One of the biggest (literally!) names of summer festival season in Chicago is back again: The Chicago Blues Festival 2025, the largest free blues music festival in the world, is horn-blowing its way into the Windy City for its 40th installment (the only year it skipped was 2020, naturally), taking over Ramova Theatre, Jay Pritzker Pavilion and Millennium Park from tonight, June 5 through Sunday, June 8.
RECOMMENDED: Millennium Park's free summer lineup includes outdoor concerts, movies and workout classesThis outdoor festival is a great way to enjoy the city and Chicago’s culture and history, closely tied to its music scene. You’re sure to hear some quintessential Chicago blues, a specific electric genre that dates back to the 1940s when Mississippi blues artists made their way to the Illinois city, forever influencing its music and culture.
The live music event regularly attracts more than 500,000 listeners to Millennium Park and fellow venues across its festival dates. In addition to celebrated professional artists, including real-deal icons like Mavis Staples and Bobby Rush, you can also listen to new and upcoming musicians as they take the stage—some for the first time. This year's lineup includes a B.B. King Centennial Tribute featuring Christone "Kingfish" Ingram, D.K. Harrell, and Jonathan Ellison as well as a Women in Blues Tribute to Denise LaSalle featuring Nellie "Tiger" Travis, Thornetta Davis, Nora Jean Wallace, and Mzz Reese with Jonathan Ellison.Good to...
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One of Chicago’s most storied nightlife landmarks, the Green Mill Cocktail Lounge, is in the headlines again. But don’t panic just yet, jazz lovers: While the historic Uptown building that houses the century-old club is officially for sale, the Green Mill itself isn’t going anywhere.
The two-story structure at the corner of Broadway and Lawrence, where Al Capone once drank and Billie Holiday once performed, hit the market earlier this week. The building spans more than 21,000-square feet and includes eight commercial units, including buzzy neighbors like Birrieria Zaragoza and Le Nocturne. Current owner Dave Jemilo, who bought the Green Mill in 1986 and the building in 2021 for $5 million, hasn’t publicly commented on the listing. However, sources familiar with the sale told Crain’s that the club’s operations are expected to continue uninterrupted, according to Block Club Chicago.
That’s welcome news for locals and tourists who flock to the velvet-draped venue for nightly jazz, slam poetry and a dose of Prohibition-era Chicago lore. The Green Mill has long been a living time capsule: Its curved bar, vintage booths and dim amber lighting conjure the days when mobsters sipped whiskey in the infamous “Capone booth,” strategically placed with sightlines to both exits.
If that weren’t enough intrigue, there’s also the tunnel system under the club, a relic of its gangster past. Once used for bootlegging and backroom escapes, the underground lair is accessible by a trapdoor...
Not sure what's happening around the city today? Help is here! Chicago's best attractions, which include beautiful parks, neighborhoods and a free zoo, are always a good place to start. So are Chicago's best museums, from the Art Institute of Chicago to the Shedd Aquarium. Plus—as always—we're keeping track of the top parties, live concerts, museum exhibitions, community events and more interesting stuff blowing into the Windy City day-by-day. Grab your calendar and check out all the best things to do in Chicago today.
RECOMMENDED: The best things to do in Chicago right now
Looking for fun activities to fill your weekend? We're here to help! You've got plenty of entertaining options this week, from a 40th anniversary screening of The Goonies (complete with a live score!) to the dazzling annual cherry blossom viewing at Jackson Park to the return of yearly festivals like the Doc10 Film Fest, the Chicago Rum Festival and EXPO Chicago. And, as always, there are plenty of cool museum exhibitions and theater performances to take advantage of, too. So ready to make the most of your time off? Check out the rest of the best things to do in Chicago this weekend.
RECOMMENDED: Discover the best things to do in Chicago in April 2025
April 2025: On our latest roundup of the city's finest eateries, we've trimmed the list down to the top 25. These are the best of the best, from iconic institutions such as Johnnie's Beef and Calumet Fisheries to buzzy hotspots like Gavroche. Whether you're just visiting or a lifelong Chicagoan, there's something new and delicious to discover.
The best restaurants in Chicago come in all shapes and sizes, from pizza joints and Michelin-starred heavyweights to some of the best cheap eats Chicago has to offer. The cuisines are just as varied, with every corner of the globe represented through Korean, Mexican, Italian, sushi and much more. Whether you're a lifelong resident or simply visiting for the weekend, stuffing your face at one of these restaurants is easily among the best things to do in Chicago. This belt-busting food scene shows no signs of slowing down, so we cut to the chase and ranked our essentials—the absolute best restaurants in town.
Our editors scour the city for great dishes, excellent value and insider info. We hope to provide an authentic snapshot of Chicago's ever-evolving dining experiences by updating this list constantly with the best new restaurants in the city as well as decades-old stalwarts that keep us coming back for more. It could be a mega-hyped destination restaurant or a remarkable hole in the wall: If it’s on the list, we think it’s terrific, and we bet you will, too.
Full of history, massive events like the Bud Billiken Parade and an ever-evolving art scene, Bronzeville is a pulsating Chicago neighborhood worth exploring. And for art enthusiasts? You could spend a week here and not experience everything. To get adecent feel for the nabe's art scene, the Bronzeville Art District Trolley Tour is back again for its 19th season—and good news: the event is free for everyone!
RECOMMENDED: The best art galleries in Chicago to see works from emerging and established artists in intimate spaces
To open your eyes and mind to what the locale has to offer, hop on a double-decker bus beginning its first tour on Friday, June 20 at Gallery Guichard at 6pm. You’ll explore not only that gallery, but also the Faie Afrikan Art Gallery and the Blanc Gallery, as well as other unique locations. Along the way, you’ll get to learn about local, national and international artists and their celebrated works, with guides giving valuable context to what you're viewing and pondering. You’ll also discover the stories surrounding greater Bronzeville, home to many artists throughout history.
Continuing in the Bronzeville Art District every third Friday throughout the summer, from June through September, guests can also see the Bronzeville Artist Lofts, which includes over a dozen lively studios where you can see artists create in real time. Artists reside andwork here, essentially living and breathing art on a daily basis. These painterly personalities will give you an...
Getting outside is a quintessential warm weather experience in Chicago, a city that is known for its massive park system. This season, whether you want to watch a movie, listen to music, or join a Pilates, Zumba, or cardio kickboxing class, head to Millennium Park where a lively lineup of events are taking place all summer long. Best part: They're all totally free.
RECOMMENDED: Chicago was named one of the best cities in the world for green space and nature
Millennium Park's Summer Film Series, which includes fan-favorite and family-friendly movies like The Sandlot, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, and Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, will be shown on a 40-foot LED screen on Tuesday evenings beginning July 1 and running through August 19. Arrive early to secure your spot ahead of the 6:30 p.m. screenings (gates open at 5:00 p.m.), held either at Jay Pritzker Pavilion or on the park's Great Lawn.
You can check out the full 2025 lineup of films below:
Tuesday, July 1: The Sandlot (1993, PG)
Tuesday, July 8: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005, PG-13)
Tuesday, July 15: Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989, PG-13)
Tuesday, July 22: Love & Basketball (2000, PG-13)
Tuesday, July 29: The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014, R)
Tuesday, Aug. 5: My Best Friend’s Wedding (1997, PG-13)
Tuesday, Aug. 12: Wicked (2024, PG)
Tuesday, Aug. 19: Pride and Prejudice (2005, PG)
More of a music fan? The Summer Music Series features free outdoor gigs from both established...
This weekly “live magazine” is a cavalcade of culture, politics and wit featuring journalists, actors, comedians and musicians offering idiosyncratic reports on the news of the day. Head to Uptown’s iconic Green Mill for drinks, hot takes and laughs; the longstanding Saturday afternoon edition tends to run about two and a half hours.
Nothing screams summertime in Chicago like admiring those stunning skyline views with a drink in hand. As the days get warmer (finally!), it's time to lean into the season's heat at the best rooftop bars in Chicago. Grab at bite to eat at rooftop restaurants situated on terraces high above the street and inside downtown hotels, or escape to hidden patios and gardens for a cocktail away from the crowds. We know how great the beautiful months of warmer weather in Chicago can be, so make them even better at these cloud-skimming, top-rate rooftop bars in the city.
RECOMMENDED: Our complete guide to outdoor dining and drinking in Chicago
Great news, Chicago soccer fans: A brand-new 22,000-seat stadium is expected to be ready before the 2028 MLS season.
Owner and chairman of the Chicago Fire Football Club since 2018, Joe Mansueto built his business, family and life in the Windy City. Now the billionaire is planning to spend $650 million of his own cash on a new privately funded soccer stadium and entertainment district in the Chicago's South Loop. Located just south of Roosevelt Road, along the Chicago River, the stadium is expected to open in the spring of 2028 in Chicagoland’s newest neighborhood: The 78.
RECOMMENDED: Take a look at the new proposed state-of-the-art stadium for the Chicago Bears
This literal game-changing project will anchor The 78, "a $7 billion mixed-use project planned by developer Related Midwest for 62 acres of former railroad property along the South Branch of the Chicago River in the Near South Side community area, per the City of Chicago website. The Chicago Fire Football Club’s new home will build up the neighborhood, with more local jobs, economic development, and a burst in community resources. What’s more, along with both the proposed stadium and the surrounding green space, the project includes mixed-use expansion, with restaurants, retail and office spaces, and residential buildings.
The decision to construct a new stadium ensures the longevity of the Chicago Fire in Chicagoland. Previously, home matches were played at Soldier Field—however, playing at a soccer-specific...