Riot Fest 2026 Headliners Include Tool, Alanis, Sex Pistols

The lineup for the 2026 edition of Chicago's Riot Fest has been announced, featuring a diverse roster of punk, rock, and alternative music acts across three days in September. The festival will take place from September 18 to 20 at Douglass Park.

Headlining performers include Tool, Alanis Morissette, Morrissey, Twenty One Pilots, and Pierce the Veil. The extensive bill also includes Iggy Pop, Elvis Costello & The Imposters, the Pixies, Rise Against, Alkaline Trio, the All-American Rejects, Nas, Patti Smith, Social Distortion, Bad Religion, and the Sex Pistols. Additional notable acts span genres and eras, from Bright Eyes and Taking Back Sunday to Descendents, Gogol Bordello, and newer artists such as Violet Grohl, the daughter of Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl.

A notable aspect of the lineup is the scheduled performances of both the Sex Pistols, featuring Frank Carter, and Public Image Ltd, which features original Sex Pistols frontman John Lydon. The two groups have a longstanding feud, making their inclusion on the same festival bill a point of discussion.

Riot Fest, an independently run event launched in 2005, has grown into one of Chicago's signature music festivals. It...