Why Is Chicago's Pitchfork Festival Canceled? The Multi-Genre Festival's Demise Devastates Fans

Music festivals are a subculture all their own. People who attend them often do so religiously, trekking across the nation or world to attend their favorites and connect with their festival families. Music festivals incorporate different genres of music along with food, merchandise, and sometimes other events and craft offerings that make the festivals almost like living, breathing members of the music fan community.

So when a festival is canceled, it reverberates throughout the festival community like a shockwave. Such is the case now that it has been announced that Chicago's popular Pitchfork Festival won't be returning. Here's what we know about why the beloved event is ending.

For 19 years, Pitchfork has been a multi-genre festival that has rocked Chicago's socks. Hosting performers like Alanis Morisette, Fiona Apple, Alvvays, Jamie xx, Bratmobile, Akenya, Carly Rae Jepson, Wednesday Gurl, Hotline TNT, Black Pumas and many more throughout the years in Union Park, the festival has become a summer staple for the Windy City.

But, at least for now, the festival is coming to an end. In a statement on social media, organizers announced, "To our Chicago Festival community: As the music festival landscape continues to evolve rapidly, we have made the difficult decision not to host Pitchfork Music Festival in Chicago in 2025."

They added, "We are deeply grateful to the City of Chicago for being our Festival's home for nearly two decades, to the artists who graced our stages with unforgettable performances, and to the fans who brought unmatched energy year after year." And concluded, "We look forward to continuing to create spaces where music, culture, and community intersect in uplifting ways-and we hope to see you there."

It's a sad revelation, and fans flocked to social media to share their dismay and hope that the festival would return again in the future, if only in another form.

Pitchfork isn't the only popular festival to go dark in recent weeks. Back in October, Hangout Festival announced that they would be hanging up their hats as well. But for Hangout fans, it got complicated quickly. Morgan Wallen is sponsoring a replacement festival: Sand In My Boots.

The new country-focused festival will take over Hangout's location and annual time slot, which led to outcry online after fans pointed out that Alabama already has ample country music events and the rock-centered festival was a breath of fresh air. They were disappointed to find that their beloved festival was going country, and many have sworn to boycott the once-beloved festival grounds.

So fans watching the future plans for Pitchfork have to wonder if their beloved festival will take a similar unwelcome turn. For now though, the only thing we know is that 2025 will not host a Pitchfork Festival.