Pitchfork Music Festival

Pitchfork Music Festival was an annual music festival in Union Park in Chicago, Illinois, organized by the online magazine Pitchfork. Starting in 2011, the festival announced a branch staged in Paris at Grande halle de la Villette. The festival, which is normally held over three days (Friday, Saturday, and Sunday) in July, focuses primarily on artists and bands from the alternative rock, hip hop, electronic and dance music genres, although it has also ranged into hardcore punk, experimental rock and jazz in its lineups. A festival planned for Berlin at Tempodrom in 2020 was cancelled.
In addition to music, Pitchfork Festival also includes food, beverages, art, and gig posters from local, regional, and national vendors. Pitchfork Festival also hosts a record fair that is organized and managed by CHIRP Radio, a Chicago community radio station. In November 2024, Condé Nast announced that the Chicago Pitchfork Music Festival was permanently closing, though the fate of the Paris branch is unclear.
The 2024 festival was held on July 19–21 at Union Park in Chicago. The headliners were Jamie xx, Alanis Morissette, and Black Pumas. In November 2024, Pitchfork announced that the Chicago Pitchfork Music Festival was permanently closing, but that it would "continue to produce events" in the future.
The 2023 festival was held on July 21–23 at Union Park in Chicago. The headliners were the Smile, Big Thief, and Bon Iver.
The 2022 festival was held on July 15–17 at Union Park in Chicago. The headliners were the National, Mitski and The Roots.
The 2021 festival was held on September 10–12 at Union Park in Chicago. The edition was headlined by Erykah Badu, Phoebe Bridgers and St. Vincent.
The 2020 Pitchfork Festival was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The artists and bands that were scheduled to perform at the 2020 festival are listed below. The headliners were scheduled to be the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Run the Jewels, and The National.
Friday: Jehnny Beth, Deafheaven, Dehd, Fennesz, Femdot, the Fiery Furnaces, Hop Along, Kaina, Angel Olsen, Sophie, Spellling, Tim Hecker & the Konoyo Ensemble, Waxahatchee, and Yeah Yeah Yeahs
Saturday: BadBadNotGood, Boy Scouts, Danny Brown, Cat Power, Dave, Divino Niño, Ezra Collective, Margaux, Oso Oso, Run the Jewels, Thundercat, Twin Peaks, Sharon Van Etten, Tierra Whack
Sunday: Big Thief, Phoebe Bridgers, DJ Nate, Dogleg, Dustin Laurenzi's Snaketime, Kim Gordon, the Hecks, Mariah the Scientist, Maxo Kream, The National, Caroline Polachek, Rapsody, Faye Webster, Yaeji
The 2019 festival was held July 19–21 at Union Park in Chicago. The headliners were Haim, the Isley Brothers, and Robyn.
The 2018 festival was held July 20–22 at Union Park in Chicago. The headliners were Tame Impala, Fleet Foxes, and Ms. Lauryn Hill.
The 2017 festival was held July 14–16 at Union Park in Chicago. The headliners were LCD Soundsystem, A Tribe Called Quest, and Solange.
The 2016 Pitchfork Music Festival took place on July 15–17 at Union Park in Chicago.
The 2015 Pitchfork Music Festival was held on July 17–19 at Union Park in Chicago. The event's headliners were Wilco, Sleater-Kinney, and Chance the Rapper.
The 2014 Pitchfork Music Festival was held on July 18–20 at Union Park in Chicago. The event's headliners were Beck, Neutral Milk Hotel, and Kendrick Lamar. Three-day passes for the festival sold out by the beginning of April.
The 2013 Pitchfork Music Festival was held on July 19–21 at Union Park in Chicago. The event's headliners were Björk, Belle & Sebastian, and R. Kelly.
The 2012 Pitchfork Music Festival was held on July 13–15 at Union Park in Chicago. Three day passes went on sale March 9 and sold out by the end of the month. The headliners were Feist, Godspeed You! Black Emperor, and Vampire Weekend.
The 2011 Pitchfork Music Festival was held on July 15–17 at Union Park. Three-day passes for the event sold out in one day. The festival was headlined by Animal Collective, Fleet Foxes and TV on the Radio.
The fifth annual Pitchfork Music Festival was held on July 16–18 at Union Park. Three-day passes for the festival sold out in under a week. 2010 marked the first and only year that the festival included a stand-up comedy stage.
The 2009 Pitchfork Music Festival was held July 17–19, 2009. On Friday night all of the performing bands played sets consisting of songs voted for online by ticket-holders in an event Pitchfork called "Write the Night: Set Lists by Request."
The 2008 Pitchfork Music Festival was held July 18–20, 2008. Three-day passes for the event sold out in May. On Friday night the promotion company All Tomorrow's Parties again collaborated with Pitchfork to present a "Don't Look Back" stage, on which all of the evening's bands performed one of their classic albums in its entirety.
The 2007 Pitchfork Music Festival was held on July 13–15, 2007, again in Union Park. The festival was sold out with 48,000 visitors.
The 2006 Pitchfork Music Festival was the first festival organized and run entirely by Pitchfork Media. This was also the only year that the Pitchfork and Intonation Music Festivals were held in the same year. The 2006 Pitchfork festival drew more than 35,000 visitors to listen to 41 bands on July 29 and 30.
In 2005, Pitchfork Media was hired by a music promotion company called Skyline Chicago to curate the Intonation Festival at Union Park in Chicago. While this was not technically the "Pitchfork Music Festival," because of Pitchfork Media's prominent role in the event as well as its future success in staging similar festivals at the same location, many Chicagoans and music fans consider the 2005 event to be for all intents and purposes the first Pitchfork festival and refer to it by that name.
The performers included Tortoise, the Wrens, the Decemberists, the Go! Team, Les Savy Fav, Broken Social Scene, Andrew Bird, and the Hold Steady.
The 2022 Paris festival was held on 14 to 21 November 2022. The festival was held over fourteen venues around Paris, including Badaboum, Carbone Club, La Boule Noire, La Place, Les Disquaires, Quartier de Bastille, Supersonic Records, Le Café de la Danse, Church of Saint-Eustache, La Gaîté Lyrique, Le Consulat, POPUP! and Supersonic.
The 2021 Paris festival was held on 15 to 21 November 2021. The festival was held in ten venues across Paris, including Salle Pleyel, Bataclan, La Gaîté Lyrique, and Church of St. Eustache.
Church of Saint Eustache: Bobby Gillespie & Jehnny Beth
La Gaîté Lyrique: Shygirl, Alewya, Denise Chaila
La Gaîté Lyrique: Charlotte Adigéry & Bolis Pupul, Amaarae, Hope Tala
Bataclan: Sons of Kemet, Nubya Garcia, cktrl
Le Café de la Danse: Cassandra Jenkins, Lael Neale, Gabriels POPUP!: Kai Kwasi, Sloppy Jane, Erika de Casier Badaboum: KeiyaA, Claud, Godford Badaboum After Party: Denis Sulta, Sofia Kourtesis, TSHA Les Disquaires: Miso Extra, Elliott Armen Supersonic Records: Kynsy, NewDad, TV Priest Supersonic: Talk Show, Molly Payton, Wet Leg
Le Café de la Danse: Elliott Armen, Faux Real, En Attendant Ana POPUP!: ML Buch, Kamal., Berwyn Badaboum: Kam-BU, L'Rain, ENNY Badaboum After Party: India Jordan, Josey Rebelle, Marina Trench Les Disquaires: Kathleen Frances, Fabiana Palladino Supersonic Records: H. Hawkline, Yard Act Supersonic: Lime Garden, Choses Sauvages, Katy J Pearson
Salle Pleyel: Sébastien Tellier, Muddy Monk
The 2019 Paris festival was held on October 31, November 1–2. The headliners are Skepta, The 1975, Chromatics, Belle and Sebastian, Mura Masa, Hamza and Charli XCX.
Grande Halle
Thursday: Ezra Collective, Mura Masa, Hamza, Skepta
Friday: Desire, Primal Scream, Chromatics, Belle and Sebastian
Saturday: Jamila Woods, Charli XCX, The 1975, SebastiAn
Nef
Thursday: Kojaque, slowthai, Flohio, Ateyaba, Zola
Friday: Barrie, Nilüfer Yanya, Weyes Blood, John Talabot
Saturday: Caroline Polachek, Aurora, Agar Agar, 2ManyDj's (DJ set)
Petite Halle
Thursday: sean, Master Peace, Retro X, Yussef Dayes
Friday: Loving, Sons of Raphael, Squid, Sheer Mag, CHAI
Saturday: Mk.gee, Aeris Roves, KadhyaK, Kedr Livanskiy
Studio
Thursday: duendita, Charlotte Dos Santos, Rachel Chinouriri, Kojey Radical, The Comet Is Coming
Friday: Briston Maroney, Nelson Beer, Jackie Mendoza, Orville Peck, Helado Negro
Saturday: Korantemaa, Jessica Pratt, BEA1991, oklou, Ela Minus
The 2018 Paris festival was held on November 1–3. The headliners were Bon Iver, Kaytranada and Mac DeMarco. Pitchfork also hosted Avant-Garde, a block party held on October 30 and 31.
Thursday: New Optimism (Miho Hatori), Cola Boyy, Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever, Yellow Days, John Maus, Étienne Daho, the Voidz, Mac DeMarco
Friday: Boy Pablo, Tirzah, Dream Wife, Lewis OfMan, Car Seat Headrest, Chromeo, Bagarre, Chvrches, Blood Orange, Kaytranada
Saturday: Michael Rault, Muddy Monk, Snail Mail, Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks, Unknown Mortal Orchestra, Bon Iver, Jeremy Underground, DJ Koze, Peggy Gou, Avalon Emerson, Daniel Avery
Avant-Garde
Cafe de la Danse
Tuesday: Lauren Auder, IDER, Let's Eat Grandma
Wednesday: Naaz, Kelsey Lu, Cautious Clay
Badaboum
Tuesday: Kiran Kai, Rimon, JPEGMafia, Jimothy Lacoste
Wednesday: Etta Bond, Biig Piig, Kojey Radical, Slowthai
Reservoir
Tuesday: Weakened Friends, Holiday Sidewinder, Alaskalaska
Wednesday: Black Midi, Mint Field, Sasami
La Chapelle des Lombards
Tuesday: Sam Evian, Jack Grace, Stella Donnelly
Wednesday: Helena Deland, Gold Star, Honey Harper
Pan Pier
Tuesday: Wicca Phase Springs Eternal, Mellah, Westerman, Apollo Noir
Wednesday: Palm, Anemone, O-Olivier Marguerit, Trevor Powers
Supersonic
Tuesday: Hop Along, Starchild and the new Romantics, Crumb
Wednesday: Madison McFerrin, Hatchie, Yuno
PopUp!
Tuesday: Khadyak, Grand Pax, Jockstrap
Wednesday: Suzi Wu, Buzzy Lee, Anaïs
The 2017 Paris festival was held on November 2–4. The headliners were The National, Jungle and Run the Jewels. Pitchfork also hosted Avant-Garde, a block party held on October 31 and November 1.
Thursday: Ethan Lipton & His Orchestra, Moses Sumney, This Is the Kit, Chassol, Rone, Ride, Kevin Morby, The National
Friday: HMLTD, Cigarettes After Sex, Tommy Genesis, Sylvan Esso, Andy Shauf, Isaac Delusion, Rejjie Snow, Kamasi Washington, Polo & Pan, Jungle
Saturday: Sigrid, Songe, Tom Misch, Loyle Carner, Jacques, BadBadNotGood, Princess Nokia, Run the Jewels, The Blaze, Bicep, The Black Madonna, Talaboman
Mécanique Ondulatoire
Tuesday: NOLIFE, Sorry, Bryan's Magic Treats
Wednesday: Bad Nerves, The Pale White, Priests
Café de la Danse
Tuesday: Isaac Gracie, (Sandy) Alex G, Big Thief
Wednesday: Rostam, Nick Hakim, Noga Erez
Badaboum
Tuesday: Mavi Phoenix, Obongjayar, A2, Benny Mails
Wednesday: Sälen, Oklou, Jamila Woods, Hundred Waters
La Loge
Tuesday: Korey Dane, Leif Vollebekk, Julie Byrne
Wednesday: Matt Maltese, Angelo De Augustine, Wovoka Gentle
Pop Up Du Label
Tuesday: K Á R Y Y N, Lido Pimienta, Tennyson
Wednesday: Soleil Vert, Pauli, Oko Ebombo
Pan Piper
Tuesday: Ary, SuperParka, Malca, You Man
Wednesday: Ama Lou, Triplego, Hare Squead, Ray BLK
Supersonic
Tuesday: Puma Blue, Yellow Days, Pinegrove
Wednesday: Silly Boy Blue, Yowl, Vagabon
The 2016 Paris festival was held on October 27–29. The headliners were Nick Murphy FKA Chet Faker, Moderat and M.I.A.
Thursday: Aldous RH, Lucy Dacus, Parquet Courts, Suuns, Floating Points, DJ Shadow, Mount Kimbie, Nick Murphy FKA Chet Faker
Friday: C Duncan, Porches, Brandt Brauer Frick, Flavien Berger, Explosions in the Sky, Bat for Lashes, Todd Terje & the Olsens, Moderat
Saturday: Joey Purp, Bonzai, Whitney, Shame, Minor Victories, Warpaint, Abra, M.I.A., Acid Arab, Motor City Drum Ensemble, Daphni, Tale of Us
Café de la Danse
Tuesday: Krrum, Loyle Carner, Frances
Wednesday: Robbing Millions, Adia Victoria, Thom Sonny Green
Badaboum
Tuesday: Nilüfer Yanya, Mabel, Fickle Friends
Wednesday: Skott, Jordan Rakei, Requin Chagrin
Mécanique Ondulatoire
Tuesday: Get Inuit, Hoops, Anteros
Wednesday: Lucy Dacus, Communions, Cherry Glazerr
Supersonic
Tuesday: Klangstof, Smerz, Alex Cameron
Wednesday: Fhin, Dark0, Kenton Slash Demon
Pop-Up du Label
Tuesday: Alfie Connor, Connie Constance, Cleopold
Wednesday: Pi Ja Ma, Beaty Heart, Isaac Gracie
La Loge
Tuesday: Faroe, Cameron A G, Okay Kaya
Wednesday: Alyss, Anna of the North, Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith
Café de la Presse
Tuesday: Manast LL', Kweku Collins, Jones
Wednesday: Salute, Tirzah, Tommy Genesis
Thursday: Malibu, River Tiber, Jessy Lanza, Clams Casino, Ryan Hemsworth
Friday: Lamusa, Dollkraut DJ, Jacques, Pangaea, Bambounou
The 2015 Paris festival was held on October 29–31. The headliners were Thom Yorke - Tomorrow's Modern Boxes, Beach House and Ratatat.
Thursday: Hælos, Kirin J. Callinan, Destroyer, Ariel Pink, Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Deerhunter, Beach House
Friday: Dornik, Rome Fortune, Health, Rhye, Kurt Vile & The Violators, Battles, Thom Yorke - Tomorrow's Modern Boxes, Four Tet
Saturday: Hinds, Curtis Harding, Nao, Father John Misty, Unknown Mortal Orchestra, Run the Jewels, Spiritualized, Ratatat, Hudson Mohawke, John Talabot b2b Roman Flügel, Laurent Garnier
Café de la Danse: Børns, Empress Of, LA Priest
Badaboum: SG Lewis, Moses Sumney, Mura Masa, DJ Allie Teilz
Mécanique Ondulatoire: Mild High Club, Bully, Speedy Ortiz
Thursday: Rustie, Nosaj Thing, two, Gilligan Moss, Jade Statues, John Pope, Keight
Friday: Omar S, Galcher Lustwerk, Andre Bratten, Cosmo, k2k
The 2014 Paris festival was held on October 30–31 and November 1. The headliners were Belle & Sebastian, Caribou and James Blake.
Thursday: Ought, How to Dress Well, The Notwist, The War on Drugs, Mogwai, Jon Hopkins, James Blake
Friday: Perfect Pussy, D.D Dumbo, Son Lux, Future Islands, MØ, Chvrches, St. Vincent, Belle & Sebastian
Saturday: Jessy Lanza, Charlotte OC, Tobias Jesso Jr., Kwamie Liv, Movement, Foxygen, tUnE-yArDs, José González, Jungle, Caribou, Four Tet, Jamie xx, Kaytranada
Wednesday: Kindness, Kelela, All We Are, Shura
Thursday: Joy Orbison, Martyn, Ryan Elliott, Felix
Friday: Lunice, Fatima Al Qadiri, Sophie, Tourist, Douchka
The 2013 Paris festival was held on October 31 and November 1–2. The headliners were The Knife, Hot Chip and Disclosure.
Thursday: Only Real, Iceage, Blood Orange, No Age, Mac DeMarco, Savages, Mount Kimbie, Darkside, The Haxan Cloak, The Knife
Friday: Petit Fantôme, Deafheaven, Jagwar Ma, Warpaint, Colin Stetson, Junip, Ariel Pink, Connan Mockasin, Danny Brown, Disclosure
Saturday: Empress Of, Pegase, Majical Cloudz, Sky Ferreira, Youth Lagoon, Baths, Omar Souleyman, Yo La Tengo, Panda Bear, Hot Chip, Glass Candy, Todd Terje, A-Trak
Wednesday: Julianna Barwick, The Dodos, Jackson Scott, Forest Swords
Thursday: John Talabot, Pional, Genius of Time, Evans
Friday: Jon Hopkins, Jacques Greene, Evian Christ, Kuage, Sundae
The 2012 Paris festival was held on November 1–3. The headliners were M83, Animal Collective and Grizzly Bear.
Thursday: How to Dress Well, AlunaGeorge, DIIV, Factory Floor, Japandroids, Chairlift, John Talabot, Sébastien Tellier, James Blake, M83
Friday: Outfit, Ratking, Jessie Ware, Wild Nothing, The Tallest Man on Earth, The Walkmen, Chromatics, Robyn, Fuck Buttons, Animal Collective
Saturday: Isaac Delusion, Cloud Nothings, Purity Ring, Twin Shadow, Liars, Death Grips, Breton, Grizzly Bear, Disclosure, Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs, Rustie, Simian Mobile Disco, Julio Bashmore
The 2011 Paris festival was held on October 28–29. The headliners were Bon Iver and Aphex Twin.
Friday: Team Ghost, Fucked Up, Real Estate, Washed Out, Wild Beasts, Mondkopf, Aphex Twin, Pantha du Prince, Cut Copy, Four Tet, Erol Alkan
Saturday: Rosebuds, Kathleen Edwards, Stornoway, Jens Lekman, Lykke Li, Bon Iver
The 2023 edition was announced April 24 with dates set for November 7–13. The initial selection of the lineup announced included Weyes Blood, Yaeji, Sleater-Kinney, Helado Negro, the live debut of Jonny Greenwood and Dudu Tassa's new duo collaboration, U.S. Girls, Mavi, Crumb, Jessy Lanza, Porridge Radio, Sorry, Ryoji Ikeda, Alabaster DePlume, Wednesday, Youth Lagoon, Water from Your Eyes, Just Mustard, Barrie, Fly Anakin, Deeper, Porches, Gurriers, Pearl and the Oysters, Been Stellar, Lutalo, Eee Gee, Fazerdaze, and McKinley Dixon.
Tuesday, 7 November 2023
Wednesday, 8 November 2023
Thursday, 9 November 2023
Friday, 10 November 2023
Saturday, 11 November 2023
Sunday, 12 November 2023
Monday, 13 November 2023
The 2022 London festival was held on 9 to 12 November.
Wednesday, 9 November
Thursday, 10 November
Friday, 11 November
Saturday, 12 November
Sunday, 13 November
Pitchfork Music Festival London made its debut in 2021 on 10–14 November. The festival was held in twelve venues across London.
Wednesday
Village Underground: Mykki Blanco, Charlotte Adigéry & Bolis Pupul, TYSON
Fabric: Anna Meredith, PVA, Grove
Earth Theatre: Bobby Gillespie & Jehnny Beth, Art School Girlfriend
Thursday
Earth Theatre: Bobby Gillespie & Jehnny Beth, Cassandra Jenkins, Natalie Bergman
Fire: PC Music "Love Goes On" (Hannah Diamond, Namasenda, Caro<3, Felicita, Easyfun, Umru, KKB Soundsystem, Mowalola)
Fabric: Giant Swan, Eartheater, DJ Winggold
Friday
Southbank Centre: Black Midi, Moor Mother
Oslo: Denise Chaila, Lex Amor, Carla Prata
Moth Club: Iceage, deathcrash, The Umlauts
Oval Space: Remi Wolf, Gabriels, Joviale
Saturday
Oval Space / Canvas / Pickle Factory: Tirzah, Koreless, Good Sad Happy Bad, Lucinda Chua, Nabihah Iqbal, Kareem Ali, L'Rain, Harvey Causon, Haich Ber Na, Tiberius B
Hackney Church: Moses Boyd, Nilüfer Yanya, Emma-Jean Thackray, cktrl
Sunday
The Roundhouse: Stereolab, Girl Band, Beak>, Ana Roxanne, Folly Group, Martha Skye Murphy, Kynsy
The inaugural edition of Pitchfork Music Festival Berlin was held on 4 to 6 November 2022.
Friday, 4 November
Saturday, 5 November
Sunday, 6 November
The inaugural edition of Pitchfork Music Festival Berlin was to be held on 8–9 May 2020, but was cancelled. The headliners were going to be Lianne La Havas and Modeselektor.
Friday: Lianne La Havas, Soap&Skin, Brandt Brauer Frick, Nadine Shah, Nick Hakim, Celeste, Ilgen-Nur [de], Oum Shatt, duendita, Okay Kaya
Saturday: Modeselektor (Live), HVOB (Live), Tim Hecker, John Talabot (DJ), Kelly Lee Owens, DJ Spinn B2B RP Boo, rRoxymore (Live), Peaking Lights, BLVTH, Lary
The 2025 Mexico City festival is set to be held on 2 to 4 May.
The first edition of Pitchfork Music Festival held in Mexico City was announced on October 16, 2023, with dates set for March 6 to 10, 2024.
Wednesday, 6 March 2024
Thursday, 7 March 2024
Friday, 8 March 2024
Saturday, 9 March 2024
Sunday, 10 March 2024