Few festivals can give you what Arc Music Festival will offer on September 1st-3rd in Chicago. It’s a chance to hear house music in the city that made it and celebrate how much this culture has grown.
After two very successful years, Arc Music Festival plans to expand this year on what we consider house, techno, and the event itself by including all the different versions that represent it. There’s nowhere better to start with this lineup than right at the top, with the Chicago debut of the massively successful production put on by Eric Pyrdz, known simply as HOLO.
From Creamfields to Coachella, Prydz has wowed crowds, and now he brings that power to Union Park, where he has already headlined the first two years of Arc Music Festival with great success.
Adam Beyer, head of Drumcode Records, also returns this year to Arc Music Festival along with a long list of global headliners that include South African house maestro Black Coffee, the masked Boris Brejcha, Loco Dice, Nina Kraviz, Patrick Topping, and Afterlife bosses Tale of Us.
Combine that with a list of absolute legends and champions of both Chicago and Detroit including Derrick Carter, DJ Heather, DJ Minx, Moodyman, Gene Ferris, Carl Craig, and DJ Colette, and you don’t just have a gathering, but also an introduction to the entire culture that surrounds this music.
Arc Music Festival also makes sure to include the next generation of both house and techno as well with Chicago’s John Summit, Austin’s techno Firestarter Sara Landry, Defected Records’ own Sam Divine, Italian rising star Anfisa Letyago, and my personal favorite, the always compelling techno heartthrob known only as Dax J.
Tickets for all three days of Arc Music festival are $384 at their current tier, but save money and energy for the nightlife. Chicago will always be a city that can go all night long, with legendary clubs like Spybar, Smartbar, and the two-headed mega monster Radius/Cermak Hall hosting some next-level after parties.
What you’ll find with Arc Music Festival is something you may not be able to experience anywhere in America: house and techno at every stage. The stage production is impressive, the sound systems are top of the line, and the experience is unmatched.
Spanish mega party promoters Elrow will also return for their third year, promising another weekend of madness and music for everybody involved. Arc is a one-of-a-kind experience that will always be worth it.
On September 1st-3rd, take a chance on a city, a sound, and a feeling that has changed the world. Maybe get a deep-dish pizza, or stop by Portillo’s for a Chicago-style hot dog. Sit in the bleachers at a Cubs game or go hang out under the Bean.
Enjoy the summer and all the memories you’re about to make, and if you love house and techno, Arc Music Festival is on the horizon.
