CHICAGO — Riot Fest turns 20 this year—and the party doesn’t stop when the gates close at Douglass Park. A stellar lineup of aftershow concerts is set to light up venues across the city during the festival weekend, offering fans a second chance to catch iconic punk, emo, and indie acts.
A Star-Studded Aftershow Circuit
From September 17 to 21, post-festival energy will radiate through venues like Metro, Concord Music Hall, Bottom Lounge, Cobra Lounge, and Empty Bottle. Highlights include hometown punk heroes like Alkaline Trio at Metro, Dehd at Empty Bottle, and Senses Fail at Cobra Lounge. Even the legendary Sex Pistols will play an aftershow at Concord Music Hall.
But the nostalgia doesn’t end there—Didjits, a classic punk band from Mattoon, will play their first shows since bassist Doug Evans’s 2016 passing. Their return includes the main Riot Fest set and a special late-night show at Empty Bottle.
Shows You Won’t Want to Miss
Here’s the full aftershow schedule (doors at 10 p.m., unless noted otherwise):
- Wed 9/17: The Damned — The Vic (6:30 p.m.)
- Thu 9/18: Knuckle Puck — Bottom Lounge (7 p.m.) • Mac Sabbath — Reggies (7 p.m.)
- Fri 9/19: Sex Pistols — Concord Music Hall • Alkaline Trio — Metro • The Front Bottoms — Bottom Lounge • Shudder To Think — Cobra Lounge • Ovlov — Empty Bottle • Delta Sleep — Sleeping Village
- Sat 9/20: Senses Fail — Cobra Lounge • Texas Is The Reason — Bottom Lounge • The Academy Is… — Concord Music Hall • Aaron West & The Roaring Twenties — Reggies • Dehd — Empty Bottle
- Sun 9/21: Marky Ramone + Buzzcocks — Metro • Bouncing Souls — Concord Music Hall • Didjits — Empty Bottle
Tickets & Presale Info
Presale begins Wednesday at 10 a.m. with code RIOT20, and general tickets follow starting Thursday at the same time.
Which Riot Fest aftershow are you most excited about? Let us know in the comments at ChicagoSuburbanFamily.com, and I’ll update with any venue changes or added performances.
