Chicago Blues Festival

June 9 – 12, 2022
Free admission • Millennium Park and beyond

The annual Chicago Blues Festival in June is the city’s largest music festival. 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.

A Chicago staple for almost 40 years, the festival’s diverse lineup has included everyone from B.B. King and Buddy Guy to Etta James and Koko Taylor and beyond. Performances showcase the genre’s contributions to soul, R&B, gospel, rock, hip-hop, and more.

Chicago Blues Festival 2022 lineup

This year, Chicago Blues Festival will feature a packed lineup of perfomances in iconic Millennium Park, paying homage to the past, present, and future of blues. There will also be citywide celebrations that include the Chicago Riverwalk and two neighborhoods that birthed Chicago blues — Austin and Bronzeville.

• Millennium Park lineup
• Neighborhood pop-up lineup

Millennium Park lineup

Thursday, June 9

Jay Pritzker Pavilion

• Tribute to Erwin Helfer and his Boogie Woogie Ensemble (with Skinny Williams, Davide Illardi, Katherine Davis, John Brumbach and Lou Marini)
• Emerging Artist – Jamiah Rogers
• Joanna Connor
• Toronzo Cannon
• Shemekia Copeland

Visit Mississippi Juke Joint Stage 

• Linsey Alexander
• Robert Kimbrough, Sr.
• The Keeshea Pratt Band
• Eddie Cotton

Rosa’s Lounge (South Promenade stage)

Daily showcase of Chicago Blues legends and emerging artists that have called Rosa’s Lounge home over the last 38 years, hosted by Tony Mangiullo.

Friday, June 10

Jay Pritzker Pavilion

• Tribute to Bob Stroger & Friends with special guest, Sam Burckhardt (with Billy Flynn, Kenny Smith, Rockin Eddie, Sam B and One Take Willie)
• Emerging Artist – Joey J. Saye
• Thornetta Davis
• The Mike Wheeler Band
• Billy Branch & The Sons of Blues

Visit Mississippi Juke Joint Stage

• Nora Jean Wallace
• Lucious Spiller
• Grady Champion
• Ms. Jody

Rosa’s Lounge (South Promenade stage)

Daily showcase of Chicago Blues legends and emerging artists that have called Rosa’s Lounge home over the last 38 years, hosted by Tony Mangiullo.

Saturday, June 11

Jay Pritzker Pavilion

• Chicago Soul Tribute to Gene Barge, Cicero Blake & Willie Henderson featuring Willie Henderson’s Big Bad Blues Band with special guests Ruby Andrews, Samota Acklin, Theresa Davis, Joe Barr and Willie White
• Emerging Artist – Nick Alexander
• Melody Angel
• Rico McFarland
• Ronnie Baker Brooks

Visit Mississippi Juke Joint Stage

• JW Williams
• Dexter Allen
• Keith Johnson & The Big Muddy Band
• Cedric Burnside

Rosa’s Lounge (South Promenade stage)

Daily showcase of Chicago Blues legends and emerging artists that have called Rosa’s Lounge home over the last 38 years, hosted by Tony Mangiullo.

Sunday, June 12

Jay Pritzker Pavilion

• Women in Blues with a special tribute to Mary Lane featuring special guests, Peaches Staten, Shirley Johnson, Sheryl Youngblood, Demetria Taylor, Nora Jean Wallace, Laretha Weathersby, Sharon Lewis, Anne Harris and Donna Herula. Hosted by Lynne Jordan.
• Emerging Artist – Ivy Ford
• Annika Chambers
• The Kinsey Report
• Eric Gales

Visit Mississippi Juke Joint Stage

• Lurrie Bell
• Johnny Rawls
• Rising Stars Fife & Drum Band
• Mr. Sipp

Rosa’s Lounge (South Promenade stage)

Daily showcase of Chicago Blues legends and emerging artists that have called Rosa’s Lounge home over the last 38 years, hosted by Tony Mangiullo.

Neighborhood pop-up lineup

Chicago Blues Fest FAQs

What items are prohibited from being brought onto festival grounds?

• Barbecue grills (open flames)
• Fireworks or explosives
• Illegal substances & weapons
• Pop-up tents/canopies
• Beach/picnic umbrellas
• Flag poles
• All pets (except service animals)

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

Can I save seats in the Pavilion?
General seating in the Pavilion and on the Great Lawn is available on a first-come, first-served basis. In the Pavilion seating, you may save only one seat prior to the start of each show. Once the show has started, you must relinquish your seat. Please note that Millennium Park reserves the right to close the Pavilion seating and Great Lawn due to reaching capacity and appreciates your cooperation in ensuring the safety and enjoyment of your concert-going experience.

May I bring a picnic basket?
Yes! Millennium Park is the perfect place for a picnic and a night of music and dining al fresco. However, in order to ensure that events are enjoyable for all attendees and to protect the lawn from wear and tear, please respect the following rules of the Jay Pritzker Pavilion: tents, oversized umbrellas, oversized blankets or plastic tarps, helium balloons, oversized flags, signs/banners, barbecue grills, open flame candles, or staking of any kind are not allowed on the Great Lawn area.

May I buy beer or wine in the park? How about food?
Refreshments, including food, beer, and wine, are available for purchase from the concessions tent located to the east of the Jay Pritzker Pavilion. In addition, concessions can be purchased throughout the Park, including from the concession carts located on the Chase Promenade and at the Park Grill and Café on the McCormick Tribune Plaza. Alcohol may only be consumed in the seating area and the Great Lawn during the concerts. Alcohol sales in the Millennium Park concession tent end one half-hour prior to the end of the concert.

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. The Pavilion seats are not protected from the elements. The Great Lawn has a high-tech design with underlying layers of sand and gravel that allows water to drain quickly.

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

May I smoke?
Smoking is prohibited in the seating area of the Jay Pritzker Pavilion, Great Lawn, the Lurie Garden, the east and west arcades by the restrooms, and the east and west Exelon Buildings.

May I bring my dog along?
Animals are not permitted in Millennium Park, unless they are service animals.

Please note: Schedule is subject to change. For the latest on all Millennium Park events, visit millenniumpark.org.