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Presented by the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events, the Chicago House Music Festival Celebrates Our City’s Music Legacy at Millennium Park and Community Events Citywide

Festival and Conference Features Performances by GRAMMY-Nominated Artists Ten City and Josh Milan, a House Music Symposium, a Celebration of House Music Legend Frankie Knuckles, a House Club Tour of Chicago Venues and a "Footwork Dance Down"

CHICAGO—Mayor Lori E. Lightfoot and the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE) announced today the full lineup and expanded dates for the annual Chicago House Music Festival and Conference, taking place September 15 – 18. All-virtual in 2020 due to COVID-19 and reimagined in 2021, the festival returns in-person in 2022 with an even larger reach and impact than its pre-pandemic iteration. Audiences are invited to experience House musicians from Chicago and across the country with free events in Millennium Park and in venues across the city. For details, visit ChicagoHouseMusicFestival.us.

Chicago House Music Festival and Conference showcases community partners across the city, including Rebuild Foundation, House Club Tour Chicago, Open The Circle, Vintage House Show and more, in addition to the return of Millennium Park programming (Sept. 16). The festival will present DJs and live performances highlighting the various sounds and styles of House Music, the genre born in Chicago that has gone on to revolutionize dance music internationally. The festival showcases Chicago’s local talent alongside national artists to raise awareness and appreciation for one of the city’s most rooted music genres.

“House Music is a Chicago-born genre that has continued to evolve and dominate the musical landscape. The opportunity to celebrate our music legacy this fall with free concerts and events is a true honor,” said DCASE Commissioner Erin Harkey. “Collaboration is a key component of our programs, and we’re grateful to our partners for their commitment to sharing this legacy with our residents and visitors.”

Festivities kick off Thursday, September 15 with a House Music Symposium from 5:00 to 10:00pm at the Reva and David Logan Center for the Arts at The University of Chicago exploring the history, culture and business of House music. The symposium, programmed and hosted in collaboration with Vintage House Show, will include several panelists including Grammy nominated producer, label owner and DJ Terry Hunter and Grammy award winner Maurice Joshua. Panel moderators include nationally recognized author and music journalist Michaelangelo Matos and Chicago Journalist Tiffany Walden of The Triibe. The panels will include the following sessions:

• The House Music Entrepreneur’s Journey: A Roadmap to Global Success (5:30 to 6:30pm)

A discussion of the steps successful house music entrepreneurs took to establish themselves as professionals who are able to earn a substantive living as entrepreneurs in their respective roles.

• Comeback or Come Up?: House Music in 2022 (7:00 to 8:00pm)

With House music being on the fringe of crossover success, what opportunities exist for Chicago’s House Music ecosystem and community to play a part in cementing House as a commercially viable industry while maintaining its underground edge?

• Fireside Chat with Patrick Moxey (8:30 to 9:45pm)

An in-depth one on one interview with veteran dance music executive and founder of Ultra Records, dance music's leading electronic music label since 1995, which partnered Sony Music in 2012. Shortly after leaving Ultra, Patrick launched a new partnership with Warner Brothers Music, taking over hip-hop indie label PayDay Records and creating a new dance music record label called Helix Records.

On Friday, September 16 from 5:30 to 9:00pm the Chicago House Music Festival will bring GRAMMY-nominated Chicago House band Ten City to the Jay Pritzker Pavilion in Millennium Park (201 E. Randolph St.), along with Josh Milan and a celebration of Robert Williams and The Chosen Few DJs. For safety and security information, designated event entrances and more, visit the Plan Your Visit page at MillenniumPark.org.

Saturday, September 17 includes Soul Liberation: a Frankie Knuckles House Music Celebration from 3pm until dusk by Rebuild Foundation at Kenwood Gardens. The celebration will feature house music sets by DJs Duane Powell, Greg Gray, Celeste Alexander and more; the premiere of “My Frankie: Reflections on the Music and Life of Frankie Knuckles,” a short documentary on Frankie's artistry and an accompanying panel discussion; and community resources that honor Frankie's pioneering curation of liberatory space through sound. Saturday will also include an evening bus tour of venues and DJs at the seventh House Club Tour Chicago from 6pm to midnight at venues across the city including BASSLINE, Le Nocturne, Randy’s Lounge, Francis Frances Cocktail Lounge and more.

Sunday, September 18 caps off with a daytime all-ages Footwork Dance Down by Open The Circle, a non-profit focusing on community organizing and racial justice through the art. This event will take place at Millennium Park from 3:00 to 6:00pm.

For more information, visit ChicagoHouseMusicFestival.us. For safety and security information, designated event entrances and more, visit the Plan Your Visit page at MillenniumPark.org.

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 the creative economy, and expands access and participation in the arts throughout Chicago’s 77 neighborhoods. As a collaborative cultural presenter, arts funder, and advocate for creative workers, our programs and events serve Chicagoans and visitors of all ages and backgrounds, downtown and in diverse communities across our 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 across the city — serving a local and global audience of 25 million people. The Department offers cultural grants and resources, manages public art, supports TV and film production 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.

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