Riot Fest Headliner Predictions

by Jesse Hudgins

Festival season is upon us! Coachella just went down, Lollapalooza, Summerfest, and Sonic Temple have had lineup announcements, and Riot Fest typically announces their lineup in May with the single day lineups revealed in mid-June. Still, it’s never too early though to start the predictions for the Riot Fest headliners.

Of course, there are stipulations to choosing who I believe to be headlining this year. I’ll only choose two headliners with Slayer already announced, and many think they’ll be headlining Sunday as that day is usually saved for hip-hop or metal acts. On top of that, I’ll be following the 90/90 rule, which is that a band isn’t allowed to play within 90 miles in 90 days. So, following those two rules, here’s who I think will headline the other two days of Riot Fest and why.

Friday

I think there’s obvious choice to headline Friday at this year’s Riot Fest: Fall Out Boy. On their latest So Much For (2our) Dust tour, they didn’t have a Chicago date. Being from Chicago, it’s weird for them to not have a date for their hometown. On top of that, they haven’t played at Riot Fest in over a decade, with their last appearance in 2013. Also, bands that are supporting them on their 2our Dust tour like Jimmy Eat World and Hot Mulligan could easily fill spots on the Riot Fest Friday lineup, with Jimmy Eat World celebrating 20 years of their record Futures. 

Saturday

Saturday is always a tricky night to predict, so I have two predications. First, I can see No Doubt playing. They recently got back together for Coachella and more shows are rumored for later. I think if they’re not at Riot Fest this year, there’s a good chance they’ll be there next year since they’ll be celebrating 30 years of their breakout album Tragic Kingdom.

The second prediction I have for a Saturday headliner is Blur. Another band that just recently played Coachella, Blur has been playing nothing but festivals lately. But looking at their history, they’ve never played Riot Fest. It would be a cool first that Riot Fest could promote if the Britpop legends were to play.

Of course, all of this is pure speculation. We’ll find out in the coming months who’ll be playing and what days, and you can bet I’ll be there!