Chicago Blues Festival

Free admission • Millennium Park and beyond

A legendary Chicago event since 1984, the Chicago Blues Festival is the world’s largest free blues festival.

Each year, more than 500,000 blues fans gather in Chicago’s Millennium Park and venues across the city for multiple days of performances — all free and open to the public — featuring some of the genre’s most revered musicians, along with up-and-coming and local talent.

Highlights from this year’s star-studded line-up include Mavis Staples, Christone “Kingfish” Ingram, a B.B. King Centennial Tribute, and a Women in Blues Tribute to Denise LaSalle.

This beloved annual event is a defining feature of Chicago’s legendary blues scene, which attracts blues fans and top-tier talent all year long.

Chicago Blues Festival lineup

The Chicago Blues Festival always features a packed schedule of performances with four days of established and emerging talent in downtwon Millennium Park, with dozens of performances and hundreds of artists celebrating the city’s iconic blues legacy.

Check back for the full 2026 lineup and schedule.

About the Chicago Blues Festival

The Chicago Blues Festival, the largest free blues festival in the world, is an annual event hosted by the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events. The festival is typically held in lakefront Millennium Park in early June.

The lineup includes a diverse mix of local and national acts, with notable past performances from Buddy Guy, Chuck Berry, Junior Wells, Lonnie Brooks, the Staples Singers, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Willie Dixon, and more.

Chicago Blues Fest history
The city’s first Chicago Blues Festival was held in 1984, a year after the death of blues icon Muddy Waters, known as the father of modern Chicago blues. Since then, the event has been dedicated to celebrating blues as a living tradition, honoring Chicago’s rich blues legacy, and paying homage to the genre’s past, present, and future.

The blues found its way to Chicago as African Americans left the South for the industrialized north during the ​​Great Migration. Chicago-style blues was born when amplification was added to traditional Delta blues in order to compete with the volume of the city’s bustling streets. Today, acclaimed as a global blues capital, the city is synonymous with its signature only-in-Chicago sound.

Since its founding, the fest has become a staple in Chicago’s free summer music festival lineup for four decades, the festival’s diverse lineup has included everyone from B.B. King and Buddy Guy to Etta James and Koko Taylor and beyond.

Explore more: Catch a show at one of Chicago’s top music venues.

Chicago Blues Fest FAQs

Where is the Chicago Blues Festival?
The Chicago Blues Festival is held at Millennium Park in the city’s downtown. There will also be citywide celebrations that take place throughout Chicago’s diverse neighborhoods. 

Is Chicago Blues Festival free?
The Chicago Blues Festival is free and open to the public. The annual summer event is known as the largest free blues festival in the world and draws thousands of fans to Chicago’s lakefront Millennium Park.

How do I get to Chicago Blues Festival?
Public transportation is one of the easiest ways to get to Chicago Blues Festival. The city’s public transit system connects visitors to Millennium Park by bus and train. Millennium Park is also directly accessible via Metra.

Nearby parking garages are located at Grant Park North Garage (25 N. Michigan Ave.), Grant Park South Garage (325 S. Michigan Ave.) and Millennium Park Garage & Millennium Lakeside Garage (5 S. Columbus Dr.).

Can I bring a folding chair and blanket to the Chicago Blues Festival?
Yes, but folding chairs are only allowed on the Great Lawn and are not allowed in the seating area of the Jay Pritzker Pavilion. 

Can I bring food and drinks to Chicago Blues Fest?
Yes! All guests will be allowed to bring their own food and non-alcoholic beverages to free events at Millennium Park’s Jay Pritzker Pavilion. Outside alcoholic beverages are not allowed. 

Will food and drinks be available to purchase?
Food will be available for purchase from various concession areas. Alcohol will be available for sale inside the park. Alcohol purchased at the concessions must remain in the concession footprint.

Back by popular demand, the festival elevates its food options with a Blues-inspired smokehouse experience called “Wally’s BBQ Pit” in the North Promenade Tent of the Park with delicious BBQ fare and specialty drinks catered by Eleven North Hospitality. In between Blues sets, guests can stop to enjoy their BBQ, cornbread, and drinks on picnic tables alongside whiskey barrels and smokers. 

What is the rain policy?
Concerts and performances in the Jay Pritzker Pavilion are held rain or shine, unless there are severe weather warnings and/or the threat of lightning in the area. Please plan ahead for your comfort while enjoying this outdoor venue. 

Are recording devices allowed during a concert?
Photography, video, or recording devices are prohibited at all concerts at the Jay Pritzker Pavilion. 

Can I bring my dog to Chicago Blues Festival?
Animals are not permitted in Millennium Park, unless they are service animals.