After a two-decade run as one of the most acclaimed music festivals in the world, Pitchfork Music Festival has announced its flagship event in Chicago will not return in 2025. “As the music festival landscape continues to evolve rapidly, we have made the difficult decision not to host Pitchfork Music Festival in Chicago in 2025,” the organizers wrote in a statement, continuing:
This decision was not made lightly. 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. The Festival, while aligned with the taste of the Pitchfork editorial team, has always been a collaborative effort, taking on a life of its own as a vital pillar of the Chicago 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. Thank you to At Pluto and the rest of the hardworking Festival team whose dedication and creativity were the backbone of every event, and to the broader community whose spirit and support made the Festival a truly unique experience. And thank you to Mike Reed for founding the Festival and for your inspiring vision.
Pitchfork will continue to produce events in 2025 and beyond. We look forward to continuing to create spaces where music, culture, and community intersect in uplifting ways-and we hope to see you there.
In 2005, local promoters Skyline Chicago recruited Pitchfork Media to curate Intonation Festival, their inaugural event at Union Park. Pitchfork held their own festival in the same location each year afterward, except for 2020 for pandemic reasons.
In recent years, the event has expanded to Paris, London, and Mexico City. It’s unclear if the music festival will move forward in the other cities, though Pitchfork said in its statement that it “will continue to produce events in 2025 and beyond.”
Back in January, Pitchfork’s parent company Condé Nast brought the site under the supervision of GQ and laid off numerous staff members. A few months later, the festival announced Black Pumas as one of its headliners, a decision that baffled fans as it seemed at odds with the site’s brand. In July, Pitchfork named Mano Sundaresan, the founder of the music blog No Bells, its new head of editorial content.
Nineteen years of music and memories. Thank you, Chicago. pic.twitter.com/SmNEXHwKiV
— Pitchfork Music Festival Chicago (@pitchforkfest) November 11, 2024
