Photo Credit: Owen Ela

Returning to Chicago for its 12th year running, Riot Music Festival has just released the first wave of artists that will be performing on the festival stages. The new lineup features several reunion bands including The Original Misfits, Rob Zombie, Thursday, Set Your Goals, The Anniversary, and a rare appearance by Girls Against Boys, plus many other big and small named artist that will take the stage in an absolute bonkers on the weekend of September 16th-18th at Douglas Park, Chicago.

Riot fest was founded in 2005 as a multi-venue festival throughout Chicago, using a number of music venues around the city of Chicago in order to start building a name for themselves. Since then they have moved to having  aset location in the city of Chicago, as well as two additional festival locations in Denver, CO, and Toronto, ON.  Catering towards the punk, alternative, indie, skater, and psychobilly rock crowd, Riot fest has gotten known as a festival that books reunion tours, guest performances, and full album performances. The festival now boasts an attendance of tens of thousands of guests, it has now expanded to include carnival Rides, amazing food vendors, sideshow performers, and more add to the atmosphere of this independent music fest, it has become the premier destination for any rock n’ roll fan.

It seems that Riot Fest & Carnival has chosen to truly pander to the 90’s high school bands that we enjoyed growing up, bands like Jimmy Eat World, Bad Religion, NOFX and other have all been selected to join the already blustering lineup of rock artist. It looks like the city of Chicago can expect some real teen angst coming their way in September.

To make an announcement even more spectacular, Riot Fest has also announced the lineup to their sister fest Riot Fest & Rodeo in Denver, CO, and it looks like the festivals will be sharing some of the same reunion headliners, plus others that won’t be at Chicago’s lineup.

Both festivals hold lineups that should not be missed and should make it onto any fans late summer stops.

GA & VIP tickets are now available for purchase.

Update (06/28/2016):  Riot fest has just released the final phase of their lineup, and with an already packed lineup, it seem that they have managed to raise the bar even more with these new artists on the bill.

Now adding to the impressive Chicago lineup are Julian Marley (performing Exodus), Sleater-Kinney, The Flaming Lips, The Julie Ruin, and The Bronx.

Riot Festival 2016 Official Lineup:

The Original Misfits (Featuring Glenn Danzig, Jerry Only and Doyle Wolfgang Von Frankenstein)
Morrissey
Ween
Death Cab For Cutie
Rob Zombie
Social Distortion
Brand New
NAS
Julian Marley (performing Exodus)
Sleater-Kinney (new)
The Flaming Lips (new)
The Julie Ruin (new)
The Bronx (new)
The Specials
Deftones
Fitz & The Tantrums
Jimmy Eat World
Descendents
Refused
NOFX
Bad Religion
Pierce The Veil
All Time Low
Underoath
Motion City Soundtrack
Thursday
Jake Bugg
The Hives
Death Grips
Chevy Metal
Bob Mould
The Hold Steady
Glassjaw
Me First and The Gimme Gimmes
Pepper
Tiger Army
Meat Puppets
GZA
The Wonder Years
Method Man & Redman
Dan Deacon
Dee Snider
Andrew W.K.
Joey Bada$$
GWAR
Leftöver Crack
Billy Talent
The Anniversary
Neck Deep
Highly Suspect
Smoking Popes
Fucked Up
The Vandals
The Dillinger Escape Plan
Girls Against Boys
Fu Manchu, The Falcon
I The Mighty
The Toasters
Set Your Goals
Juliette Lewis & The Licks
FrnkIero and the Cellabration
Tigers Jaw
Basement
Citizen
Swingin’ Utters
Big D & The Kids Table
Diarrhea Planet’
Pouya
Touché Amoré
Hippo Campus
Balance & Composure
People Under the Stairs
White Lung
Denzel Curry
Jessica Hernandez & The Deltas
Turnover
Violent Soho
Dee-1
Bleached
Brick + Mortar
Night Riots
Plague Vendor
Off With Their Heads
Laura Stevenson
Somos
Tancred
Microwave
Deal’s Gone Bad
Death Spells
3Teeth
Black Foxxes
The Wans
Creeper
The Walters
Jule Vera
Marina City
Worriers
Nots
Big Ups
All Dogs
The Dirty Nil
Eskimeuax
War On Women
Hard Girls
A Will Away
Can’t Swim
With Our Arms To The Sun
Donna Missal
Bad Cop / Bad Cop
Tasha the Amazon
Blackbox
High Waisted
Partner
Sleepy Kitty
School of Rock
More To Be Announced… And Featuring Hellzapoppin Circus Sideshow Revue