Pitchfork Music Festival Tips from a Concert Photographer

Pitchfork Music Festival is one of the highlights of summer in Chicago. There’s nothing like singing along to your favorite artists—and discovering new ones—alongside your friends under the sun in Union Park. I’ve been attending Pitchfork Fest since 2010, and have several years of experience photographing the festival, reviewing the performances, and interviewing artists. Whether it’s your first time or tenth attending the festival, I’m sharing my best Pitchfork Music Festival tips.

What is Pitchfork Music Festival?

Pitchfork Fest is an annual music festival that’s taken place in Chicago since 2006. It started in 2005 as Intonation Music Festival before rebranding as Pitchfork Music Festival. The three-day festival books more than 40 artists in genres including indie, pop, hip-hop, and avant-garde. About 60,000 music fans attend the festival over three days.

When is Pitchfork Music Festival?

Pitchfork Fest typically takes place in mid-July. In 2024, the festival dates are July 19-21. While Chicago’s festival is the original event, Pitchfork has also thrown festivals in Paris, London, Mexico City, and Berlin.

Where is Pitchfork Music Festival?

Union Park in Chicago’s West Loop neighborhood has been Pitchfork’s home for many years. Union Park’s address is 1501 W. Randolph Street, Chicago, IL 60607.

The main entrance to Pitchfork Festival is located on Ashland Avenue. The other streets that surround Union Park are Lake Street, Randolph Street, and Ogden Avenue.

What is the Pitchfork Lineup and Schedule?

Pitchfork typically announces the festival lineup every spring around March. In 2024, the lineup includes headliners Black Pumas, Jamie xx, Alanis Morissette along with other artists like Grandmaster Flash, 100 gecs, and Carly Rae Jepson. You can view the full lineup on Pitchfork’s website.

The daily schedule for Pitchfork Music Festival is usually released about two months ahead of the festival in May. While Pitchfork’s gates open daily at noon, the live music runs from about 1 p.m. to 10 p.m. There are three stages at Pitchfork Fest. The Blue Stage is the smallest, followed by the Green Stage, and the Red Stage is the largest where the headliners will play. The Pitchfork schedule is listed on their website and it includes the set times and stage for every artist each day.

Where to Stay in Chicago for Pitchfork Music Festival

Pitchfork’s location is easily accessible to plenty of hotels right in the West Loop and nearby in the Loop. If you’re renting a home on Vrbo or Airbnb, you could expand the search to West Town and Wicker Park directly north of the West Loop. There are plenty of other great neighborhoods to stay in, but they may require a transfer if you’re taking public transit or a rideshare rather than walking.

I’ve added a handy map below to check the latest hotel rates near Pitchfork Music Festival. You can also check Chicago hotel rates on Hotels.com, Booking.com, and Expedia or try home rentals (great for bigger groups) on Vrbo.

How to Get to Pitchfork Music Festival

With easy access to public transit, I don’t recommend driving and parking to Pitchfork Music Fest. If you must drive, find a parking spot along public transit and take a bus or train the rest of the way. Parking near Union Park will be difficult and expensive.

If you’re coming from the Loop, take the Green or Pink train to Ashland. If you’re coming from north or south of Union Park, the Ashland #9 bus stop near Lake Street is across from the Pitchfork Festival entrance gates. Check the CTA system map to see if your hotel or house rental is near a Chicago train or bus line.

If you’re traveling from the Chicagoland suburbs you can take a Metra commuter rail line to get downtown. If you take the Metra to Ogilvie Transportation Center you can take the Madison #20 bus to Madison and Ashland, just south of the festival’s main entrance. Check the Metra maps and schedules.

My preferred way to get to Pitchfork Fest is by bike. The festival provides a designated bike parking area just a few blocks away where rad folks watch your ride while you’re in the park. Don’t forget to tip them!

What Are Pitchfork After-Shows?

In addition to performing at Pitchfork Music Festival, many of the artists on the bill play after-shows at other venues around town. While these shows are affiliated with the festival, they occur outside of the festival grounds.

Whether you missed your favorite act’s set at the festival or you prefer to catch a regular-length performance rather than a festival set, after-shows are a great way to extend the Pitchfork experience. Here is the list of Pitchfork Music Festival 2024 after-shows.

If you’re interested in attending an after-show, I’d recommend purchasing tickets in advance as many will sell out. Check the time and venue location for your after-show and plan to leave Union Park accordingly as some venues are further from the festival grounds than others.

Tips for Pitchfork Music Festival

1. Listen to Each Artist Before the Festival
We all have standout artists on the schedule that we can’t wait to see live, but don’t sleep on the rest of the Pitchfork Festival bill. I’d recommend listening to at least one song from each artist to see if you discover a new favorite. Look up their top songs or listen to this Spotify playlist by Pitchfork Fest highlighting standout tracks by the artists at this year’s festival.

2. Download the Pitchfork Music Festival App and Screenshot the Schedule
Pitchfork creates a handy mobile app to keep the festival info in your pocket. It often contains handy information like a map and schedule for the festival. You can “like” acts that you don’t want to miss to create your custom schedule. Download the Pitchfork Music Festival app on the Apple Store and Google Play.

I’d also recommend taking screenshots of the schedule and saving them as favorites in your phone. When the grounds get crowded, the Wi-Fi may be spotty, and you don’t want to miss an artist due to poor connection. You can also set reminders in your phone 15 minutes before your favorite act is set to take the stage to remind yourself to grab a good spot!

3. Arrive Early and Bring Your ID
According to the Pitchfork Fest website, a valid photo ID is required to enter the festival grounds so don’t leave home without it. 

When you arrive at the festival grounds each day, expect to wait in line. Festival employees will scan tickets and search bags. See the festival website for a list of allowed and prohibited items. Allow yourself plenty of time to enter the gates ahead of the first act you want to see each day.

4. Seize the Day
Even if the acts you’re excited to hear live are later in the day, get to Pitchfork Fest early to soak in the experience. It’s great to get the lay of the land so you know where concessions, bathrooms, and stages are before you need to rush to see a band. You can see the Pitchfork Festival map here.

One of the great pleasures of the music festival format is discovering artists that are new to you. Wander over to a stage to catch a musical act that you don’t know. Many artists translate differently live, and you might just find your new favorite song.

5. Wear Comfortable Shoes
One of the best things about Pitchfork is its manageable size compared to say, the gargantuan Lollapalooza. Yet, Union Park is around 14 acres, and you will be doing plenty of running from one stage to another so take it easy on your feet and wear something comfortable.

Yes, Pitchfork is known having some stylish attendees. Yet when you’re considering shoe options remember that you’ll be hoofing it through a dusty baseball field at the best and mud at the worst.

6. Prepare for Rain or Shine
Even if you check the weather ahead of time, Chicago can surprise you. Have your best festival by being prepared for the elements. Don’t forget to bring sunscreen and reapply it. If you forget sunscreen, head to the First Aid tent where they will usually provide some for free.

Is the forecast rainy? The show will usually go on unless there is a threat of a severe storm or lightning. Keep a poncho or small umbrella on-hand so you don’t miss a moment of the festival. Be prepared to get muddy if it does rain.

7. Hydrate
Music festivals can be long days. Don’t forget to have a water in-between those beers and seltzers. While water is available for purchase, you can also bring a limited amount of your own. Attendees may bring in two factory sealed bottles of water (under 1 liter).

A more sustainable option is to bring your own reusable water bottle or CamelBak. Make sure that it’s empty when you enter the festival. You can refill your water bottle at refill stations.

You may not know, but most stages have racks of water bottles behind the security gate. Security keeps them close to hand out to folks in the crowd who need them. If you’re stuck in the crowd and in need of water, ask security for a bottle of water or ask someone nearby to pass it to you.

8. Take a Break
Music festivals can be long days. When you’re planning your schedule, look for a break to take a seat and relax. Union Park has many shady nooks away from the sun that are perfect for chilling out and listening to whoever is playing on the nearest stage. Some of my favorite Pitchfork memories are relaxing under a tree with friends rather than cramming into the crowd.

9. Chow Down
All that rocking out will work up an appetite, and fortunately Pitchfork Fest has nearly 20 food vendors. Fuel up with Chicago classics like Connie’s Pizza or Chicago Dog House and cool down with Pretty Cool Ice Cream. Looking for vegan options? Soul Veg City has you covered. You can see where all of the food vendors are located on the festival map.

10. Don’t Miss the Rest of the Fest
While the music stages are the main draw, Pitchfork Fest offers so much more. Take a break to find some shade and support local Chicago vendors. Don’t want to carry your purchases around at the festival? Many vendors will hold your goods to be picked up at the end of the night.

Music lovers shouldn’t sleep on flipping through the stacks at CHIRP Record Fair, run by the non-profit radio station. Local record stores and indie labels have plenty of rare vinyl finds that you’ll want to spin at home. Need something stylish to wear to the rest of the festival? Check out the talented vendors at Renegade Craft Fair.

One of my favorite places to peruse at Pitchfork is the music poster marketplace called Flatstock. I love seeing the range of artistic styles and musical acts represented as I admire each show poster artist’s booth.

What to Do if There’s a Weather Delay

If the weather turns inclement, there’s always a chance the festival will need to evacuate. While artists can play in the rain, festival grounds are often evacuated at the threat of lightning or severe storms.

If the grounds are evacuated, an announcement will be made, and festival staff will direct you to the exits. Fortunately, Union Park is located near one of Chicago’s best dining areas in the West Loop. I’d recommend finding a dry place nearby to wait out the rain like Cobra Lounge or Kaiser Tiger.

It’s essential to download the festival app or check the festival’s social media posts to get updates on when the grounds will reopen. This may require some shuffling in the schedule. It’s best not to stray too far from the grounds so that you can reenter quickly when the gates are open.

Attending Pitchfork Music Festival is one of the highlights of my summer every year, and I hope that it becomes one of yours. Stay safe, take care of each other, and enjoy the music!

Need more information on what to do while you’re in Chicago? Check out all of my Chicago articles and don’t miss my Chicago books Secret Chicago: A Guide to the Weird, Wonderful, and Obscure and Chicago Scavenger!

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