After nearly two decades of bringing music, culture, and community together in Chicago’s Union Park, the Pitchfork Music Festival will not return next year. The long-running event, a staple of the city’s summer festival scene since 2006, announced it would take a break in 2025, citing financial struggles and challenges in the evolving music festival landscape.
In a statement released Monday, festival organizers expressed their gratitude for the support the event had received over the years, acknowledging its impact on both the local community and the broader music scene. “This decision was not made lightly,” the statement said. “We are deeply grateful to the City of Chicago for being our Festival’s home for nearly two decades, to the artists who graced our stages with unforgettable performances, and to the fans who brought unmatched energy year after year.”
The announcement follows a series of challenges faced by the festival’s parent company, Condé Nast, which also owns major media brands like Vogue and GQ. This year, Condé Nast announced significant staff layoffs, a move that some speculate may have impacted the resources available for the festival.
The lineup for the 2024 edition of Pitchfork Music Festival included big names like Alanis Morissette, Carly Rae Jepsen, 100 Gecs, Jai Paul, and Black Pumas, and the news of its departure has left many wondering if Chicago’s festival landscape will lose a key cultural event.
Pitchfork Music Festival organizers have not ruled out the possibility of returning to Chicago in future years, but for now, the event will not take place in 2025. Burnett expressed his intention to work with the city to explore ways to keep the festival alive in some form.
The full statement from Pitchfork Music Festival thanked the community and all who contributed to the festival’s success, including founder Mike Reed. “Pitchfork will continue to produce events in 2025 and beyond,” the statement concluded, “and we look forward to continuing to create spaces where music, culture, and community intersect in uplifting ways.”
As the festival takes a break, Chicagoans and music fans alike will be left to reflect on what Pitchfork’s nearly 20 years in the city meant for the local arts scene—and what, if anything, might fill the void left behind.
To our Chicago festival community:
As the music festival landscape continues to evolve rapidly, we have made the difficult decision not to host Pitchfork Music Festival in Chicago in 2025.
This decision was not made lightly. For 19 years, Pitchfork Music Festival has been a celebration of music, art, and community—a space where memories were made, voices were amplified, and the shared love of music brought us all together. The Festival, while aligned with the taste of the Pitchfork editorial team, has always been a collaborative effort, taking on a life of its own as a vital pillar of the Chicago arts scene. We are deeply grateful to the City of Chicago for being our Festival’s home for nearly two decades, to the artists who graced our stages with unforgettable performances, and to the fans who brought unmatched energy year after year. Thank you to At Pluto and the rest of the hardworking Festival team whose dedication and creativity were the backbone of every event, and to the broader community whose spirit and support made the Festival a truly unique experience. And thank you to Mike Reed for founding the Festival and for your inspiring vision.
Pitchfork will continue to produce events in 2025 and beyond. We look forward to continuing to create spaces where music, culture, and community intersect in uplifting ways—and we hope to see you there.
