Riot Fest

Annual rock music festival Riot FestJimmy Eat World at Riot Fest 2016GenrePunk rockDatesSeptember 19–21, 2025LocationsDouglass Park, Chicago, Illinois, United StatesYears active2005–presentFoundersMike Petryshyn & Sean McKeoughWebsiteriotfest.org Riot Fest is an annual three-day punk rock music festival held at Douglass Park in Chicago, Illinois. It is known for booking reunions, guest performances, and full album performances. Riot Fest is one of the largest independently owned music festivals in the United States. History Riot Fest was established in Chicago in 2005 by Mike Petryshyn and Sean McKeough. McKeough also co-produced Chicago's Motoblot annual motorcycle rally. Riot Fest spent seven years as a multi-venue festival, using the Metro, Subterranean, Double Door, Cobra Lounge, and the Congress Theater to present bands over a three-day weekend. In 2012, Riot Fest moved to an outdoor venue at Chicago's Humboldt Park and was marketed as Riot Fest & Carnival, with rides, games, wrestling, and food vendors. 2012 also saw the festival expand through North America, with events in Brooklyn, Toronto, Dallas, and Denver soon after. Since McKeough's death in 2016, Riot Fest has rem