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. In November 2024, Condé Nast announced that the Chicago Pitchfork Music Festival was permanently closing, though the fate of the Paris branch is unclear.
Chicago Pitchfork Festival in Chicago annually hosted a record fair that is organized and managed by CHIRP Radio, a Chicago community radio station.
2024
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.
2023
The 2023 festival was held on July 21–23 at Union Park in Chicago. The headliners were the Smile, Big Thief, and Bon Iver.
2022
The 2022 festival was held on July 15–17 at Union Park in Chicago. The headliners were the National, Mitski and The Roots.
2021
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.
2020 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
2019
The 2019 festival was held July 19–21 at Union Park in Chicago. The headliners were Haim, the Isley Brothers, and Robyn.
2018
The 2018 festival was held July 20–22 at Union Park in Chicago. The headliners were Tame Impala, Fleet Foxes, and Ms. Lauryn Hill.
2017
The 2017 festival was held July 14–16 at Union Park in Chicago. The headliners were LCD Soundsystem, A Tribe Called Quest, and Solange.
2016
The 2016 Pitchfork Music Festival took place on July 15–17 at Union Park in Chicago.
2015
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.
2014
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.
2013
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.
2012
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.
2011
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.
2010
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.
2009
The 2009 Pitchfork Music Festival was held July 17–19, 2009.Pitchfork Music Festival 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."
2008
The 2008 Pitchfork Music Festival was held July 18–20, 2008. Three-day passes for the event sold out in May.Pitchfork, Pitchfork Music Festival Three-Day Passes Sold Out!, May 18, 2008 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.
2007
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.
2006
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.
2005 Intonation Music Festival 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.
Paris
2025 The 2025 Paris festival was held on 3 to 9 November 2025.
Monday, 3 November Blood Orange, Self Esteem, DellaXOX, Roland Faunte, Saya Gray, Lumï, Hetta Falzon, Sassy 009 Tuesday, 4 November
Erika de Casier, Léa Sen, Momma, Du Blonde, Panda Bear, Panchiko, Hannah Jadagu, Sydney Minsky Sargeant, Haley Heynderickx, Etta Marcus, Kellan Christopher Cragg
Wednesday, 5 November
A. G. Cook, Underscores, Indigo De Souza, Jay Som, Swank Mami, Teethe, Destiino, CHLOE, Sutja Gutiérrez, Sapphist Eye
Thursday, 6 November
Annie-Dog, Babymorocco, Deep Sea Diver, Hank Heaven, holybones, Indian Wells, Iyamah, Mechatok, Renny Conti, Slate, strongboi, Alex Amen, Full Body 2, Rabbitfoot, Saint Clair, shortstraw., Spill Tab, Sean Trelford
Friday, 7 November Boko Youtm Body Meat, Daffo, Great Grandpa, hey, nothing, Isaiah Hull, Jensen McRae, Punching Bag, quinnie, runo plum, Sophia Stel, The New Eves, TTSSFU, Jane Remover, late night drive home, Westside Cowboy, Will Paquin Saturday, 8 November
Annahstasia, fakemink, LUCY (Cooper B. Handy), Malcolm Todd, Real Farmer, RIP Magic, Stella Bridie, Witch Post, Wombo, 454, Gia Ford, Makeshift Art Bar, Pollyfromthedirt, Sean Solomon, Somewhere Special, Nabeel (نبيل), Tommy Barlow, Yaeger
Sunday, 9 November
Marie Davidson, Hamilton Leithauser, Silver Gore, Quiet Man, Kelora
2024 The 2024 Paris festival was held on 4 to 10 November 2024.
Monday, 4 November
Judeline, Okay Kaya, Anastasia Coope, Bikôkô
Tuesday, 5 November
Charlotte Day Wilson, Liana Flores, Konradsen
Wednesday, 6 November
Sega Bodega, Good Morning, Holly Macve, Font, Florence Sinclair, Kiss Facility
Thursday, 7 November
Divorce, Eaves Wilder, Len, Mabe Fratti, MRCY, Tiberius b, Abby Sage, Angélica Garcia, Bolis Pupul, Christian Lee Hutson, Deep Tan, Disgusting Sisters, Friko, Jacob Alon, Lucky Lo, Sekou, Thandii, Winter
Friday, 8 November
bby, Chanel Beads, Infinity Song, Love Remain, Rocket, Sarah Julia, Bug Eyed, Ebbb, Fcukers, Hex Girlfriend, Jasmine.4.T, LA LOM, Loren Kramar, Malice K, MAY, Pom Pom Squad, YHWH Nailgun, Ahadadream, Anaco, Tatyana Jane, Charlotte Plank
Saturday, 9 November
Elsy Wameyo, June McDoom, Snow Strippers, Sword II, Ugly, BLACK FONDU, Borough Council, Chloe Slater, Cloth, Floodlights, GRLwood, HiTech, Humane The Moon, Humble the Great, Lava La Rue, RIMON, The Itch, Treanne, Belaria, Soyoon, Soft Crash, Chloe Qisha, Georgie & Joe
Sunday, 10 November
Rusowsky, COBRAH
2023 The 2023 Paris festival was held on 6 to 12 November 2023.
Monday, 6 November
Dream Wife, Pillow Queens, Been Stellar, Youth Lagoon
Tuesday, 7 November
Namasenda, blackwinterwells, Hyd
Wednesday, 8 November
Weyes Blood, Ichiko Aoba, Crumb, Helado Negro, pablopablo, Mav, Bawo, Paris
Thursday, 9 November
Special Interest, Sam Akpro, Picture Parlour, Bellah
Friday, 10 November
Anjimile, Fat Dog, eee gee, Kneecap, Eli Smart, MAFRO, Ray Laurél, Gurriers, Richy Mitch & The Coal Miners, Kara Jackson, Water from Your Eyes, Tkay Maidza, Medium Build, Memphis LK, Skinny Pelembe, Sofia Kourtesis, The Dare, Jonah Yano, Hagop Tchaparian
Saturday, 11 November
bar italia, Bingo Furry, Girl and Girl, Jawny, KhakiKid, Kid Apollo, Lana Lubany, Lip Critic, mercury, Militarie Gun, Poison Anna, Sophie May, UNIVERSITY, Venbee, Hemlocke Springs, Dumb Buoys Fishing Club, Nourished by Time, Lutalo, Deki Alem, Ethel
Sunday, 12 November
Leith Ross, Haley Blais, Saya Gray
2022 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.
Monday, 14 November Le Café de la Danse: Jordana, MICHELLE, TV Girl La Gaîté Lyrique: O., DEADLETTER, Black Country, New Road
Tuesday, 15 November La Gaîté Lyrique: TV Priest, Nation of Language, Porridge Radio
Wednesday, 16 November La Gaîté Lyrique: NNAMDÏ, Falle Nioke, The Comet Is Coming La Place: Nemzzz, thaHomey, 8ruki
Thursday, 17 November La Place: Sadandsolo, Yaya Bey, Knucks Le Consulat: SUPER!, Sierra mgmt, Le Grenier
Friday, 18 November Le Café de la Danse: Dréya Mac, Sam Wise, Sudan Archives POPUP!: Luna Li, piri & tommy, They Hate Change Supersonic: Regressive Left, L'objectif, The Goa Express Supersonic Records: Prima Queen, Ethan P. Flynn Badaboum: John Glacier, Yeule, Nia Archives Les Disquaires: Sister Ray, Sarah Kinsley, Charlie Hickey
Saturday, 19 November Le Café de la Danse: Astrønne, Léa Sen, Dua Saleh POPUP!: Nukuluk, Grove, Yunè Pinku Supersonic: CMAT, Romero, VLURE Supersonic Records: Johanna Warren, Mandy Indiana Badaboum: Sans Soucis, Jeshi, Pip Millett Les Disquaires: flowerovlove, Grace Ives, Gretel Hänlyn Le Consulat: HSRS, Damlif
Sunday, 20 November La Boule Noire: Okay Kaya Le Consulat: JÜDE, Astrønne, NKA
Monday, 21 November Church of St. Eustache: Arooj Aftab
2021 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.
Monday, 15 November Church of Saint Eustache: Bobby Gillespie & Jehnny Beth
Tuesday, 16 November La Gaîté Lyrique: Shygirl, Alewya, Denise Chaila
Wednesday, 17 November La Gaîté Lyrique: Charlotte Adigéry & Bolis Pupul, Amaarae, Hope Tala
Thursday, 18 November Bataclan: Sons of Kemet, Nubya Garcia, cktrl
Friday, 19 November 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