For nearly two decades, the Pitchfork Music Festival was more than just a highlight of Chicago’s summer concert season—it was a cultural touchstone for music lovers, local artists, and independent creators alike. The announcement that the festival will no longer take place in Chicago in 2025, made by media giant Condé Nast on Instagram earlier this week, has left a significant void in the city’s music scene. The decision comes after a long festival history serving as a unique platform for emerging artists, established indie bands, and experimental performers, while fostering a tight-knit community of fans and creators.
CHIRP Radio's Mike Bennett described Pitchfork as a space that was considered a haven for truly alternative music enthusiasts. The festival’s annual July weekend in Union Park was a gathering spot for fans who thrived on discovering new music outside the mainstream, enjoying performances by a diverse range of artists, from avant-garde experimentalists to indie darlings. For many, the festival wasn’t just about the music but the community cultivated over the years.
According to Bennett, the festival provided a space where people could gather and feel a sense of belonging. He emphasized that this is something Chicago has now lost.
The festival’s story began in 2005 as the Intonation Music Festival, a small, locally focused event that aimed to provide an alternative to Chicago’s more significant summer festivals like Lollapalooza. Intonation was a community-driven gathering featuring Chicago-based acts such as Andrew Bird and Tortoise. David Singer, a cofounder of Intonation, recalled how the festival initially had a homemade, intimate vibe, where even headliners were paid in the four-figure range.
Reflecting on the first year of the event, Singer described it as a grassroots effort, where the community came together to organize a show in the old barn, giving it a personal and homemade feel.
In 2006, the festival was rebranded as the Pitchfork Music Festival after a partnership with the influential music website Pitchfork Media. The festival quickly surpassed its competitors in Union Park, including Intonation, which ultimately could not sustain itself due to escalating competition for talent and audiences. Pitchfork went on to dominate the independent music scene in Chicago, drawing in some of the most innovative and experimental artists worldwide.
In 2015, Pitchfork Media was acquired by Condé Nast, marking a significant turning point for the festival. While the festival’s original spirit remained intact for a time, the shift to corporate ownership introduced changes many longtime attendees viewed with mixed feelings. Higher ticket prices, new VIP tiers, and a broader focus on megastars like Kendrick Lamar and Alanis Morissette drew criticism from some who felt that the festival had strayed from its grassroots origins.
Pitchfork's organizers began to implement premium experiences like the “elevated” VIP tiers, offering access to exclusive viewing areas and private lounges. While this catered to a more affluent audience, it alienated others who had valued the festival’s inclusive and egalitarian vibe. In 2023, the festival failed to sell out, and many concertgoers expressed disappointment on social media about the VIP sections blocking views and detracting from the event’s original charm.
Chris Kaskie, former president of Pitchfork, acknowledged the pressure to raise ticket prices and introduce higher-paying tiers, saying the changes “felt empty” and contradicted the festival’s original ethos. Mike Reed, one of the festival’s founders, emphasized that success cannot be bought, as the core values of hard work and trust were essential to achieving anything, whether small or large. He added that these ideals were what truly made the event special.
What set Pitchfork apart from other music festivals was its holistic community approach. The event was as much about the experience offstage as about the performances. It showcased local food vendors, independent artists, and a longstanding record fair hosted by CHIRP Radio, the independent Chicago radio station. Lou Berkman, an independent record seller who worked the festival’s fair every year, spoke about how the event became a hub for record collectors and music fans worldwide.
Berkman reflected on the event, mentioning how it attracted a diverse crowd from all around the world and the nation. He highlighted how the fair often drew younger, newer collectors, creating a refreshing atmosphere compared to other festivals where attendees seemed more fatigued. He also noted that the fair's strong attendance led to impressive sales figures, with an average of over 1,000 records sold each summer.
Pitchfork's blend of local and global culture—through the music, vendors, and the shared experience of discovering new artists—created a personal and intimate event despite its growing popularity.
The loss of Pitchfork Music Festival leaves a significant gap in Chicago’s music scene, which has become increasingly competitive. With major venues like the Salt Shed and Wrigley Field booking more prominent acts and global mega tours such as Taylor Swift’s and Metallica’s stops at Soldier Field, the city’s music scene is leaning toward more prominent, more commercial events. At the same time, rising ticket prices are forcing music fans to be more selective about where they spend their concert dollars. According to a 2024 Pollstar report, the average concert ticket price has risen by 9.4%, exacerbating the pressure on smaller festivals like Pitchfork.
In recent years, the festival's challenges were compounded by the wider music industry's financial strains and internal changes at Pitchfork Media itself. Less than a year before the festival’s cancellation, Condé Nast absorbed Pitchfork into its broader portfolio, following significant layoffs at the music site.
Despite the challenges, Mike Reed, who played a central role in organizing Pitchfork, remains hopeful about the future of independent music festivals. In his recent post on Instagram, he reflected on the festival’s origins, thanking the many musicians and behind-the-scenes workers who helped bring the event to life. He also emphasized that despite challenges like early morning preparations, unpredictable weather, and the overwhelming energy of a crowd, it is through hard work and mutual trust that ambitious visions are brought to life.
The conclusion of the Pitchfork Music Festival signifies the end of a significant chapter for Chicago's music scene. Still, its legacy will likely continue to influence future events and festivals in the city. While the festival may be gone, the principles of independent music, community building, and creative collaboration that defined it will remain a part of Chicago’s cultural fabric.
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