Long-Running Pitchfork Festival to Call it Quits After 19 Years
After nearly two decades, Chicago’s annual Pitchfork Music Festival is calling it quits.
On Monday, festival organizers took to social media to share the news, noting that “as the music festival landscape continues to evolve rapidly, we have made the difficult decision not to host Pitchfork Music Festival in Chicago in 2025.”
“The decision was not made lightly,” organizers said. “For 19 years, Pitchfork Music Festival has been a celebration of music, art, and community — a space where memories were made, voices were amplified, and the shared love of music brought us all together.”
Pitchfork Music Festival first debuted in 2006, organized by the online music magazine Pitchfork. It was held annually in Union Park, focusing on genres like alt-rock, hip-hop, and EDM. Organizers said that the festival aligned with the Pitchfork editorial team, however, it “has always been a collaborative effort, taking on life of its own as a vital pillar of the Chicago arts scene.”
“We are deeply grateful for the City of Chicago for being our Festival’s home for nearly two decades, to the artists who graced our stages with unforgettable performances, and to the fans who brought unmatched energy year after year,” organizers continued. “Thank you to At Pluto and the rest of the hardworking Festival team whose dedication and creativity were the backbone of every event, and to the broader community whose spirit and support made the Festival a truly unique experience. And thank you to Mike Reed for founding the festival and for your inspiring vision.”
While the festival will no longer move forward, organizers noted that Pitchfork will “continue to produce events in 2025 and beyond,” noting that they “look forward to continuing to create spaces where music, culture, and community intersect in uplifting ways — and we hope to see you there.”
Pitchfork Festival took place this past July, featuring headliners Jamie xx, Alanis Morissette, and Black Pumas. It has previously featured headlining artists like Mitski, Bon Iver, St. Vincent, Tame Impala, LCD Soundsystem, and Chance the Rapper.
| READ: Festival Season Hits Lull with Dozens Cancelled This Summer |
Over the past year, the music festival scene has been dismal, with various events being cancelled across not only the U.S., but around the world. Coachella, a once-coveted event, took one month to sell-out of its first weekend — marking the longest sellout for the first time in 10 years. The second weekend failed to sell out.
Other festivals didn’t even make the cut, as Firefly announced it would not return to Dover and Jay-Z’s Made in America festival was called-off for the second year in a row. Lovers & Friends’ inaugural festival was also cancelled, as well as Backwoods Festival and Kickoff Jam.
Across the pond, over 45 festivals in the U.K. were either cancelled or postponed, more than 60 Dutch festivals were called-off, and in Australia, large-name events like Splendour in the Grass and Groovin the Moo were cancelled. The rising cost of living, dynamic pricing, and ticket prices hikes are often to blame, but one thing is clear: festival season is not what it once was.
