Pitchfork Music Festival will not return to Chicago in 2025, marking the end of a 19-year tradition. The festival will continue to produce events, creating new spaces for music, culture, and community.

After two decades of celebrating music and community, the Pitchfork Music Festival will not be returning to Chicago in 2025. Organizers announced the news via their official website and social media channels, stating that as the music festival landscape continues to evolve rapidly, they have made the difficult decision not to host the festival in Chicago for the upcoming year.

Pitchfork’s Farewell to Chicago

In the statement, the festival’s organizers acknowledged the immense history and impact of the event, stating, "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."

While Pitchfork Music Festival has always been closely aligned with the editorial vision of Pitchfork Media, it grew into a collaborative event with its own identity and became an essential part of Chicago’s 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," the statement continued. The festival team, including At Pluto and the hardworking staff, were also praised for their dedication. “Thank you to Mike Reed for founding the Festival and for your inspiring vision.”

The statement concluded by reassuring fans that Pitchfork would continue to produce events in 2025 and beyond, with a focus on creating spaces where music, culture, and community intersect in meaningful ways.

The Roots of Pitchfork Music Festival

Pitchfork Music Festival has its origins in the 2005 Intonation Music Festival, a project in which local promoters Skyline Chicago partnered with Pitchfork Media to curate the event at Union Park in Chicago. Although the Intonation Festival would return in 2006, Pitchfork Media decided to split and create their own music festival, officially named Pitchfork Music Festival.

Over the years, the festival hosted an impressive lineup of headliners, including Animal Collective, Björk, Wilco, A Tribe Called Quest, and many more. Despite the setback of the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to the cancellation of the 2020 event, Pitchfork Music Festival made a comeback in 2021. This year’s festival, held in July, featured major performances by Jamie xx, Alanis Morissette, and Black Pumas.

Expanding Globally and Other Developments

In addition to its beloved Union Park home, Pitchfork Music Festival expanded internationally over the years, hosting events in Paris (2011-2022), London (2021-2023), Berlin (2020, 2022), and a one-off event in Mexico City in 2023.

However, the news of the festival’s departure from Chicago comes just months after Condé Nast, which owns Pitchfork, announced staff layoffs in January. This restructuring follows the magazine’s absorption into GQ, Condé Nast's men's magazine, adding a layer of uncertainty for the publication's future.

Conclusion: A New Chapter for Pitchfork Music Festival

The end of Pitchfork Music Festival’s Chicago era marks a significant shift in the North American music festival landscape. While the festival will not return to Chicago in 2025, its legacy of promoting alternative music and fostering community engagement remains strong. Fans can still look forward to future events where the spirit of Pitchfork Music Festival will continue to thrive globally.