Riot Fest announced the lineup for the festivals 15th anniversary, to take place in Chicagos Douglas Park on September 13th-15th. Blink-182, after having to cancel their 2018 Riot Fest performance for health reasons, will return for this years festival. Riot grrrl legends Bikini Kill will perform a reunion set and thrash metal band Slayer, who are currently on their last world tour, will play their final Chicago show.
Other highlights include The Raconteurs performing their first Chicago show in 11 years and the B-52s playing their final Chicago show, as well as full-album performances from the Flaming Lips (Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots), Ween (The Mollusk), Bloc Party (Silent Alarm) and Avail (Over the James). Rise Against, Die Antwoord, Patti Smith & Her Band, Taking Back Sunday, Rancid, Violent Femmes, Descendents, Manchester Orchestra, Dashboard Confessional and dozens more are among the acts this year.
Riot Fest was founded in 2005 by Mike Petryshyn (aka Riot Mike) and Sean McKeough, as a multi-venue, punk-focused festival with a special emphasis on band reunion sets. In 2012, the festival moved outdoors and played Chicagos Humboldt Park, with satellite festivals taking place in other cities like Denver and Toronto. (2017 marked the end of the satellite shows, due to the death of co-founder McKeough.) Riot Fest has played in Douglas Park since 2015.