Chicago’s ARC Music Festival will return to Union Park in 2026 with an expanded four-day format and a lineup featuring more than 130 artists across multiple stages
ARC Music Festival has unveiled new details for its sixth edition, set to take place in Chicago’s Union Park from September 4 to 7. For the first time, the event will expand to four days, growing from its previous three-day format and further strengthening its position as one of the city’s leading electronic music gatherings.
More than 130 artists are scheduled to perform across four different indoor and outdoor stages. Returning areas include The Grid, Expansions, and Area 909, while a brand-new stage called The Midway will debut this year. Inspired by Chicago’s rich cultural heritage and deep house music roots, the stage will focus specifically on house-driven sounds.
The lineup already features a wide range of international names such as Underworld, KI/KI, Detroit Love—featuring Carl Craig, Moodymann and Stacey Pullen—along with salute, Nicole Moudaber, I Hate Models, Honey Dijon, Chaos In The CBD, Cloonee, Chris Stussy, Hiroko Yamamura and Chase & Status.
Several special performances and back-to-back sets have also been confirmed, including Joy Orbison b2b Ben UFO, The Blessed Madonna b2b Lil’ Louis, and Green Velvet b2b Josh Baker. Sara Landry will also present her Eternalism show, while the collective Live From Earth is set to host a stage takeover.
In addition to the daytime festival, the popular ARC After Dark series will return, extending across five nights to match the expanded schedule and bringing late-night events to venues across Chicago.
