Chicago Blues Fest draws half a million fans each year to this outdoor concert in the park, which boasts being not only the biggest free show of its kind, but finds itself in the ‘blues capital of the world’. Chi-City has been a hub for blues music since The Great Migration from the South, when musicians would head there for a better chance at being heard, and in keeping with that spirit, organisers: the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs & Special Events, allows submissions from any blues act within the area.

Colours of Blues

Though this is a "blues" affair, there’s also room for some musical colour variations, with soul blues, blues-rock and quite a few jazz-blues tones. The Prerillo Music Shell stage delivers some hues of soul blended with R&B, while the Windy City Blues Society “Street Stage” and the Pepsi Front Porch Stage highlights home-grown true-blue Chicago blues-blues mixing it all up with some big name global classic rock guitar blues bands.

Legends Giving Back

Chicago sets the stage for old favourites and up-and-coming blues musicians, with past acts like B.B. King, Ray Charles, Bonnie Raitt, Bo Diddley and Koko Taylor taking the stage in previous years. New blood mixes with old in the Blues Kids tent, where talented old souls take the stage and the money they raise goes back into blues education to keep the art alive.

Chicago Blues Festival is legendary stars and amateur starts in "Sweet Home Chicago"!