Another September in Chicago, another Riot Fest in the books and this year felt like one of the most electric and memorable yet. Riot has always thrived on chaos, but there’s a real beauty in that chaos: the clash of subcultures, the mix of ages, the fact that you can walk from a hardcore pit like GWAR to a sunshine sing-along with Hanson within minutes.
The grounds buzzed with energy all weekend, food truck lines full of punks and parents, record fair tents offering treasures, carnival rides spinning as bands thundered in the background. There’s just nothing else like it, and 2025 proved that Riot Fest is still the wild beating heart of Chicago’s festival season.
Friday
Friday started strong with Shonen Knife, who brought their playful, Ramones-inspired punk to the afternoon crowd. Their joy was contagious. You couldn’t help but grin as they blended sugary melodies with straight-ahead punk riffs.
Loviet followed with a dose of shimmering indie-pop, while Julia Wolf leaned into moody alt-pop textures that set a different kind of tone. Both brought a freshness that balanced out the heavier names later in the night.
Then came Mac Sabbath, equal parts comedy act and surprisingly tight metal band. Watching them parody Sabbath classics with food-themed lyrics while dressed as demented McDonald’s characters was exactly the kind of weird that Riot Fest thrives on.
Rico Nasty flipped the energy on its head, stomping across the stage with unrelenting charisma, her mix of punk spirit and hip-hop swagger turning the crowd into a frenzy.
By evening, the mood shifted into pure emo and punk nostalgia. Senses Fail proved they still know how to get a crowd screaming, mixing their older emotional anthems with heavier modern cuts.
The hometown heroes Alkaline Trio brought a darker, brooding sing-along that felt tailor-made for a Chicago sunset with a special surprise performance of “Sleepyhead” — one we haven’t heard live in 10 years!
And then Blink-182 shut it all down with one of those sets that make you feel like a teenager again; goofy banter, nonstop hits, and a sea of voices screaming every lyric back at them. Punching out hits both old and new, the crowd was going crazy for tracks like “The Rock Show” and “First Date” as well as unexpected tracks like “Dumpweed” followed by a closeout with “Dammit.” It was the perfect cap to day one.
Saturday
Saturday had a different energy — sunburns, sore legs, and dust-covered shoes, but still a determination to power through.
Cliffdiver’s brand of emotional punk felt earnest and heartfelt, connecting with a smaller, but dedicated morning crowd. Violent Vira cranked up the aggression, while Girl in a Coma delivered one of the most refreshing returns of the weekend. Their set is a reminder of just how much they’ve been missed. Helmet followed with a wall of sound, reminding everyone why their heavy, angular riffs were so influential in the first place.
One of the most interesting sets of the day was easily GWAR’s. For anyone who’s seen GWAR live, knows exactly what I’m talking about. Their first song started off their mock celebrity spew-off — chopping off heads and spewing fake blood into the crowd. After I jumped out to clean off all the fake blood from my camera, I jumped back in for the third song which led to — surprise — another fake blood spewing!
Then came the curveball that had been the talk of Riot Fest for years: “JOHN STAMOS IS COMING TO RIOT FEST!” The running lore started back in 2013 when the owner of Riot Fest tried to book John Stamos’ fictional band from hit show Full House. The Beach Boys featured John Stamos on guitar who eventually worked his way to the drum set. It shouldn’t have worked, but it did. Harmonies floated out, couples slow-danced, and people waved their arms to “God Only Knows” while Stamos cheesed it up behind the drums. It was a bizarre but beautiful Riot Fest moment.
Knuckle Puck brought things right back into Riot Fest’s sweet spot with raw, Chicago-bred pop-punk energy, igniting massive pits. All Time Low kept the party going, delivering a crowd-pleasing, feel-good set full of hooks and banter.
By the time Weezer took the stage, the place was packed, and every single person seemed to know every single word. Their set was part nostalgia trip, part massive karaoke session, capped off with enough hits to remind you why they’ve endured for decades with hits like “Hash Pipe,” “Say It Ain’t So” and many more crowd favorites.
Sunday
By Sunday, the exhaustion was real. People limping in with coffee and sunglasses, voices shredded, but no one was ready to stop.
The Paradox opened with fresh energy, giving early arrivers a taste of what Riot Fest is about: discovery alongside legends. Hanson turned heads and surprised skeptics, showing off their tight musicianship and charm and sure, “MMMBop” had its moment, but the whole set was polished and fun.
Gym Class Heroes transported everyone back to the mid-2000s, mixing hip-hop and rock with a looseness that felt like a party. Then Idles stormed the stage like a tidal wave; furious, cathartic, and absolutely relentless. Their set wasn’t just music, it was a release and the start of a new journey for the band with only Travie McCoy, as currently, the only returning member. Needless to say, this was one of my favorite sets of the fest and was honor to capture.
And finally, Green Day closed out the weekend in true headliner fashion. Billie Joe and the band had the entire festival eating out of their hands, classic after classic, new songs mixed in seamlessly, fireworks bursting over the skyline.
The entire field sang “Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)” like a choir, arms around friends and strangers alike. It was a perfect, chaotic, emotional ending to a weekend that felt both exhausting and unforgettable.
Final Thoughts
Riot Fest 2025 was three days of sweaty pits, weird surprises, and unforgettable sets. It’s a festival where parody bands share the bill with legends, where pop-punk sits next to hardcore, where you can lose yourself in nostalgia one moment and discover your new favorite band the next. The atmosphere is messy and unpolished, but that’s the point — it’s a festival that feels alive, unpredictable, and unapologetically itself.
Walking out of the grounds late Sunday night, covered in dust, sore from three days of pits, and still humming Green Day, I couldn’t help but think: Riot Fest isn’t just a festival; it’s a tradition.
GALLERY: Riot Fest 2025 in Chicago, Illinois (September 19-21, 2025)
