Brighter skies and higher humidity made Sunday’s walk into Douglass Park feel heavier than the previous day, but the energy was just as intense. The crowds were ready for the final day and the festival’s energy leaned into it. Fans showed up early and by midday the stages were full and ready for all performances. 

Zero Boys opened the Roots Stage with an intense fury showcasing a classic Midwest hardcore. The Indianapolis natives blasted through Vicious Circle with machine-gun tempos and tight, punked-out riffs. Early arrivals crowded the barricade and answered every shouted chorus. Smoking Popes followed with something much softer. Performing Born to Quit front to back, the band traded the morning’s abrasions for more clean hooks with warm harmonies. “Need You Around” landed perfectly in the open air just before the sun fully started to blister. 

The Ataris brought big-chorus pop-punk next. The band leaned hard on So Long, Astoria and opened a vocal cascade. Their version of “The Boys of Summer” triggered one of the largest communal singalongs of the day with thousands of voices filling the park. The set moved quick and was definitely one of the shorter ones for the day. Dance Hall Crashers’ reunion set brought a welcome change of pace. Elyse Rogers and Karina Deniké split lead vocals across the set, trading tight harmonies over punchy upstroke guitars and occasional horn stabs. The crowd responded by moving into the grass to skank and dance; the set felt like a simple, effective palate cleanser between heavier bills.

Screeching Weasel came on sounding exactly like in the studio: fast, loud, and unapologetic. They ran through material from My Brain Hurts with short, sharp songs and minimal stage banter. The Revolution Stage turned into a pogo pit for the length of their set; people left winded and smiling. Bad Religion played Suffer in full and left no room for loose ends. The band hit the record’s breakneck tempos and three-part harmonies cleanly. Graffin’s lead vocal cut through the mix and the crowd sang every chorus back. Hearing the album straight through underscored how direct and influential those songs remain.

Texas Is The Reason slowed the tempo and tightened the dynamics. Their mid-afternoon set leaned on chiming guitars and restrained verses that opened into full choruses; tracks like “Back and to the Left” and “24 or 7” landed with quiet intensity. The audience was noticeably attentive with more listening than moshing and the set’s emotional weight registered across the field. Jawbreaker rebuilt the tension the right way. Blake Schwarzenbach’s vocals carried a rough edge that suited both the quieter moments and the cathartic loudness. Later on The Academy Is… leaned into hometown chemistry. William Beckett and the band worked through Almost Here material with tight arrangements and crowd-friendly hooks, and the Revolution Stage became a mass singalong for the set’s biggest choruses. It was a concise and crowd-pleasing reminder of the band’s pull in Chicago.

IDLES closed the run before the headliner with an intense, no-nonsense set. Joe Talbot led the band through their blunt high-energy songs, like “War,” “Mr. Motivator,” and “Never Fight a Man with a Perm. The set pushed people forward and kept the energy controlled and focused, a clear warm-up for Green Day’s headlining slot.

Then Green Day closed the weekend, and the set was both a greatest-hits sermon and a political shout. The band opened on an unpredictable note, with teases of Bohemian Rhapsody and a blast of Blitzkrieg Bop, then launched into their own material with no hesitation. Billie Joe Armstrong moved through anger, sarcasm, and tenderness with rapid-fire focus; the crowd matched each mood with chants, fists, and full-throated singalongs.

There were small moments that kept the set immediate and unpredictable. Armstrong pulled a fan up during “Know Your Enemy,” handing over a verse and allowing the crowd to vote on who got the spotlight. A drunken bunny mascot tumbled into the field during the Ramones tease and became an impromptu punchline. Between songs the band flirted with covers and teases which kept the crowds alert during transitions.

Musically the show hit every era. Early cuts like “Longview” and “Welcome to Paradise” dug into OG energy. The quieter moments landed, too like an acoustic “Suzie Chapstick” feeling intimate in the middle of a stadium-scale set. 

The band’s political edge came through without dominating the night. Armstrong made a few pointed comments, barbs tossed at the right targets, but the tone stayed familiar: defiant and communal. The crowd answered to all motions, reacting to every twist with cheers, boos, or full-body singalongs depending on the beat.

Green Day Setlist (Riot Fest 9/21/25):
Bohemian Rhapsody (Queen cover)
Blitzkrieg Bop (Ramones cover — Drunk Bunny cameo)
American Idiot
Holiday
Know Your Enemy (with fan onstage)
Boulevard of Broken Dreams
One Eyed Bastard
Revolution Radio
The Grouch
Longview
Welcome to Paradise
Hitchin’ a Ride (Iron Man intro tease)
Going to Pasalacqua
Brain Stew
St. Jimmy
21 Guns (shortened)
Minority (band intros + “Surrender” tease)
Basket Case
When I Come Around
She
Wake Me Up When September Ends (Jack & Diane intro)
Jesus of Suburbia
Bobby Sox
Suzie Chapstick (partial, acoustic)
Good Riddance (Time of Your Life) (with Sinatra-style “Chicago” outro)

When the final chords of “Good Riddance” and that Sinatra-style “Chicago” outro faded, the field stayed in place for a long minute. The teardown began and crowds moved out in stages; some lingered to soak in the moment while others headed straight for afterparties around the neighborhood.

Operationally the day was super smooth. Stage swaps were quick, sound levels stayed consistent across wildly different acts, and queues for merch and food were long but steady. 

Sunday felt like the clearest expression of how Riot Fest has become a place where punk history is both honored and continued. The celebrations will return next year, with 2026 dates being announced for September 18, 19, and 20, returning to Douglass Park.