The beloved Pitchfork Music Festival will return to Chicago’s Union Park this summer, Friday, July 15 through Sunday, July 17. Today, the Festival announces the full 2022 lineup, including headliners The National, Mitski, and The Roots.
The Festival kicks off on Friday with The National, who played Pitchfork Music Festival’s first year in 2006, Spiritualized, Parquet Courts, Tierra Whack, Amber Mark, Dawn Richard, Tkay Maidza, Indigo De Souza, SPIRIT OF THE BEEHIVE, SPELLLING, Camp Cope, Wiki, Ethel Cain, and CupcakKe.
The festivities continue on Saturday with Mitski, Japanese Breakfast, Lucy Dacus, Low, Magdalena Bay, Dry Cleaning, Karate, Iceage, yeule, Arooj Aftab, The Armed, Chubby & the Gang, Hyd, and Jeff Parker & the New Breed.
The Festival closes on Sunday with The Roots, Toro y Moi, Earl Sweatshirt, Noname, BADBADNOTGOOD, Cate Le Bon, Tirzah, Xenia Rubinos, Erika de Casier, Injury Reserve, KAINA, L’Rain, Sofia Kourtesis, and Pink Siifu.
“This year’s lineup is a celebration of the rising indie class, and those who continue to pave the way for innovation,” said Puja Patel, editor in chief of Pitchfork. “Our goal was to highlight a diverse group of artists who are taking their musical genres to new heights, and I’m proud of how it’s come together.”
Since 2006, the Pitchfork Music Festival has consistently proven to be one of the most welcoming, accessible, and rewarding festivals around. Hosting 60,000 attendees of all ages from all 50 states and dozens of countries, the Pitchfork Music Festival showcases the best up-and-coming music from around the world, as well as special performances from touring stalwarts and legends alike. Featuring diverse vendors, including specialty record and craft fairs, the Festival works to support local businesses while promoting the Chicago arts and food communities as a whole.
Currently, three-day passes are $200 and single-day passes are $99. The Pitchfork PLUS upgrade, including a range of exclusive amenities, is $399 for a three-day pass and $199 for a single-day pass. Payment plans are available for all ticket types. More details are available here.
The Pitchfork Music Festival will return to Chicago’s Union ParkFriday, September 10 through Sunday, September 12. Today, the Festival announces the full 2021 lineup, including headliners Erykah Badu,St. Vincent, and Phoebe Bridgers.
The Festival opens on Friday with Phoebe Bridgers, Big Thief, Animal Collective, Yaeji, The Fiery Furnaces (their first show in over a decade), black midi, Hop Along, Kelly Lee Owens, Ela Minus, DEHD,The Soft Pink Truth, DJ Nate, Dogleg, and Armand Hammer.
Saturday features St. Vincent, Angel Olsen, Kim Gordon, Ty Segall & Freedom Band, Waxahatchee, Jay Electronica, Jamila Woods, Georgia Anne Muldrow, Faye Webster, Amaarae, Maxo Kream, Divino Niño, Bartees Strange, and Horsegirl.
On Sunday, the Festival hosts Erykah Badu, Flying Lotus, Thundercat, Danny Brown, Cat Power, Andy Shauf, Caroline Polachek, Yves Tumor, The Weather Station, Mariah the Scientist, oso oso, KeiyaA, Special Interest, and Cassandra Jenkins.
For 15 years, the Pitchfork Music Festival has delivered an eclectic musical lineup, singular in its ability to place contemporary, cutting-edge acts alongside some of the most revered artists of our time. It’s this unique blend of discovery and tradition that makes the Pitchfork Music Festival stand out as one of the most celebrated weekends of the year.
“We are unbelievably excited to celebrate the return of live shows, our music community, and, most importantly, the artists and events crews who have made this year’s festival possible,” says editor in chief of Pitchfork, Puja Patel. “I know this will be a cathartic weekend for all of us, and that it lands right before the 25th anniversary of the publication makes it all the more special.”
Pitchfork Music Festival tickets are on sale now. Three-day passes are $195 and single-day passes are $90. The Pitchfork PLUS upgrade, including a range of exclusive amenities, is $385 for a three-day pass and $185 for a single-day pass. If the festival is postponed or rescheduled due to COVID-19, ticket buyers can keep their passes for the new dates or request a refund. More details are available here.
To ensure the health and safety of guests, artists, and staff, the Pitchfork Music Festival will adhere to the city of Chicago’s COVID-19 protocol, and will keep attendees updated as federal, state, and local regulations evolve. For the latest safety guidelines, visit Pitchfork Music Festival’s FAQ page, and follow @PitchforkFest on Instagram and Twitter.
COVID-19 regulations currently include:
● Attendees aged 12 and older will be required to provide proof of a COVID vaccination or a negative PCR test within the past 24 hours, each day of the festival. Visit the city of Chicago’s website for a list of local COVID-19 test providers (here), and vaccination providers (here). ● In accordance with current IDPH and CDPH guidelines, masks will be required throughout festival grounds. Masks may be removed when eating and drinking. Pitchfork is working closely with local health officials and will continue to update this policy as local guidelines become available.
FRIDAY Phoebe Bridgers Big Thief Animal Collective The Fiery Furnaces Yaeji black midi Hop Along Kelly Lee Owens Ela Minus DEHD The Soft Pink Truth DJ Nate Dogleg Armand Hammer
SATURDAY St. Vincent Angel Olsen Kim Gordon Ty Segall & Freedom Band Waxahatchee Jay Electronica Jamila Woods Georgia Anne Muldrow Faye Webster Amaarae Maxo Kream Divino Niño Bartees Strange Horsegirl
SUNDAY Erykah Badu Flying Lotus Thundercat Danny Brown Cat Power Andy Shauf Caroline Polachek Yves Tumor The Weather Station Mariah the Scientist oso oso KeiyaA Special Interest Cassandra Jenkins
The Pitchfork Music Festival will celebrate its 15th anniversary this summer, Friday, July 17 through Sunday, July 19, at Chicago’s Union Park. Today, the Festival announces the full 2020 lineup, including headliners Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Run The Jewels, and The National. Leading up to the Festival weekend, there will be a week of special 15th Anniversary Events commemorating 15 years of the Pitchfork Music Festival and the city of Chicago. Further details will be announced soon.
The festival opens on Friday with Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Angel Olsen, The Fiery Furnaces playing their first show in 10 years, Jehnny Beth, Deafheaven, Waxahatchee, Tim Hecker & The Konoyo Ensemble, SOPHIE, Fennesz, Hop Along, Dehd, SPELLLING, KAINA, and Femdot.
On Saturday, the festival hosts Run The Jewels, who had a formative moment in 2013 during which they were originally booked as solo artists before joining each others’ sets. They will be joined by Sharon Van Etten, Twin Peaks, Danny Brown, Thundercat, Cat Power, Tierra Whack, BADBADNOTGOOD, Dave, Oso Oso, Divino Niño, Boy Scouts, Ezra Collective, and Margaux.
Sunday will feature The National, who played Pitchfork Music Festival’s first year in 2006, Big Thief, Kim Gordon, Phoebe Bridgers, Yaeji, Caroline Polachek, DJ Nate, Maxo Kream, Rapsody, Faye Webster, Mariah the Scientist, Dogleg, The Hecks, and Dustin Laurenzi’s Snaketime.
For 15 years, the Pitchfork Music Festival lineup has spanned genres and generations, consistently placing contemporary cutting-edge artists alongside some of the most influential acts of our time. Year after year, this significant balance has made the event stand out as one of the most enjoyable festivals and celebrated weekends in music.
“For the 15th anniversary of Pitchfork Music Festival, we’re excited to showcase musicians who have been formative to our readers and pivotal to their respective communities,” said editor-in-chief Puja Patel. “It’s in Pitchfork’s DNA to seek out rising talent and the best new music out there, and this year’s lineup exemplifies that across all three days. We always hope that fans will come to see their favorite band and leave the weekend having found a new one as well.”
Pitchfork Music Festival tickets are on sale now. Currently, three-day passes are $185 and single-day passes are $75. The Pitchfork PLUS upgrade, including a range of exclusive amenities, is $385 for a three-day pass and $160 for a single-day pass. Payment plans will be available for all tickets over $100. More details are available here.
FRIDAY Yeah Yeah Yeahs Angel Olsen The Fiery Furnaces Jehnny Beth Deafheaven Waxahatchee Tim Hecker & The Konoyo Ensemble SOPHIE Fennesz Hop Along Dehd SPELLLING KAINA Femdot
SATURDAY Run the Jewels Sharon Van Etten Twin Peaks Danny Brown Thundercat Cat Power Tierra Whack BADBADNOTGOOD Dave Oso Oso Divino Niño Boy Scouts Ezra Collective Margaux
SUNDAY The National Big Thief Kim Gordon Phoebe Bridgers Yaeji Caroline Polachek DJ Nate Maxo Kream Rapsody Faye Webster Mariah the Scientist Dogleg The Hecks Dustin Laurenzi’s Snaketime
For more information, including lineups, event news, and the latest updates, please visit PitchforkMusicFestival.com, facebook.com/pitchforkmusicfestival and follow Pitchfork Music Festival on Instagram and Twitter.
Pitchfork Magazine has announced its first ever Pitchfork Berlin music festival coming May 08 – 09, 2020. This makes the second European festival for them, with the other being Pitchfork Pariscoming up Halloween weekend this year.
No artists have yet been announced for Pitchfork Berlin, but Pitchfork has written that the festival “will tap into the city’s electronic and progressive music culture.” That alone makes it sound pretty cool.
Halloween is fun. Halloween in Paris would be even more fun (although I’m not sure how big the holiday is there). Halloween in Paris while a music festival is happening would be even better.
Pitchfork Paris has revealed its 2019 lineup, and it includes heavyweights like Chromatics, Belle & Sebastian, Charli XCX, Ezra Collective, Jamila Woods, Weyes Blood, and more. Get your tickets now before they go up in price.
Keep your mind open.
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The Pitchfork Music Festival announces today the full 2019 lineup, including headlinersHAIM, The Isley Brothers, and Robyn. The 14th Annual Pitchfork Music Festival returns to Chicago’s Union ParkFriday, July 19 through Sunday, July 21.
The festival opens on Friday with one of HAIM’s only performances of 2019, Mavis Staples, Earl Sweatshirt, Jeremih, Sky Ferreira, Low, Soccer Mommy, Julia Holter, Grapetooth, Rico Nasty, Valee, Standing on the Corner, MIKE, and Great Black Music Ensemble.
On Saturday, the festival presents The Isley Brothers’ 60th Anniversary Celebration, Belle & Sebastian, Stereolab’s first North American show in a decade, Kurt Vile, Pusha T, Parquet Courts, Freddie Gibbs, Amber Mark, Jay Som, Cate Le Bon, Tirzah, CHAI, Ric Wilson, and Lala Lala.
Sunday, the final day of the festival, features Robyn, Charli XCX, Whitney, Khruangbin, Clairo, Snail Mail, Neneh Cherry, Ibeyi, Amen Dunes, JPEGMAFIA, Flasher, Black Midi, Dreezy, and Tasha.
The 2019 Pitchfork Music Festival lineup spans genres and generations, placing cutting-edge artists of today alongside some of the most revolutionary acts of our time. The balance between the treasured and the new makes this event stand out as one of the most celebrated weekends in music.
“This summer’s Festival will be my first as editor,” said Pitchfork editor-in-chief Puja Patel. “It’s exciting that it also features such an inclusive lineup. More than half the artists performing are women, including modern pioneers of indie rock and hip-hop, legends of soul and R&B, and a headlining set by the dance-pop icon Robyn. For a national festival that’s so important to a larger music community, the scope of this year’s booking feels especially meaningful.”
“There are some one-of-a-kind moments in our lineup this year,” said Pitchfork festival director Adam Krefman, “not just big celebratory moments, but also moments with artists who have collaborated recently or have had clear influences on each other over the years. It’s a sign of Pitchfork’s standing in the festival landscape that we’re able to pull together such a special event. And we’re fortunate to have an audience who’s ready to follow us down these curatorial rabbit holes, eager to be surprised year after year.”
Pitchfork Music Festival tickets are on sale now. Three-day passes are $175; single day passes are $75. The Pitchfork PLUS upgrade is $375 for a three-day pass and $160 for a single-day pass. It includes exclusive amenities such as: premium food vendors and private specialty bars, air conditioned bathrooms, shaded seating and dining areas, expedited entry to the festival and “come and go” re-entry privileges, a welcome bag with festival essentials, storage lockers, and more. More details are available here. Prices for all passes will increase after May 31.
FRIDAY, JULY 19 HAIM Mavis Staples Earl Sweatshirt Jeremih Sky Ferreira Low Soccer Mommy Julia Holter Grapetooth Rico Nasty Valee Standing on the Corner MIKE Great Black Music Ensemble
SATURDAY, JULY 20 The Isley Brothers – 60th Anniversary Celebration Belle & Sebastian Stereolab Kurt Vile Pusha T Parquet Courts Freddie Gibbs Amber Mark Jay Som Cate Le Bon Tirzah CHAI Ric Wilson Lala Lala
SUNDAY, JULY 21 Robyn Charli XCX Whitney Khruangbin Clairo Snail Mail Neneh Cherry Ibeyi Amen Dunes JPEGMAFIA Flasher Black Midi Dreezy Tasha
The lineup for this year’s Pitchfork Music Festival in Chicago’s Union Park didn’t thrill me. Plus, the forecast for the weekend called for rain nearly the entire time my wife and I would be there. Still, the tickets were free (Thanks, Nivas of WSND!) and there were some acts I definitely wanted to see, so we made the trip.
We got there just in time on day one for rain and Melkbelly. The Chicago punks were the second band to play and they unloaded a loud set of fierce shredding. The rain also stopped while they were playing, so I took it as a good omen.
Melkbelly
Up next was Lucy Dacus, who played a nice set as the humidity rose from the sun emerging from the clouds. She talked about her fear of being electrocuted and how she was rearranging some of the set list to avoid too much playing guitar near standing water, but she did fine and was lovely to hear.
Lucy Dacus
Natural Information Society‘s psychedelic jazz set was just two songs and it lasted nearly forty minutes. It was hypnotic, peaceful, and perfect for a warm and wet afternoon.
Natural Information Society
One of the weirdest parts of the day was Tierra Whack‘s twenty-minute set. She replaced Earl Sweatshirt who had cancelled. Whack’s DJ played parts of hip hop songs to warm up the crowd. It didn’t work all that well, mostly because he didn’t play whole tracks and he kept yelling variations of “Hey, Chicago!” over and over to the point where it became pandering. Whack came out and performed her entire debut EP, Whack World, which is only about fifteen minutes long, and then left. “That was weird,” my wife said. Yep.
Tierra Whack (left) and her DJ
Electro-pop outfit Mount Kimbie played a nice set on the far side of the park, and it was a nice warm-up to Tame Impala‘s closing set, which suffered from bad volume mixing. “It sounds like AM radio,” said one woman behind me. Her friend added, “Nothing like listening to Tame Impala through a tin can. Thanks, Pitchfork!” The crowd was yelling, “Turn it up!” at one point. We left before chaos reigned.
Mount Kimbie
As close as we could get to Tame Impala
Day two brought less rain and we started the day with a great set from Zola Jesus. She came out in a red veil and looked like a witch from a Dario Argento movie. She seemed to have a great time. “She could sing anything with that voice,” my wife said. She’s right.
Zola Jesus
Our friend, Nivas, told me to check out Moses Sumney‘s set. Mr. Sumney wasn’t on our radar, but we’re glad we took Nivas up on the suggestion. His set was a good mix of soul, gospel, R&B, and jazz.
Moses Sumney
Another soulful highlight was Raphael Saddiq, who is a dead ringer for Lightnin’ Hopkins. Sadie played a fun set of bluesy R&B that had a lot of folks dancing.
Raphael Sadie
I got all hipster by dragging my wife to see prog-rock legends This Is Not This Heat. It was a loud, dark prog-rock show with songs about nuclear warfare, consumerism, and painful lessons of history. It was neat to see some legends. I even scored a couple autographs.
This Is Not This Heat
We left early again in order to get a decent meal and came back on day three just in time to see Kelly Lee Owens. Her self-titled debut was my favorite album of last year, so she was the main artist I wanted to see at the festival. She didn’t disappoint. She put on a great electro-dance set that had everyone bouncing. It was a crime that she only got to play for 40 minutes.
Kelly Lee Owens
Japanese Breakfast played after her, and they were quite popular with the crowd. Their stuff is a mix of shoegaze, dream pop, and straight-up rock. A big favorite among the crowd was their cover of the Cranberries’ “Dreams.”
Japanese Breakfast
We wandered over to the main stages to claim a spot for the two closing acts and ended up hearing all of DRAM‘s set. He had excited to be playing for such a large crowd and on such a beautiful day. He wasn’t bad, but after the fifth time he yelled, “If you love your momma, say ‘Yeah, dawg!” it became repetitive.
DRAM
People were fired up for Chaka Khan, who looks and sounds great. The line dance that broke out near us during “I Feel for You” was a treat, and the whole crowd, men and women alike, was jumping during “I’m Every Woman.”
Chaka Khan
Lauryn Hill closed the festival. There was talk that she wouldn’t show up, despite being there for a sound check at the beginning of the day. She came on stage twenty minutes late, which I’m sure drove the stage manager nuts, but she showed that her chops haven’t diminished in the last twenty years. She played the entire “Miseducation” album and had a sharp backing band. They had to be ever-vigilant because she was constantly stopping some of them or having them alter their volume and tempo on the fly. She also seemed to have endless problems with her microphone and monitor, judging by how often she tapped the mic and her earpiece. Still, she sounded great. “It wasn’t as epic as I thought it would be,” my wife said, “but I’m glad I got to see her live.”
Lauryn Hill
That pretty much sums up Pitchfork for me this year. It wasn’t as epic as last year, but I’m glad I went. Let’s hope the 2019 lineup is better.
Singer, songwriter, and electro / goth musician Zola Jesus will be playing an early set on Saturday at Chicago’s Pitchfork Music Festival. Her voice is something to behold, and her near-darkwave music will be jarring under the afternoon sun. There is a chance of rain, however, and that would be perfect for her somber songs. Don’t miss this one.
Keep your mind open.
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Australian psych-rockers Tame Impala have a huge following. They’ve been together since 2007 and have produced quite a bit of material in the last 11 years. I missed them in Austin a few years ago when they played the Levitation festival there, but they’re closing the Pitchfork Music Festivalon Friday. I’m sure it will be a packed set and a big freak-out for a crowd dehydrated, sunburned, and fuzzy from alcohol, fried chicken, and other odd substances.
Keep your mind open.
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Replacing Earl SweatshirtPitchfork Music Festival , who has cancelled his upcoming performance at Chicago’s (possibly due to recent depression issues over the death of his father, some sources say), Tierra Whack is a welcome addition with her experimental hip hop and visual artistry. She has a lovely voice, fine mic skills, and a neat aesthetic that combines hip hop culture with 80’s retro, glam, and soul.
