Chicago Blues Festival Guide 2025

By Aaron Cohen and David Whiteis

 

The 2025 Chicago Blues Festival is one of the world’s largest and most stylistically diverse free events of its kind. Along with presenting heroes and rising stars of traditional and contemporary blues, the event features everyone from gospel soul stars to zydeco royalty. This year’s festival will honor major milestones and promote new educational initiatives. Headliners range in age from just over 91 to just under 19. So not only will these four days provide plenty for blues lovers of all generations, the performances point to new possibilities for the music’s future.