CHICAGO, IL – Riot Fest organizers announced a significant change for their 2024 event, revealing their departure from Douglass Park due to the Chicago Park District’s alleged lack of concern for the community. In a video message shared on social media, festival co-founder Mike Petryshyn expressed frustration with the park district’s actions during negotiations, stating that Riot Fest felt compelled to seek a new location.
The three-day music festival, which originated in 2005 with various venues before settling in Humboldt Park and eventually Douglass Park in 2015, has faced community opposition in recent years. This pushback, including petitions to relocate the festival, has led Riot Fest to explore new opportunities for their annual event.
In response to Riot Fest’s decision, the Chicago Park District emphasized its efforts to balance community interests with the needs of event organizers. The district highlighted the importance of community engagement in evaluating permit applications, citing Riot Fest’s successful completion of this process in previous years. Additionally, the Park District announced a new initiative to reinvest a portion of event revenue back into parks hosting large-scale events.
While Riot Fest prepares to unveil the lineup and details for its 2024 festival in “RiotLand,” scheduled for September 20-22, the organization’s departure from Douglass Park marks a significant change for the long-running event. The move underscores the challenges faced by event organizers in balancing the expectations of attendees with the concerns of local communities.
As Riot Fest navigates this transition to a new location, the festival’s supporters and critics alike eagerly await further updates on the upcoming event. The evolution of Riot Fest and the introduction of RiotLand signify a new chapter for the popular music festival, reflecting the dynamic nature of event planning and community relationships in urban settings like Chicago.