fees, this increases the risk of financial loss for the event if a visa is revoked or denied.
“I don’t wish this on any other festival,” said Nieto. “I hope that there are no other cancellations, because I know what it feels like on the organizer side to take this big of a hit, especially if you’re an independent organizer.”
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