It’ll be my first time and staying near Midway. Hoping to catch a shuttle but will probably get parking for day 3. I’ll see ya at the NOFX pit. Saw them at Legends Valley and they were great. Opened with Dinosaurs must die.
None of you are wrong whatsoever. I get that they prolly had no choice this year and had to make a quick decision, but next year they better find a different venue because the SeatGeek stadium is just acres of concrete. A concrete parking lot compound. The only fest I can tolerate at SeatGeek is the EDM North Coast festival which is a just a mega rave and we're all too fucked up to care where we're partying at.
The venue is out in the suburbs, in a lack luster venue that makes it very difficult to go from Chicago to Bridgeview/Seat Geek. The only true way to get out there is by some variation of a car. Which was almost the antithesis of previous riot fests which allowed for much better going to and from the park to anywhere in Chicago—public transit in Chicago is great (not without some faults—but great overall).
So the pain in the ass to get there and back 3 days from Chicago is something I (and some others) just don’t care to have to deal with for three days straight.
I am bummed to not go.. but I don’t want to travel 1+hr each way via god knows what car/bus service. I do hope to catch some after show concerts though.. which if you go to bridgeview and stay until the end of the headliner you will not be able to get back into the city in Time for.
I’m hoping SUM41 decides to do an after show, but I hope you have a good RF. I hope they try to figure out a way to come back into the city, but I can’t support the move to the burbs.
Last year was my first Riot fest and Reddit was full of complaints about Douglass Park - especially getting out after. Tons of complaining about CTA. I went and it wasn’t easy but was good enough I am bring my buddy’s to this years fest. Not worried about SeatGeek at all.
Take all the negative Nelly’s with a grain of salt.
I have never gone to a festival where everyone gets home 15 mins after the last band.
Of course not, but my one experience with Seat Geek was for Open Air for Tool back in 2019 I believe. The place was a nightmare to get out of with a car and the place wasn't even half full. This was just the stadium part less than half capacity. I can't imagine what it will be like with anywhere near what Riot Fest capacity usually is, especially for three days. I'm waiting for days and might try to go to a day, but it's just so much more of a pain for pretty much 95% of us. Also, the lineup is pretty weak to me overall, but that's just a personal preference. Money is a little tight and I don't want to have a bad time for this new version. I hope it goes well and everyone has a blast though. Just hope this is just a one-off thing, but I'm pessimistic on that.
THO I UNDERSTAND TRAVEL PLANS COMPLETELY CHANGING I FEEL LIKE some of these people are just being straight NEGATIVE about it mannnnnn. It’s so disappointing. I almost died two years ago , should’ve been paralyzed, I’m not missing another RF, deff the time to do what I’ve always wanted to do. I’ve never been. I’m excited. My friends are excited for the venue change too. The guy who made it was never able to do what he wanted to do at DP. I’m all for it! I’ve always wanted to go to RF but when I see these peoples comments like “RF is trash now” and etc 😡 it just kills my vibe like what I shouldn’t be excited to SEE FKN SLAYER FOR THE FIRST TIME?! ROB ZOMBIE?! I cried at the line up. And I’ve read numerous comments that the refund process takes long and people act like RF is just gonna take their money and never give it back. All I know is if you truly fw RF then you’d support homie dudes dream which is what he is doing right now by giving us the venue change. I’m all for people following their dreams. This was bitchy, I’m sorry Lol… I’m just so excited 😪 I do feel bad for people who can’t go now or already bought hotels tho I really do they shouldn’t have done that but other than that I just don’t get the hate, it’s sad😭
I am with you. I am excited. I got a park8ng pass and am upgrading to vip so I can have a rally point at my truck for drinks food and shelter if need be. I am stoked about the venue change. Will be easier for me. The getting out of a fest thing is hysterical to me bc as a chicago resident everything is an hour. Wether it is 9.3 miles from house or 40 miles from my house. The 2 mile walk last year to my car I would trade for 2 hours waiting to get out of a lot in my comfy vehicle any day. Best riotfest band list maybe ever in my eyes. People like to shit on things. Riotfest vets are self deprecating and poke fun at the fact it will never be perfect. It is the riotfest way.
This is going to be great!
Agreed. Lots of negative Nancy’s, even before the location change was announced. I think it’s weird some people can’t/refuse to adapt to change for ONE weekend, especially for something as awesome as RF.
If this is your first time, you’re gonna love it, have post concert depression afterwards and be counting the days for RF 2025 🤣that’s usually the cycle I go through. Catch you in the pit friend 💛
I can’t go IN the pit I have 12 screws in my spine & some in my hip…. so I’ll just be outside the pit pushing my husband 💀 post concert depression is so real with any show I swear 😭 it’s AWWWFULLL. Ugh. wake me up when September STARTS BECAUSE IM SCREAMING ALREADY.
Riot Fest are not "homie dudes." They are a business. A business that puts together a good product, and one that supports good causes, but a business nonetheless. They are not your friends, you should feel no obligation to defend them so personally
> The guy who made it was never able to do what he wanted to do at DP.
This is a lie. Just like the lie that the park district forced them out.
And if Riot Mike's dream for Riot Fest is a shithole outside of the city, then I am happy for him.
I've been to Seatgeek just once, and it wasn't for anything close to the people RF brings. It was for a drive-in concert. And it was even bad then (the in/out).
You can call me negative, fine. I'm just being truthful about that venue and experience. Props to people who are staying positive. I'm merely pointing out that Riot Mike told lies when he gave the impression the park district forced him out. He chose to abruptly leave.
FWIW as someone who's probably not going this year (but is pretty neutral on the venue change), I don't think judging the venue based on an entirely parking lot-based event during peak pandemic (I assume) is fair. Like, I don't think there's a parking lot in the country that was designed to be used that way
I agree with you on that. I just meant in regards to getting in and out of the lot. The actual drive-in concert was pretty cool, by quarantine standards.
Ah, OK. My judgments are more so based on family who live on the southwest side of Chicago who are more familiar with Seatgeek, and all the first-hand accounts I see on Reddit from previous concerts.
No, the traffic is truly that bad. Had little to do with the pandemic. That area is a mess during regular rush hour traffic, you have 20k people coming to this
That's fair. The stuff people have said on here has definitely made me feel like waiting to see how the move works out, but I don't know anyone in the area who can tell me what is and isn't accurate
https://preview.redd.it/64rseqkhrr8d1.jpeg?width=750&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=76ea432e5088508df98ab008d56958faa5a30f0a
Doesn’t seem like a lie to me my dude
How can he blame the park district for the exodus when he says in the statement you link that he chose to leave? He got "tired" of dealing with them. It's his fest. He can take it wherever.
But the permit was on the same timeline as usual. It sounds like he didn't want to pay the price. I'm sure Seatgeek, which is hemorrhaging money, offered Riot Fest a sweetheart deal for Riot Land. Then you have additional revenue from exorbitant parking and shuttle pricing. It's a win for Riot Mike unless it's poorly attended.
Dude riot fest could have one stage on top of a mc Donald’s in my small Midwest town and it would still be fun I really don’t get why you’re bitching so bad about this. Does it personally affect you? ARE YOU EVEN GOING BRO?!
> ARE YOU EVEN GOING BRO?!
I might go for a day if secondhand ticket prices plummet.
I asked for a refund on my three-day.
I'm not trying to ruin anyone else's experience. OP said "is it really that bad?"
We won't know exactly how RF will go; you're right. But we know about transportation issues from previous festivals and events at Seatgeek.
I see where she is coming from id be disappointed to if people kept trashing something I really wanted to do I see the comments on here but I told her you can’t comment on any reddit community without someone twisting your arm or ending in an argument by just saying how you feel I’ve gone to riot fest many times and I do see what you are saying as well as her but the hate this year seems worse than any before
Honestly I think I’m just slightly “triggered” because I keep seeing comments like “riot fest shouldn’t even happen anymore” or “I’ve been to every riot fest ever and this is gonna suck it’s stupid not going” and sometimes I’ll be scrolling Reddit and Im excited and happy and then immediately I see peoples crap comments and I’m like getting this idea in my mind I shouldn’t even be excited and f that I should be excited! I get that there’s going to be people like that but again none of us will know until we are there. Im defending the fact that, and I stated this to someone else, people who have been forget that they went for their first time too. For me? I don’t know what it was like before. What if this turns out to be the best riot fest yet? regardless there will be people who enjoy the same music as I do, and that is so beautiful hearing the crowd sing & rock out to your favorite tunes. No venue can take that away from anyone. Sorry if i seemed shitty at all. Just speaking my mind on this. I don’t think it will be all that bad.
> Sorry if i seemed shitty at all.
No need to apologize. I think a lot of us feel burned/betrayed by the move this year and to that venue in particular. For me, personally, it was a worst-case scenario (short of canceling the entire thing obviously).
I totally get how reading these complaints can yuck your yum. Not sure if this subreddit set up a "positivity only" thread, but maybe the mods ought to.
and I do understand that in the long run and I hope that everyone ends up having a beautiful time and it’s just as good , if not better than ever before.
PS :
If anyone else wants to comment like this probably middle aged man. I literally stated in my comment I should’ve died/paralyzed two years ago, this should NOT even be happening for me and it is. I FINALLY get to go to riot fest. FINALLY.
Quit. Tryna. Ruin. Peoples. Experience. Before. It. Even. Starts. (Which is a lot of people on RF reddit)
NONE OF US WILL KNOW UNTIL SEPTEMBER!
I had a near death experience from septic shock the year before my first RF. I have valued experiences so much more since then and RF absolutely changed my life. The fact that this even an option for me completely overshadows the fact that I’d have to ‘wait’ for transportation (like that wasn’t an issue before).
I’m SO GLAD YOU ARE HERE! My mom died in 2016 due to sepsis and a few other reasons as well. UGH! I’m screaaminnnggg I’m so glad you are alive and get to experience the beauty of things!!!!!! 😭💜 Life might not always be great but we’re still here for a reason 😭
❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️🥹🥹 thank you so much!!!! I’m so sorry about your mom. I’d think she’d be proud that you’re spreading such positivity among this sea of negative sentiment. ❤️
She was always the positive to my negative and I figure she was watching over me to make sure I didn’t d!e via wreck tbh or become paralyzed. I was never a positive person. Literally told my neurosurgeon that she would do the surgery and I don’t have to worry about long term arrangements because she’s gonna do it right and my surgery took 4 hours longer than it should’ve BUT IM HERE and I’m walking! So always spreading the positivity where & when I can. I’m seriously so glad you are okay. That stuff is so rough. In one second you can be fine and then BAM. 😭💜 I love hearing survivors stories from sepsis. And you’d be surprised at how many people DONT know what it is.
I feel people forget they once went for their first time……. I’m not trying to be sh!tty but at the same time I’m just so thankful and appreciative I get to experience this at all. Some of these bands I never thought I’d see. To be around so many people who love the same music is beautiful. I went to one day lolla last year and it was amazing. I only knew a few people playing but even walking around stage to stage to find new music was awesome.
I’ve been to riot fest tons of times I think it’ll be great I’m not mad about the venue switch things happen people find anything they can to hate on whatever but I have noticed more people who use to go find any reason to hate on it now and like you said ruin the experience before it even starts for new people but Reddit is full of people like that doesn’t matter what community you comment in your always risking someone twisting your arm I agree with what you say but I also know you are just speaking your mind and idk what happened to you and why you almost died but I hope you have a great time and stay safe reach out to anyone if you need help everyone is really great at the fest I’ve never had any issues
Thanks Bro. I got into a bad accident I was trapped under my car for an hour. Busted my T6 if I moved I could’ve became paralyzed bc it broke on my spinal cord. Also could’ve became paralyzed in surgery but my surgeon was amazing and saved my life. Woke up able to wiggle my toes and in that moment I knew I had to start doing the things I’ve always wanted to do… aka FKN RIOT FEST 🤘🎸
You didn’t ask but I like to tell the story 😂 12 screws in my spine & 6 in my hip later I think I deserve the brag 💀
Honestly, I agree with others. On one hand, I don’t think I’ll be disappointed with the event. The venue however is really that bad to me. I’m right in the middle of Douglas and SG but I can assure you, Douglas is easier to get to. For me at least. I can respect that the venue is easier to get to for people in the suburbs but the venue is still a bad pick in my opinion and it was kind of a shit move to advertise it being in Douglas only to change venues after people had already booked travel accommodations. The lack of shade and grass is a HUGE draw back. It will be hard to just lay out a blanket and chill when you have down time between bands. I’m gonna miss having Riot Fest in a park but I’ll make the best of the scenario either way I guess.
Part of the allure of Riot Fest was the park. You could roll out a blanket and take a nap under a tree or take a little break from the crowds. With SeatGeek, you lose that. It’s an incredibly sterile and inorganic environment which is the opposite of what some of us are used to and enjoyed.
The transportation for anyone actually in Chicago is now going to be significantly worse. Even though Douglas Park had its issues with supplying enough public trans, it is soooo much better than taking the L out to Midway and hoping that enough shuttles are provided to get to SeatGeek. Driving out there also sounds like a terrible idea for many people that like to drink all day, take recreational drugs…. or both. I loved drinking all day with friends and stumbling to the pink line with the massive wave of other fest goers.
I just think that the move will remove some of the magic of the festival.
> I just think that the move will remove some of the magic of the festival.
A lot of the magic. It's a soulless venue (parking lot, really) in a cultureless suburb.
That was a little harsh of me. But that stretch of Harlem Ave in Bridgeview is industrial. You gotta go two and a half miles south to 87th or north (Chicago).
A parking lot is just never gonna be the same as an actual park in the middle of a neighborhood. It's like comparing Wrigley Field to Miller Park.
Warped Tour "Detroit" was in: Pontiac, Detroit, Auburn Hills, and Rochester Hills. I didn't care where it emanated from as long as the bands were there that I wanted to see. I liked Humboldt, I liked Douglass, and I'm sure SG will be just fine.
I've been going since 2012, the first year it became an outdoor festival. Part of the appeal to me all these years was spending a weekend in a lovely park. When I get tired or too sun-exposed, I could always chill under a tree and feel some grass on my back for a little while. Getting to Humboldt Park was a real pain in the ass for me, but Douglass Park has been easy. I took the Pink Line for years, but the last two years I drove and parked in the neighborhood, and was able to get back and forth in 30 minutes or less.
SeatGeek is only 6 miles from my house, so it will probably be the easiest of the three venues for me to get to. But what bums me out is the lack of any trees or grass. It's literally a venue composed of artificial grass and concrete. I can't be out in the sun much because of skin cancer issues, so SeatGeek sounds like a nightmare to me. Plus, I've seen most of the bands on the bill this year, so I questioned whether I should bother going. I decided to go because I'm curious to see how it works out in the new venue, but if it sucks I won't hesitate to bail early.
The number one issue for me is sunburns. 4 of 5 stages will be completely devoid of any shade option. I wear polarized sunglasses and seeing strangers that I consider part of my tribe developing sunburns is just depressing/destracting.
Big audio systems on concrete sound bad. And there is going to be a lot of weird bleed between stages if you aren’t up close (where the bass is usually too loud since the bass speakers are mounted on the floor).
Flat ground is not as good as sloped ground if you like to sit and watch a band.
There is some percentage of us that landed on Riot fest because we attend with a group of friends.
We had a friend in our crew that was so-so on the music, but in it for conversations on a spot of grass, another who enjoyed cooking dinner at the airbnb we all stayed at together… At least one of us was already outside their budget taking the air mattress or couch.
And some of us travel with family/spouses who spend the time in downtown Chicago.
So moving the event out another thirty minutes away from downtown…where the group size airbnb situation is basically dead… where another $400 for hotel is unavoidable if the crew stays intact. to sit on astro turf without a view of the band… to get sun burns without shade at 4 of 5 stages….
It puts a huge weight on the music. And for those of us that have gone for the last 5 years there isn’t much urgency there. Regardless of how punk rock we are.
Finally, it makes sense to let the fest figure out the new venue before putting ourselves into the blender with 50k other people. Come back here to this sub to figure out what worked.
People who didn’t go a bunch of times in the past will probably be less bothered by the changes. Some of us got used to a very specific situation and loved it- it isn’t just that it will be different, it’s that a lot of the specific aspects we loved are now gone. You don’t have the attachment. The venue really is bad, but plenty of people are totally fine with the hassle and feel like it’s worth it. We got spoiled. :) I’m one of the people who asked for a refund but might go one of the days, I’m personally not up for the hassle all three. I hope everyone still has a fantastic time.
I want a refund because the change of venue literally changes the entire dynamic of the trip I had planned and also the line up is very underwhelming to me so yea going to furnace fest instead
Don't let the Reddit narrative get you down.. A huge portion of the people going never get on here. I understand that things change and it makes people unhappy because they already had their gameplan, and it sucks that they were still saying Douglass Park on the website even after the organizers had made the decision to change venues. I'm personally a little torn, I did love Douglass, it's a big part of what made us fall in love with this festival, with the local vendors outside the gate, to the VIP layout where we could chill under trees and eat or whatever in our downtime. But honestly I think it will be kind of refreshing to get essentially a soft reboot. New things to explore, a completely different layout to try and figure out. I'm excited and nervous all at the same time. Mostly because we loved Riot SO much that it became our yearly thing. To me it seems like the biggest gripe on here is getting there, but it's not like the old location was a breeze. There were a few times when it was horrendous trying to get out of the park. One year a person fell on the tracks and sadly passed away and they had to shut the pink line down, I had to pay $80 to get us back downtown after over an hour of trying to figure out how we were going to get back. So to me a 60 minute shuttle ride to the venue doesn't sound like the end of the world. You just have to get going a little earlier and account for things like that. If it all goes to shit, well, we're going down with the ship. One last hoorah, haha. Ok, I'll stop rambling now. Have fun!
Same, although personally I’m way more worried about the getting home part since everybody leaves at the same time. I don’t have a car so it’s either public transport, Uber, or shuttle for me this year. Hoping the shuttle works out, although pretty worried about the traffic situation. If it’s bad the first night I might choose to sacrifice some headliner time on day 2 and 3. I just would like the sleep because I like to get there as close to the beginning of each day as I can 😂
I’ve been to Riotfest since the early days… 05 I think…
15 total…
This isn’t the first time RIOTFEST has moved around and won’t be the last.
It’s heartbreaking to see it change, especially when you get used to it being at a particular park or venue. It was weird going from music venues to the park at first, then park to park, now park to stadium???
Yeh it’s overwhelming but forever never lasts and we should enjoy this festival while we have it… who knows how long we will have it…
I’m still going.
It's not really park to stadium since they don't plan on putting a stage in there. I do hope we can use some of those bathrooms/they sell some concessions in there, but I haven't heard if that's going to happen.
The entirety of the weekend should look similar to what you saw Sunday last year - minus the rain delay hopefully. This year I'm thinking Friday will lean pop-punk, Saturday will be a little more alternative/indie, and then of course Sunday will have several metal acts.
People in the city and in the northern suburbs aren't happy because this makes getting to and from the fest more difficult. There's also people who booked a hotel or air bnb based on the Douglas Park location (which they had on their website and the tickets until right before the location change announcement) and now can't get a full refund to book something else.
Getting out of Douglas at the end of the night wasn't perfect either, but getting out of Bridgeview will be worse. I was lucky enough to guess the venue change correctly and booked a new hotel right in Bridgeview before it was announced. And my original hotel was 100% refundable up till Sept 18.
To agree with other posts, the venue change sucks for 2 reasons, one getting there is gonna be awful no matter which way you choose, and the second reason is that riot fest started as a Chicago based fest and it feels like it got forced out. As to what to expect, ive been going since 8 years ish and can say it kinda depends on you. If your someone who enjoys being front row then you have a 3 day marathon ahead of you lol so eat a big breakfast and lunch, and bring plenty of water. If you enjoy being in the pit, then pants with a lot of pockets are your best friend, bring phone, money, water and a ton pedialyte. Then lastly if you just watch from the back bring a back pack with a pouch couch and look for a spot with a view. No matter what it’s a super fun time all around. The new location with have very lil shade so keep that in mind also.
The change of venue is bad for anyone in the city proper who was used to taking the pink line or the bus to Douglas Park. My friends in the suburbs are actually happy about it because they were driving there anyway, and now its closer and has parking.
Chicago is also easier for suburbanites to get to via many different modes of transportation. Even park and ride. Nobody has to drive all the way into Chicago unless they want to.
100% this. I get that it sucks for the people in the city, or for people who were coming from out of town and already had accommodations. But how many thousands of people drive in? Saying they fucked over ALL their fans is ridiculous. For those of us driving in from the burbs, Douglass Park was a pain in the dick to drive to, and even worse to park. Even if you were lucky enough to find a spot, then you had to worry about someone shaking you down to pay them for it, or you have to worry about your car getting fucked up.
I get that a stadium is not as cool of a vibe as a park, but being able to drive there easier, and then park? Sign me the fuck up.
Riot Fest is always a ton of fun, and with all the changes to the map and interesting new diversions, I think this one has the potential to be more fun than any before it. I think with the venue change though you just have to be okay with knowing that you're going to be stuck in traffic after the festival. My personal plan is to try to leave a little earlier than most since I'm not too interested in the headliners. I'm sure the traffic will still suck but maybe I'll fare a little bit better that way. Anyway, I think if you can put up with the traffic you're going to have a blast. Just my two cents.
It’ll be my first time and staying near Midway. Hoping to catch a shuttle but will probably get parking for day 3. I’ll see ya at the NOFX pit. Saw them at Legends Valley and they were great. Opened with Dinosaurs must die.
None of you are wrong whatsoever. I get that they prolly had no choice this year and had to make a quick decision, but next year they better find a different venue because the SeatGeek stadium is just acres of concrete. A concrete parking lot compound. The only fest I can tolerate at SeatGeek is the EDM North Coast festival which is a just a mega rave and we're all too fucked up to care where we're partying at.
The venue is out in the suburbs, in a lack luster venue that makes it very difficult to go from Chicago to Bridgeview/Seat Geek. The only true way to get out there is by some variation of a car. Which was almost the antithesis of previous riot fests which allowed for much better going to and from the park to anywhere in Chicago—public transit in Chicago is great (not without some faults—but great overall). So the pain in the ass to get there and back 3 days from Chicago is something I (and some others) just don’t care to have to deal with for three days straight. I am bummed to not go.. but I don’t want to travel 1+hr each way via god knows what car/bus service. I do hope to catch some after show concerts though.. which if you go to bridgeview and stay until the end of the headliner you will not be able to get back into the city in Time for. I’m hoping SUM41 decides to do an after show, but I hope you have a good RF. I hope they try to figure out a way to come back into the city, but I can’t support the move to the burbs.
I want pits ➰
Last year was my first Riot fest and Reddit was full of complaints about Douglass Park - especially getting out after. Tons of complaining about CTA. I went and it wasn’t easy but was good enough I am bring my buddy’s to this years fest. Not worried about SeatGeek at all. Take all the negative Nelly’s with a grain of salt. I have never gone to a festival where everyone gets home 15 mins after the last band.
Of course not, but my one experience with Seat Geek was for Open Air for Tool back in 2019 I believe. The place was a nightmare to get out of with a car and the place wasn't even half full. This was just the stadium part less than half capacity. I can't imagine what it will be like with anywhere near what Riot Fest capacity usually is, especially for three days. I'm waiting for days and might try to go to a day, but it's just so much more of a pain for pretty much 95% of us. Also, the lineup is pretty weak to me overall, but that's just a personal preference. Money is a little tight and I don't want to have a bad time for this new version. I hope it goes well and everyone has a blast though. Just hope this is just a one-off thing, but I'm pessimistic on that.
NOFX stage is worth the ticket value alone. The rest of the fest will be amazing enviroment and some great acts outside of NOFX stage
That’s why I’m going
THO I UNDERSTAND TRAVEL PLANS COMPLETELY CHANGING I FEEL LIKE some of these people are just being straight NEGATIVE about it mannnnnn. It’s so disappointing. I almost died two years ago , should’ve been paralyzed, I’m not missing another RF, deff the time to do what I’ve always wanted to do. I’ve never been. I’m excited. My friends are excited for the venue change too. The guy who made it was never able to do what he wanted to do at DP. I’m all for it! I’ve always wanted to go to RF but when I see these peoples comments like “RF is trash now” and etc 😡 it just kills my vibe like what I shouldn’t be excited to SEE FKN SLAYER FOR THE FIRST TIME?! ROB ZOMBIE?! I cried at the line up. And I’ve read numerous comments that the refund process takes long and people act like RF is just gonna take their money and never give it back. All I know is if you truly fw RF then you’d support homie dudes dream which is what he is doing right now by giving us the venue change. I’m all for people following their dreams. This was bitchy, I’m sorry Lol… I’m just so excited 😪 I do feel bad for people who can’t go now or already bought hotels tho I really do they shouldn’t have done that but other than that I just don’t get the hate, it’s sad😭
I am with you. I am excited. I got a park8ng pass and am upgrading to vip so I can have a rally point at my truck for drinks food and shelter if need be. I am stoked about the venue change. Will be easier for me. The getting out of a fest thing is hysterical to me bc as a chicago resident everything is an hour. Wether it is 9.3 miles from house or 40 miles from my house. The 2 mile walk last year to my car I would trade for 2 hours waiting to get out of a lot in my comfy vehicle any day. Best riotfest band list maybe ever in my eyes. People like to shit on things. Riotfest vets are self deprecating and poke fun at the fact it will never be perfect. It is the riotfest way. This is going to be great!
Yyyyessssss! We also got VIP. Easier for me with my broken ass body 💀
Agreed. Lots of negative Nancy’s, even before the location change was announced. I think it’s weird some people can’t/refuse to adapt to change for ONE weekend, especially for something as awesome as RF. If this is your first time, you’re gonna love it, have post concert depression afterwards and be counting the days for RF 2025 🤣that’s usually the cycle I go through. Catch you in the pit friend 💛
I can’t go IN the pit I have 12 screws in my spine & some in my hip…. so I’ll just be outside the pit pushing my husband 💀 post concert depression is so real with any show I swear 😭 it’s AWWWFULLL. Ugh. wake me up when September STARTS BECAUSE IM SCREAMING ALREADY.
Riot Fest are not "homie dudes." They are a business. A business that puts together a good product, and one that supports good causes, but a business nonetheless. They are not your friends, you should feel no obligation to defend them so personally
Really homie dude? 💀
Really.
It’s just something I say, calm down.
> The guy who made it was never able to do what he wanted to do at DP. This is a lie. Just like the lie that the park district forced them out. And if Riot Mike's dream for Riot Fest is a shithole outside of the city, then I am happy for him.
Aw you’re one of the negative Nancy’s. Go away. You’re not gonna kill my vibe. I’ll send videos and photos when I’m busy crippling my back again xoxo.
I've been to Seatgeek just once, and it wasn't for anything close to the people RF brings. It was for a drive-in concert. And it was even bad then (the in/out). You can call me negative, fine. I'm just being truthful about that venue and experience. Props to people who are staying positive. I'm merely pointing out that Riot Mike told lies when he gave the impression the park district forced him out. He chose to abruptly leave.
FWIW as someone who's probably not going this year (but is pretty neutral on the venue change), I don't think judging the venue based on an entirely parking lot-based event during peak pandemic (I assume) is fair. Like, I don't think there's a parking lot in the country that was designed to be used that way
I agree with you on that. I just meant in regards to getting in and out of the lot. The actual drive-in concert was pretty cool, by quarantine standards.
That's the part I meant, too
Ah, OK. My judgments are more so based on family who live on the southwest side of Chicago who are more familiar with Seatgeek, and all the first-hand accounts I see on Reddit from previous concerts.
No, the traffic is truly that bad. Had little to do with the pandemic. That area is a mess during regular rush hour traffic, you have 20k people coming to this
That's fair. The stuff people have said on here has definitely made me feel like waiting to see how the move works out, but I don't know anyone in the area who can tell me what is and isn't accurate
https://preview.redd.it/64rseqkhrr8d1.jpeg?width=750&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=76ea432e5088508df98ab008d56958faa5a30f0a Doesn’t seem like a lie to me my dude
How can he blame the park district for the exodus when he says in the statement you link that he chose to leave? He got "tired" of dealing with them. It's his fest. He can take it wherever. But the permit was on the same timeline as usual. It sounds like he didn't want to pay the price. I'm sure Seatgeek, which is hemorrhaging money, offered Riot Fest a sweetheart deal for Riot Land. Then you have additional revenue from exorbitant parking and shuttle pricing. It's a win for Riot Mike unless it's poorly attended.
Dude riot fest could have one stage on top of a mc Donald’s in my small Midwest town and it would still be fun I really don’t get why you’re bitching so bad about this. Does it personally affect you? ARE YOU EVEN GOING BRO?!
> ARE YOU EVEN GOING BRO?! I might go for a day if secondhand ticket prices plummet. I asked for a refund on my three-day. I'm not trying to ruin anyone else's experience. OP said "is it really that bad?" We won't know exactly how RF will go; you're right. But we know about transportation issues from previous festivals and events at Seatgeek.
I see where she is coming from id be disappointed to if people kept trashing something I really wanted to do I see the comments on here but I told her you can’t comment on any reddit community without someone twisting your arm or ending in an argument by just saying how you feel I’ve gone to riot fest many times and I do see what you are saying as well as her but the hate this year seems worse than any before
Honestly I think I’m just slightly “triggered” because I keep seeing comments like “riot fest shouldn’t even happen anymore” or “I’ve been to every riot fest ever and this is gonna suck it’s stupid not going” and sometimes I’ll be scrolling Reddit and Im excited and happy and then immediately I see peoples crap comments and I’m like getting this idea in my mind I shouldn’t even be excited and f that I should be excited! I get that there’s going to be people like that but again none of us will know until we are there. Im defending the fact that, and I stated this to someone else, people who have been forget that they went for their first time too. For me? I don’t know what it was like before. What if this turns out to be the best riot fest yet? regardless there will be people who enjoy the same music as I do, and that is so beautiful hearing the crowd sing & rock out to your favorite tunes. No venue can take that away from anyone. Sorry if i seemed shitty at all. Just speaking my mind on this. I don’t think it will be all that bad.
> Sorry if i seemed shitty at all. No need to apologize. I think a lot of us feel burned/betrayed by the move this year and to that venue in particular. For me, personally, it was a worst-case scenario (short of canceling the entire thing obviously). I totally get how reading these complaints can yuck your yum. Not sure if this subreddit set up a "positivity only" thread, but maybe the mods ought to.
and I do understand that in the long run and I hope that everyone ends up having a beautiful time and it’s just as good , if not better than ever before.
Also aware I could just stop scrolling Reddit but I enjoy reading the positive things. There’s just always someone dragging it.
PS : If anyone else wants to comment like this probably middle aged man. I literally stated in my comment I should’ve died/paralyzed two years ago, this should NOT even be happening for me and it is. I FINALLY get to go to riot fest. FINALLY. Quit. Tryna. Ruin. Peoples. Experience. Before. It. Even. Starts. (Which is a lot of people on RF reddit) NONE OF US WILL KNOW UNTIL SEPTEMBER!
I had a near death experience from septic shock the year before my first RF. I have valued experiences so much more since then and RF absolutely changed my life. The fact that this even an option for me completely overshadows the fact that I’d have to ‘wait’ for transportation (like that wasn’t an issue before).
I’m SO GLAD YOU ARE HERE! My mom died in 2016 due to sepsis and a few other reasons as well. UGH! I’m screaaminnnggg I’m so glad you are alive and get to experience the beauty of things!!!!!! 😭💜 Life might not always be great but we’re still here for a reason 😭
❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️🥹🥹 thank you so much!!!! I’m so sorry about your mom. I’d think she’d be proud that you’re spreading such positivity among this sea of negative sentiment. ❤️
She was always the positive to my negative and I figure she was watching over me to make sure I didn’t d!e via wreck tbh or become paralyzed. I was never a positive person. Literally told my neurosurgeon that she would do the surgery and I don’t have to worry about long term arrangements because she’s gonna do it right and my surgery took 4 hours longer than it should’ve BUT IM HERE and I’m walking! So always spreading the positivity where & when I can. I’m seriously so glad you are okay. That stuff is so rough. In one second you can be fine and then BAM. 😭💜 I love hearing survivors stories from sepsis. And you’d be surprised at how many people DONT know what it is.
On top of a McDonald’s 😭
I feel people forget they once went for their first time……. I’m not trying to be sh!tty but at the same time I’m just so thankful and appreciative I get to experience this at all. Some of these bands I never thought I’d see. To be around so many people who love the same music is beautiful. I went to one day lolla last year and it was amazing. I only knew a few people playing but even walking around stage to stage to find new music was awesome.
I’ve been to riot fest tons of times I think it’ll be great I’m not mad about the venue switch things happen people find anything they can to hate on whatever but I have noticed more people who use to go find any reason to hate on it now and like you said ruin the experience before it even starts for new people but Reddit is full of people like that doesn’t matter what community you comment in your always risking someone twisting your arm I agree with what you say but I also know you are just speaking your mind and idk what happened to you and why you almost died but I hope you have a great time and stay safe reach out to anyone if you need help everyone is really great at the fest I’ve never had any issues
Thanks Bro. I got into a bad accident I was trapped under my car for an hour. Busted my T6 if I moved I could’ve became paralyzed bc it broke on my spinal cord. Also could’ve became paralyzed in surgery but my surgeon was amazing and saved my life. Woke up able to wiggle my toes and in that moment I knew I had to start doing the things I’ve always wanted to do… aka FKN RIOT FEST 🤘🎸 You didn’t ask but I like to tell the story 😂 12 screws in my spine & 6 in my hip later I think I deserve the brag 💀
Ps not just in these comments I’ve been on Reddit heavy for RF and I’ve just seen so many hatttterrssss man.
Honestly, I agree with others. On one hand, I don’t think I’ll be disappointed with the event. The venue however is really that bad to me. I’m right in the middle of Douglas and SG but I can assure you, Douglas is easier to get to. For me at least. I can respect that the venue is easier to get to for people in the suburbs but the venue is still a bad pick in my opinion and it was kind of a shit move to advertise it being in Douglas only to change venues after people had already booked travel accommodations. The lack of shade and grass is a HUGE draw back. It will be hard to just lay out a blanket and chill when you have down time between bands. I’m gonna miss having Riot Fest in a park but I’ll make the best of the scenario either way I guess.
you can find old threads from previous years and there’s still endless complaining about this or that, it’s just Reddit.
Part of the allure of Riot Fest was the park. You could roll out a blanket and take a nap under a tree or take a little break from the crowds. With SeatGeek, you lose that. It’s an incredibly sterile and inorganic environment which is the opposite of what some of us are used to and enjoyed. The transportation for anyone actually in Chicago is now going to be significantly worse. Even though Douglas Park had its issues with supplying enough public trans, it is soooo much better than taking the L out to Midway and hoping that enough shuttles are provided to get to SeatGeek. Driving out there also sounds like a terrible idea for many people that like to drink all day, take recreational drugs…. or both. I loved drinking all day with friends and stumbling to the pink line with the massive wave of other fest goers. I just think that the move will remove some of the magic of the festival.
> I just think that the move will remove some of the magic of the festival. A lot of the magic. It's a soulless venue (parking lot, really) in a cultureless suburb.
super cultureless yeah 🙄 http://www.chicagoreporter.com/they-call-it-little-palestine/
That was a little harsh of me. But that stretch of Harlem Ave in Bridgeview is industrial. You gotta go two and a half miles south to 87th or north (Chicago). A parking lot is just never gonna be the same as an actual park in the middle of a neighborhood. It's like comparing Wrigley Field to Miller Park.
Warped Tour "Detroit" was in: Pontiac, Detroit, Auburn Hills, and Rochester Hills. I didn't care where it emanated from as long as the bands were there that I wanted to see. I liked Humboldt, I liked Douglass, and I'm sure SG will be just fine.
Warped Tour Chicago was never in Chicago, no one ever complained.
I've been going since 2012, the first year it became an outdoor festival. Part of the appeal to me all these years was spending a weekend in a lovely park. When I get tired or too sun-exposed, I could always chill under a tree and feel some grass on my back for a little while. Getting to Humboldt Park was a real pain in the ass for me, but Douglass Park has been easy. I took the Pink Line for years, but the last two years I drove and parked in the neighborhood, and was able to get back and forth in 30 minutes or less. SeatGeek is only 6 miles from my house, so it will probably be the easiest of the three venues for me to get to. But what bums me out is the lack of any trees or grass. It's literally a venue composed of artificial grass and concrete. I can't be out in the sun much because of skin cancer issues, so SeatGeek sounds like a nightmare to me. Plus, I've seen most of the bands on the bill this year, so I questioned whether I should bother going. I decided to go because I'm curious to see how it works out in the new venue, but if it sucks I won't hesitate to bail early.
The number one issue for me is sunburns. 4 of 5 stages will be completely devoid of any shade option. I wear polarized sunglasses and seeing strangers that I consider part of my tribe developing sunburns is just depressing/destracting. Big audio systems on concrete sound bad. And there is going to be a lot of weird bleed between stages if you aren’t up close (where the bass is usually too loud since the bass speakers are mounted on the floor). Flat ground is not as good as sloped ground if you like to sit and watch a band. There is some percentage of us that landed on Riot fest because we attend with a group of friends. We had a friend in our crew that was so-so on the music, but in it for conversations on a spot of grass, another who enjoyed cooking dinner at the airbnb we all stayed at together… At least one of us was already outside their budget taking the air mattress or couch. And some of us travel with family/spouses who spend the time in downtown Chicago. So moving the event out another thirty minutes away from downtown…where the group size airbnb situation is basically dead… where another $400 for hotel is unavoidable if the crew stays intact. to sit on astro turf without a view of the band… to get sun burns without shade at 4 of 5 stages…. It puts a huge weight on the music. And for those of us that have gone for the last 5 years there isn’t much urgency there. Regardless of how punk rock we are. Finally, it makes sense to let the fest figure out the new venue before putting ourselves into the blender with 50k other people. Come back here to this sub to figure out what worked.
People who didn’t go a bunch of times in the past will probably be less bothered by the changes. Some of us got used to a very specific situation and loved it- it isn’t just that it will be different, it’s that a lot of the specific aspects we loved are now gone. You don’t have the attachment. The venue really is bad, but plenty of people are totally fine with the hassle and feel like it’s worth it. We got spoiled. :) I’m one of the people who asked for a refund but might go one of the days, I’m personally not up for the hassle all three. I hope everyone still has a fantastic time.
The new venue truly is that bad.
I want a refund because the change of venue literally changes the entire dynamic of the trip I had planned and also the line up is very underwhelming to me so yea going to furnace fest instead
Don't let the Reddit narrative get you down.. A huge portion of the people going never get on here. I understand that things change and it makes people unhappy because they already had their gameplan, and it sucks that they were still saying Douglass Park on the website even after the organizers had made the decision to change venues. I'm personally a little torn, I did love Douglass, it's a big part of what made us fall in love with this festival, with the local vendors outside the gate, to the VIP layout where we could chill under trees and eat or whatever in our downtime. But honestly I think it will be kind of refreshing to get essentially a soft reboot. New things to explore, a completely different layout to try and figure out. I'm excited and nervous all at the same time. Mostly because we loved Riot SO much that it became our yearly thing. To me it seems like the biggest gripe on here is getting there, but it's not like the old location was a breeze. There were a few times when it was horrendous trying to get out of the park. One year a person fell on the tracks and sadly passed away and they had to shut the pink line down, I had to pay $80 to get us back downtown after over an hour of trying to figure out how we were going to get back. So to me a 60 minute shuttle ride to the venue doesn't sound like the end of the world. You just have to get going a little earlier and account for things like that. If it all goes to shit, well, we're going down with the ship. One last hoorah, haha. Ok, I'll stop rambling now. Have fun!
Same, although personally I’m way more worried about the getting home part since everybody leaves at the same time. I don’t have a car so it’s either public transport, Uber, or shuttle for me this year. Hoping the shuttle works out, although pretty worried about the traffic situation. If it’s bad the first night I might choose to sacrifice some headliner time on day 2 and 3. I just would like the sleep because I like to get there as close to the beginning of each day as I can 😂
Well said
I’ve been to Riotfest since the early days… 05 I think… 15 total… This isn’t the first time RIOTFEST has moved around and won’t be the last. It’s heartbreaking to see it change, especially when you get used to it being at a particular park or venue. It was weird going from music venues to the park at first, then park to park, now park to stadium??? Yeh it’s overwhelming but forever never lasts and we should enjoy this festival while we have it… who knows how long we will have it… I’m still going.
It's not really park to stadium since they don't plan on putting a stage in there. I do hope we can use some of those bathrooms/they sell some concessions in there, but I haven't heard if that's going to happen.
Yeh not “inside” the stadium, but the surrounding stadium fields… not a park in any stretch of the imagination. Practice fields and concrete lol 😂
This comment should be pinned!
The entirety of the weekend should look similar to what you saw Sunday last year - minus the rain delay hopefully. This year I'm thinking Friday will lean pop-punk, Saturday will be a little more alternative/indie, and then of course Sunday will have several metal acts. People in the city and in the northern suburbs aren't happy because this makes getting to and from the fest more difficult. There's also people who booked a hotel or air bnb based on the Douglas Park location (which they had on their website and the tickets until right before the location change announcement) and now can't get a full refund to book something else. Getting out of Douglas at the end of the night wasn't perfect either, but getting out of Bridgeview will be worse. I was lucky enough to guess the venue change correctly and booked a new hotel right in Bridgeview before it was announced. And my original hotel was 100% refundable up till Sept 18.
To agree with other posts, the venue change sucks for 2 reasons, one getting there is gonna be awful no matter which way you choose, and the second reason is that riot fest started as a Chicago based fest and it feels like it got forced out. As to what to expect, ive been going since 8 years ish and can say it kinda depends on you. If your someone who enjoys being front row then you have a 3 day marathon ahead of you lol so eat a big breakfast and lunch, and bring plenty of water. If you enjoy being in the pit, then pants with a lot of pockets are your best friend, bring phone, money, water and a ton pedialyte. Then lastly if you just watch from the back bring a back pack with a pouch couch and look for a spot with a view. No matter what it’s a super fun time all around. The new location with have very lil shade so keep that in mind also.
The change of venue is bad for anyone in the city proper who was used to taking the pink line or the bus to Douglas Park. My friends in the suburbs are actually happy about it because they were driving there anyway, and now its closer and has parking.
Chicago is also easier for suburbanites to get to via many different modes of transportation. Even park and ride. Nobody has to drive all the way into Chicago unless they want to.
100% this. I get that it sucks for the people in the city, or for people who were coming from out of town and already had accommodations. But how many thousands of people drive in? Saying they fucked over ALL their fans is ridiculous. For those of us driving in from the burbs, Douglass Park was a pain in the dick to drive to, and even worse to park. Even if you were lucky enough to find a spot, then you had to worry about someone shaking you down to pay them for it, or you have to worry about your car getting fucked up. I get that a stadium is not as cool of a vibe as a park, but being able to drive there easier, and then park? Sign me the fuck up.
Riot Fest is always a ton of fun, and with all the changes to the map and interesting new diversions, I think this one has the potential to be more fun than any before it. I think with the venue change though you just have to be okay with knowing that you're going to be stuck in traffic after the festival. My personal plan is to try to leave a little earlier than most since I'm not too interested in the headliners. I'm sure the traffic will still suck but maybe I'll fare a little bit better that way. Anyway, I think if you can put up with the traffic you're going to have a blast. Just my two cents.