Riot Fest 2026 lineup is here: Tool, Alanis Morissette, Twenty One Pilots and more are headed to Chicago

Riot Fest has officially announced its 2026 lineup, and Chicago’s loudest weekend is already shaping up to be one of the year’s biggest festival moments.

The long-running punk, rock, alternative, metal and hip-hop festival returns to Douglass Park September 18-20, bringing three days of massive headliners, cult favorites, hometown heroes, reunion-worthy surprises and the kind of wonderfully chaotic booking that makes Riot Fest feel like Riot Fest.

After weeks of fans asking when the lineup would drop, Riot Fest revealed more than 100 artists for its 2026 edition. The announcement follows the festival’s 20th anniversary celebration in 2025, when Mayor Brandon Johnson issued an official Riot Fest Day proclamation on the festival’s final day.

Organizers are framing this year’s lineup as one that bridges generations, pairing genre-defining icons with newer artists carrying those sounds forward. That idea runs through the whole bill, from ’70s pioneers and punk veterans to modern alternative, emo, hip-hop, hardcore and indie acts.

Riot Fest 2026 headliners

Riot Fest 2026 has a stacked top line, mixing festival debuts, returning legends and longtime fan favorites.

• Tool

• Twenty One Pilots

• Pierce The Veil

• Alanis Morissette

• Morrissey

• Iggy Pop

• Elvis Costello & The Imposters

• Pixies

• Rise Against

• Alkaline Trio

• The All-American Rejects

• Nas

• Patti Smith & Her Band

Tool, Twenty One Pilots and Alanis Morissette are among the artists making their Riot Fest debuts, while Patti Smith, Iggy Pop, Pixies and Elvis Costello return as veteran festival icons. Morrissey also comes back to Riot Fest 10 years after his infamous 2016 appearance, when meat sales were reportedly prohibited before and during his set.

A lineup built for every kind of Riot Fest fan

Part of the fun of a Riot Fest lineup announcement is seeing just how many eras, scenes and subgenres can coexist on one poster. Riot Fest 2026 keeps that tradition alive.

Tool brings the heavy, hypnotic, arena-sized rock spectacle. Alanis Morissette adds a generational singalong factor with one of the most recognizable catalogs of the ’90s and beyond. Twenty One Pilots and Pierce The Veil bring modern festival energy, while Nas adds a major hip-hop moment to the weekend.

Then there are the deep-cut gems and scene favorites that make the undercard just as exciting as the headliners. Twin Peaks gives Chicago fans a local reason to celebrate, especially after the band’s recent eight-night residency at Thalia Hall. Sincere Engineer, Worry Club and Almost There But Not Really add more Chicago representation to a bill that already includes hometown punk mainstays Rise Against and Alkaline Trio.

Riot Fest also has plenty of surprises in the mix. Violet Grohl will make her Chicago solo debut. Sugar, Bob Mould’s band, returns after a 30-year hiatus. Sex Pistols and Public Image LTD are both on the bill, a rare overlap given John Lydon’s history with both punk institutions. GWAR also returns, because at this point Riot Fest without GWAR would barely feel complete.

And in true Riot Fest fashion, there is a Chicago celebrity twist: Tom Skilling is coming out of retirement to provide on-site forecasts throughout the weekend.

Full Riot Fest 2026 lineup

In addition to the 13 headliners, here is the complete Riot Fest 2026 lineup:

• Sugar

• Social Distortion

• Bad Religion

• Sex Pistols

• Twin Peaks

• Bright Eyes

• The Format

• Taking Back Sunday

• Pennywise

• Descendents

• The Beths

• Santigold

• Gogol Bordello

• Public Image LTD

• Tricky

• Angine de Poitrine

• Insane Clown Posse

• Motion City Soundtrack

• Mom Jeans

• Joey Valence & Brae

• Bayside

• PUP

• 3OH!3

• Cartel

• Thrice

• Less Than Jake

• Bowling For Soup

• GWAR

• The Suicide Machines

• Brian Fallon & The Painkillers

• Mariachi El Bronx

• Bratmobile

• Pretty Girls Make Graves

• Good Riddance

• Guttermouth

• This Is Loreli

• Slick Rick

• Afroman

• The Chats

• Fleshwater

• Yard Act

• Sincere Engineer

• The Paradox

• Destroy Boys

• Arm’s Length

• Jejune

• Chat Pile

• Strike Anywhere

• JMSN

• Show Me The Body

• Haywire

• Dead To Me

• The Flatliners

• Violet Grohl

• Foxy Shazam

• Saturdays At Your Place

• Algernon Cadwalader

• Melt-Banana

• Daisy Grenada

• Vana

• DeathByRomy

• Panic Shack

• Frankie And The Witch Fingers

• Worry Club

• Division Minuscula

• Ben Quad

• Deadletter

• Teen Mortgage

• Holding Absence

• Whispers

• Soul Glo

• Gurriers

• Plosivs

• Stomach Book

• Burning Airlines

• Macseal

• Slothrust

• Glixen

• The Callous Daoboys

• Greet Death

• Remember Sports

• Nobro

• Kiwi Jr.

• Murphy’s Law

• Cardinals

• Iron Roses

• ASAVA

• Aim High

• Almost There But Not Really

*Stay tuned for the day-by-day performance schedule, which organizers typically publish later in the summer, closer to the festival dates.

How to get Riot Fest 2026 tickets on SeatGeek

Ready to go? Here’s how to find Riot Fest 2026 tickets through SeatGeek:

1. Go to SeatGeek and search for "Riot Fest."

2. Select the Riot Fest 2026 event or pass option you want.

3. Use filters to compare prices, ticket quantity and available options.

4. Review the listing details carefully before checkout.

5. Choose your tickets, then select "Go to checkout."

6. Enter the email address where you want to receive your tickets.

7. Complete your purchase and watch your inbox for ticket delivery details.

SeatGeek makes it easy to compare available listings, look for strong value and buy with confidence.

Don’t miss Riot Fest 2026

Three days. Douglass Park. Tool, Alanis Morissette, Twenty One Pilots, Pierce The Veil, Morrissey, Nas, Pixies, Twin Peaks and more than 100 artists ready to take over Chicago.

Riot Fest 2026 is officially on the calendar, and tickets are moving now. Find your passes on SeatGeek today and get ready for a weekend loud enough to make Chicago shake.