In a major addition to the city’s summer calendar, the Chicago Blues Festival is gearing up for its annual comeback. Blues music attendees can expect live performances and panel discussions featuring both emerging and established artists of Chicago for four days in June.
Highlights
- The Chicago Blues Festival will return for its 41st year on June 5.
- The opening night of the four-day blues festival will take place at Ramova Theatre.
- Artists including Dawn Tyler Watson, Christone ‘Kingfish’ Ingram, and Jonathan Ellison will be performing at the event.
Chicago Blues Festival Returns With Its 41st Edition
Artists performing at the Chicago Blues Festival (Source: @chicago.gov)
The free summer music festival will continue its tradition of bringing talented musicians from the blues music scene to Chicago’s downtown Millennium Park. Having started in 1984, this year will mark its 41st edition and offer attendees multiple days of performances celebrating the city’s blues legacy.
Ramova Theatre to Host the Opening Night
Chicago Blues Festival 2025 will kick off on June 5. The opening night will include live blues panel discussions featuring names like Jim O’Neal, Brett Bonner, Deitra Farr, Scott Barretta, and Bruce Iglauer.
Set to take place at the Ramova Theatre (3520 S Halsted St, Chicago, IL 60609, United States), the event’s opening night will also feature an ‘Up Close & Personal’ session with Bobby Rush.
Other Major Attractions at the Four-Day Event
The main festival will take place from June 6 to 8 at the Millennium Park. Artists like D.K. Harrell, John Primer with Steve Bell, and Dawn Tyler Watson will be performing at its Jay Pritzker Pavilion on June 6. Artists will pay tribute to B.B. King as well.
Other performers who will perform in tribute to the city’s blues heritage on June 6 include Eddie Cotton, Sheryl Youngblood, Rico McFarland, and The Mike Wheeler Band.
Christone “Kingfish” Ingram, Theo Huff, and VanderCook College of Music will perform at the event on June 7 at Millennium Park.
On the final day of the Chicago Blues Festival, attendees will have to go to Maxwell Street to catch live performances by Mavis Staples, Jonathan Ellison, etc. The timings for the last day on June 8 will be from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Things to Note for Chicago’s Free Blues Event
The free Chicago Blues Festival will allow visitors to bring blankets/folding chairs. They could also bring food items and non-alcoholic beverages to the downtown Millennium Park location. Pets will not be allowed at the Chicago event.
Celebrating the city’s cultural roots, the Chicago Blues Festival will allow both avid blues followers and new fans to immerse themselves in the legacy of blues music.
