Riot Fest, the iconic annual punk rock and alternative music festival, is excited to announce its 2024 lineup, along with the introduction of an innovative new world, and a venue change, now with parking! This year’s festival will take place at SeatGeek Stadium in Bridgeview, Illinois, from September 20 to September 22, featuring over 90 bands over three days, and will feature RiotLand, an immersive “Choose Your Own Adventure” world that promises to elevate the festival experience to new heights.
RiotLand is set to transform Riot Fest into an interactive, choose your own adventure where attendees can explore and engage with various themed areas and activities. While the activation experiences will change from day to night, RiotLand is a place where you can escape from the real world and be yourself. A fully interactive site will be unveiled in the coming weeks, but here is a sneak peek of what’s to come:
Q101 Radio Tower: A nostalgic tribute to an iconic radio station, featuring live broadcasts and unique photo opportunities. At night, there’s a new fiesta in the making as we speak. It’s out at the Moontower, full kegs, everybody’s going to be there, you ought to go.
NOFX World: A stage and area dedicated to celebrating the music and legacy of NOFX, joined by their friends and fans alike, led by the ringmaster, named Fat Mike, to take you into the night.
Cabaret Metro Stage: A nod to the legendary Chicago venue, Metro, where many Riot Fest alum cut their teeth long before headlining the festival.
AAA Stage: If you know, you know, and that means you were probably lucky enough to be there. AAA was a warehouse venue where Riot Fest hosted many secret shows in the earlier days of the festival. You probably weren’t there the first time, but you won’t want to miss it again.
House of Law: Courthouse by day, OZ nightclub at night. RiotLand’s only gay punk and dance club that only opens at night.
Kevin Smith Tribute Zones:
Quick Stop: An immersive re-creation of the famous convenience store from “Clerks”.
Cretin Prairie Center: An area inspired by the film “Mallrats”, featuring themed activities and surprises. Who knows, you may end up on Truth Or Mate on Riot Fest‘s #2 channel RFTV.
Casino: Yes, a casino, and it’s real. Are you feeling lucky? Not gambling advice, but I’m guessing if you poll the Riot Fest attendees…most would tell you to just put it all on black.
World’s Largest Festival Bar: Fly in Mr. Guinness as Riot Fest attempts to unofficially break the world record
Butter Stamos: Is he made out of rubber or is he made out of stone? Did you know there is at least one Butter Stamos tattoo out there?
Nihilist Arby’s: We thought about not even including this one because it doesn’t even matter. Nothing matters. Eat Arby’s.
Riot Fest will also feature fan-favorites from years past including the Wedding Chapel (you can get legally married at RiotLand),the Riot Pop!! Skate Ramp, free arcade games from Logan Arcade, Professor Pizza, the world’s largest touring rock-n-roll circus freak show Hellzapoppin Circus, mini golf, and all of your favorite bands playing at the same time.
Riot Fest 2024 boasts a stellar lineup of top-tier punk, rock and alternative artists, including:
Headliners:
Friday brings the return of hometown favorites FALL OUT BOY, making their first appearance at the festival since they first reunited at 2013’s edition.
Saturday brings indie rock favorites BECK and a very rare performance from PAVEMENT.
Closing out the festival on Sunday is a force that cannot be reckoned with — a reunion performance by metal legends SLAYER.
NOFX will perform all three days of the festival as Riot Fest bids them a final farewell surrounded by many of their peers and contemporaries like PENNYWISE, DESCENDENTS and CIRCLE JERKS.
Notable Acts: Filling out the stacked lineup is a wide array of bands spanning decades and genres. Festival attendees will be treated with sets from the likes of St. Vincent, Rob Zombie, THE OFFSPRING (performing “Smash”),SUBLIME (with Jakob Nowell, Bud Gaugh and Eric Wilson),BRIGHT EYES, a rare performance from DR. DOG (who retired from full-time touring in 2021),MANCHESTER ORCHESTRA (performing “Cope”),PUBLIC ENEMY‘s reunion, THE MARLEY BROTHERS featuring Ziggy, Stephen, Julian, Ky-Mani and Damian performing a Bob Marley set. SOMETHING CORPORATE will play their first Chicago show since 2010. Laura Jane Grace teams up with CATBITE to play an OPERATION IVY set, and Michael C. Hall (of “Dexter” and “Six Feet Under” fame) hits the stage with his band PRINCESS GOES, performing synth-driven goth pop. Festival favorites TAKING BACK SUNDAY and GWAR will return in 2024!
Full album plays this year are THE OFFSPRING playing “Smash”, MANCHESTER ORCHESTRA playing “Cope” and MASTODON performing their classic “Leviathan”.
Full Riot Fest band lineup:
ACTION/ADVENTURE
ALL
BASEMENT
BEACH BUNNY
BECK
BRIGHT EYES
BRUTUS
BUZZCOCKS
CIRCLE JERKS
CLUTCH
COBRA SKULLS
CODEFENDANTS
CURSIVE
CYPRESS HILL
D.O.A.
DESCENDENTS
DILLINGER FOUR
DOOM SCROLL
DR. DOG
DRUG CHURCH
FACE TO FACE
FALL OUT BOY
FIDDLEHEAD
GAMES WE PLAY
GEL
GET DEAD
GWAR
HEALTH
HEART ATTACK MAN
HOME FRONT
HOT MULLIGAN
HUGE EUGE
JACK KAYS
JHARIAH
L.S.DUNES
LAGWAGON
LAMB OF GOD
LAURA JANE GRACE + CATBITE
LIQUID MIKE
LORD OF THE LOST
LOVELESS
MANCHESTER ORCHESTRA
MASTODON
NEKROGOBLIKON
NEW FOUND GLORY
NOFX
OLIVER TREE
PAVEMENT
PENNYWISE
PIXEL GRIP
POISON THE WELL
POLARIS
PRINCESS GOES
PUBLIC ENEMY
RIVAL SONS
ROB ZOMBIE
SAXSQUATCH
SINCERE ENGINEER
SIR CHLOE
SLAUGHTER BEACH, DOG
SLAYER
SOMETHING CORPORATE
SOULS OF MISCHIEF
SPIRITUAL CRAMP
SPOON
SPRINTS
ST. VINCENT
STATE CHAMPS
STRUNG OUT
SUBLIME
SUICIDAL TENDENCIES
SUM 41
SUNAMI
SWEET PILL
SWINGIN’ UTTERS
TAKING BACK SUNDAY
THE ACES
THE ARMED
THE CHISEL
THE DEAD MILKMEN
THE DEFIANT
THE DICKIES
THE EXPLOITED
THE HIVES
THE LAWRENCE ARMS
THE MARLEYS (ZIGGY, STEPHEN, JULIAN, KY-MANI AND DAMIAN)
THE MYSTERINES
THE OFFSPRING
THE VANDALS
THE WARNING
TIERRA WHACK
TORNILLO
URETHANE
VERBÖTEN
WAXAHATCHEE
WINONA FIGHTER
ZHEANI
Despite the new location, Riot Fest efforts to support the Douglass Park neighborhood continue, with a local artist selected to play the fest, an on-site internship program building on last year, local hiring, and sponsorship of Juneteenth Village Fest and Boxing Out Negativity Juneteenth celebrations this weekend, and much more to be announced soon, for events stretching into the fall.
For more information, visit riotfest.org.