Chicago Celebrates the Global Legacy of House Music During Four–Day Festival and Conference

Free festival expands with industry conference, 2nd annual House Dance Summit, citywide performances and more than 40 DJs and artists celebrating the birthplace of House music     

CHICAGO - The City of Chicago's Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE) proudly announces the return of the Chicago House Music Festival and Conference, taking place Aug. 27 through Aug. 30. Celebrating the city where House music was born, the four-day festival honors Chicago's enduring impact through free performances, dance, education and community programming across iconic venues.

This year's festival expands with a citywide kickoff at the Daley Plaza Farmers Market, as well as continued programming at SummerDance in Grant Park, the Chicago House Music Conference at the Chicago Cultural Center, the return of the Chicago House Dance Summit and a closing Wind Down celebration along the Chicago Riverwalk.

Festivalgoers can experience performances from House music pioneers, internationally recognized DJs, emerging artists and dance innovators while celebrating the artists and communities who continue to shape and redefine a genre that has influenced music and dance culture around the world.

"House music is one of Chicago's greatest cultural gifts to the world, and its influence continues to inspire artists, dancers and communities across generations," said DCASE Commissioner Kenya K. Merritt. "The Chicago House Music Festival and Conference celebrates the artists who continue to shape this powerful cultural movement while investing in the next generation of talent. As the birthplace of House music, Chicago is proud to honor this legacy and ensure it continues to inspire people around the globe."

For the full event lineup and additional information, visit ChicagoHouseMusicFestival.us or follow @chicagodcase on Instagram for the latest updates. The Chicago House Music Festival and Conference is presented by the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE), with sponsorship from the Chicago Transit Authority and Millennium Garages, and additional support from the Lloyd A. Fry Foundation and the Millennium Park Foundation.

For accessibility accommodations, including ASL interpretation, please contact DCASE at [email protected] by August 24, 2026.

Chicago House Music Festival & Conference 2026: Schedule & Lineup

Thursday, Aug. 27
Chicago House Music comes to Daley Plaza Farmers Market.
11 a.m.-2 p.m.: Daley Plaza

• 11 a.m. - Nosha Luv
• Noon - Cratebug
• 1 p.m. - Martin Boogieman Luna

Chicago House Dance Summit
4:30-9:30 p.m.: Chicago Cultural Center
The House Dance Summit begins Thursday evening with a lineup celebrating the artistry, history and evolution of House dance. The program opens with a DJ set, followed by a family-friendly House dance class featuring live music, a documentary screening and conversation with filmmaker Dr. ShaDawn Battle, and an intergenerational panel featuring House dance pioneers and cultural leaders reflecting on the culture's legacy and future. The evening concludes with the qualifying rounds of the House dance tournament, where dancers will compete for a spot in Saturday's finals in front of a live audience and panel of renowned judges.

• 4:30 p.m. - DJ Set
• 5 p.m. - All-Ages House Dance Lesson by BraveSoul Movement
• 5:45 p.m. - "Place, Space, Werks" documentary screening and talkback with Dr. ShaDawn Battle
• 6:30 p.m. - "Chicago House Dance: Roots & Branches" Panel Discussion
• 7:30 p.m. - Body: House Dance Competition Qualifiers

Chicago House Music Conference (Preston Bradley Hall, 5th Floor Millennium Park and Washington Rooms)

All Panels Free and Open to the public

• 5:30-6:30 p.m., Millennium Park Room
  Panel: Cutting Through the Noise - Independent Artists, Labels & Visibility in a Crowded Market
  Discover how today's artists are building successful careers on their own terms. Learn how independent labels are reshaping the industry, hear strategies for growing authentic audiences, explore community-powered music ecosystems and uncover new opportunities to inspire Gen Z while cultivating the next generation of House DJs.
• 5:30-6:30 p.m., Washington Room
  Panel: Distribution, Publishing & Vinyl Culture -The Resurgence of Physical Media & Independent Distribution
  Celebrate the return of vinyl while learning how artists are taking greater ownership of their music and revenue. Explore modern distribution models, publishing administration, royalty collection, manufacturing, direct-to-fan sales and practical strategies for bringing your art to market with confidence.
• 6:45-7:45 p.m., Washington Room
  Panel: AI in Music - Don't Get Played
  Artificial Intelligence is transforming the music industry at an unprecedented pace. Join an educational conversation that helps artists, producers, and DJs understand the opportunities, legal considerations, creative possibilities, and potential risks of AI-generated music, empowering creators to make informed decisions for the future.
• 6:45-7:45 p.m., Millennium Park Room
  Panel: DJ Advocacy, Rider Requests & Venue Relations
  As the landscape of Chicago nightlife changes, how can dance music culture survive and thrive? Join us as we unpack the pressures facing independent venues, the role of DIY spaces as cultural incubators, and how nightlife responds to shifting economics, demographics and daytime audiences.
• 6:45-7:45 p.m., Preston Bradley Hall
  Panel: Bridging Generations - Passing the Torch
  Celebrate the enduring legacy of House music through powerful conversations between pioneers and emerging leaders. Explore mentorship, cultural preservation, innovation and cross-generational collaboration while discovering how today's visionaries are preparing the next generation to carry the culture forward.
• 6-7:30 p.m., 4th Floor - Room 408
  Featured Workshop: Jack Your Body, Don't Get Jacked
  Leave with practical tools you can put to work immediately. This hands-on workshop helps artists build lasting financial security through publishing registration, financial literacy, royalty management, savings strategies, intellectual property protection, merchandise branding and preventative measures by an audiologist to protect two of your most precious instruments, your ears. Learn how to protect your creative assets while building a sustainable career that supports your future.

Facilitators: Kenard Gibbs, Northern Trust; Bill Patterson, Intellectual Property Attorney, Swanson Martin & Bell LLP, Dr. Shannon Switzer a music audiologist at Sensaphonics who specializes in the prevention and treatment of sound-induced hearing injuries.

• 8-9 p.m., Preston Bradley Hall
  Fireside Keynote Conversation - Jamie Principle - In partnership with S&S Chicago (Steve "Silk" Hurley & Shannon "Skip" Syas), step inside an unforgettable conversation with Jamie Principle, one of the pioneering voices of House music. Hear Jamie's personal journey from the earliest days of Chicago House to the recent induction of his iconic track "Your Love" into the Library of Congress' National Recording Registry. Whether you're a lifelong fan or discovering the culture for the first time, this intimate conversation offers a rare opportunity to hear the story from one of the pioneers who lived it.

Friday, Aug. 28
Chicago House Dance Summit
Noon-5 p.m.: Chicago Cultural Center Dance Studio
The Chicago House Dance Summit continues on Friday featuring a full day of family-friendly dance instruction and masterclasses led by acclaimed House dance choreographers.

• Noon - All-Ages House Dance Lesson
• 1 p.m. - House Dance Masterclass with Caleaf
• 2:30 p.m. - House Dance Masterclass with King Charles
• 4 p.m. - House Dance Masterclass with Shan S

Chicago House Music comes to Spirit of the Music Garden
6-9 p.m.: Grant Park
Host - Dana Divine

• 6 p.m. - SummerDance Community Lesson House Dance Workshop by BraveSoul Movement
• 6:30 p.m. - Ron Troupe
• 7:45 p.m. - Mark "Flava" Fuller

Saturday, Aug. 29
Chicago House Music Festival and House Dance Summit
1-9 p.m.: Millennium Park

Four Stages of Programming + Dance Summit + Featured Workshops

Pritzker Pavilion - Legacy Stage (Main Stage)
Host - Carla Prather

• 1 p.m. - Eric "ET" Taylor
• 2 p.m. - Darryn Jones
• 3 p.m. - Louie Gomez
• 4 p.m. - Chip E.
• 5 p.m. - Sundance
• 6 p.m. - e smoove
• 7 p.m. - Roy Davis Jr.
• 8 p.m. - Maurice Joshua and Friends

North Promenade - Chicago House Dance Summit (Stage changeover to the Soulful House Stage at 4 p.m.)

• 1 p.m. - Elvin Discovers Chicago Footwork Coloring Station
• 1 p.m. - Youth & Family Footwork Appreciation Month Dance Workshop
• 2 p.m. - Footwork Appreciation Month Showcase
• 2:30 p.m. - Body: House Dance Competition Finals
• 3:50 p.m. - House Dance Summit Awards Ceremony

Soulful House Stage
Host - Lady Alicia

• 4 p.m. - Yanna Lynette
• 5 p.m. - DJ Double XX
• 6 p.m. - Mickey Calvin
• 7 p.m. - Emmaculate
• 8 p.m. - K'Alexi Shelby

Chicago House Stage (South Promenade)
Host - ThreeJay

• 1 p.m. - Karl Almaria
• 2 p.m. - Jukeman DJ Puncho
• 3 p.m. - DJ Nehpets
• 4 p.m. - DJ Flipside
• 5 p.m. - DJ Jes
• 6 p.m. - Michael Sarafini
• 7 p.m. - Diz
• 8 p.m. - DJ Heather

Groove Garden Stage (Millennium Hall Double Clutch Beer Garden)
Host - LoveBug

• 1 p.m. - Melvin Meeks
• 2 p.m. - Wes Green
• 3 p.m. - Milty Evans
• 4 p.m. - Chris Lara
• 5 p.m. - J.Star
• 6 p.m. - Jillian X
• 7 p.m. - Aaron Antoniou
• 8 p.m. - Pablo Punkout Gonzalez

Sunday, Aug. 30
Wind Down: House on the Riverwalk
1-4 p.m.: The Confluence, Chicago Riverwalk
A relaxed session of music after three days of festivities. Bring blankets and chairs and enjoy the scenic views of The Confluence, where the Main, North and South Branches of the Chicago River meet over groove-injected House beats.

• 1 p.m. - Sandra Suave
• 2 p.m. - El Caveman
• 3 p.m. - Lee Farmer
• 4 p.m. - Mark Grant

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Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events
The City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE) supports artists and cultural organizations, invests in Chicago's creative economy, and expands access to and participation in the arts throughout the city's 77 neighborhoods. As a collaborative cultural presenter, arts funder, and advocate for creative workers, DCASE engages Chicagoans and visitors of all ages and backgrounds, from downtown to neighborhoods across the city, to strengthen and celebrate Chicago. DCASE produces some of the city's most iconic festivals, markets, events and exhibitions at the Chicago Cultural Center, Millennium Park and in communities throughout Chicago, serving a local and global audience of 25 million people. The Department offers cultural grants and resources, manages public art, supports film, television and other creative industries, and permits special events throughout Chicago. For details, visit Chicago.gov/DCASE and stay connected via our newsletters and social media.

Millennium Park
Millennium Park is the #1 attraction in the Midwest and among the top 10 most-visited sites in the U.S. As Chicago's premier public gathering place, Millennium Park brings together world-renowned art, architecture, music and green space in the heart of downtown while anchoring a vibrant cultural campus that includes the Chicago Cultural Center, Maggie Daley Park and The Art Institute of Chicago. Located along Michigan Avenue, the Park is bordered by Randolph Street to the north, Columbus Drive to the east and Monroe Street to the south. Millennium Park is open daily from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. Learn more and plan your visit at MillenniumPark.org; follow us on Facebook (@MillenniumParkChicago) and Instagram (@Millennium_Park); and join the conversation on social media using #MillenniumPark.