Overview

• The Chicago Jazz Festival runs Aug. 28–31 with free performances at Millennium Park and the Chicago Cultural Center, featuring headliners including Esperanza Spalding, Monty Alexander, Kermit Ruffins, Eliades Ochoa and Gary Bartz with NTU Troop.
• ARC Music Festival at Union Park and North Coast Music Festival on the SeatGeek Stadium campus in Bridgeview both run through Aug. 31 with house and electronic lineups, with tickets available online.
• Soldier Field hosts My Chemical Romance on Aug. 29 and The Lumineers on Aug. 30, with the latter bill also featuring St. Vincent and Lake Street Dive.
• Bike the Drive runs 6:30–11:15 a.m. on Aug. 31 on DuSable Lake Shore Drive, with registration available at bikethedrive.org.
• Navy Pier presents its final fireworks show of the 2025 season at 10 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 30, free to the public.