CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) — Riot Fest, one of Chicago's biggest annual music festivals, will soon have a new home, according to an official announcement released Tuesday night.
The statement, attributed to festival co-founder Mike Petryshyn, also teased a new venue called “RiotLand,” though no other details about the new home were revealed.
Tuesday’s announcement followed years of turmoil over the festival’s presence in Douglass Park on the West Side. Riot Fest, which began in 2005, moved to Douglass Park in 2015.
Over the past few years, tension between those who live near Douglass Park and festival organizers have spilled into the public view, with critics accusing Riot Fest organizers of ignoring their concerns. Other neighborhood residents, though, including local Ald. Monique Scott (24th), have defended Riot Fest’s presence. Scott suggested some of the detractors were from outside the area.
In his statement, Petryshyn said he has had enough of the yearslong battle.
“I was tired of Riot Fest continually being the lowest hanging fruit,” he wrote. “I was tired of playing their games. I was tired of watching something I love being continually used to deflect away from their own internal deficits. This prevented us from giving you the experience you deserve.”
Petryshyn said Riot Fest’s exodus from Douglass Park “is solely because of the Chicago Park District,” which he also accused of failing to care for the community.
He added that the “hardest conversation” he had about leaving Douglass Park was with Scott.
“It was filled with tears and sadness because Riot Fest has real meaning within the 24th Ward and vice versa,” he wrote. “We’re not abandoning the community here … we’re taking them on this journey, as well.”
The only details shared about RiotLand were Petryshyn’s words that it would be “something like you’ve never seen before.”
The festival signaled it would make another update at 10 a.m. on Wednesday.
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