ARC Music Festival to celebrate 5 years of spotlighting house music in Chicago

Local Spins’ ‘Looking for the Perfect Beat’ columnist Todd Ernst previews next weekend’s electronic music fest in Chicago, just a short drive away for Michigan fans of major electronic music stars.

 

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Coming off of a massive Year 4, which coincided with the 40th anniversary of house music, ARC has emerged as a global destination leading into the fifth anniversary of the festival, designed to celebrate the genre where it all began.

Thinking back to 2021 when ARC was first announced, it’s easy to forget we were still on the tail end of a global pandemic. When one juxtaposes what was going on in society, it’s still a bit surreal that ARC’s parent entity, Auris Presents, not only got an event of this magnitude out of the blocks but has thrived ever since.

“That first year was surreal. Chicago had just emerged from the strictest COVID guidelines in the country, and we were gifted this incredible opportunity to dance together again,” Olivia Mancuso told Local Spins in 2024. Mancuso hosts “Elevated Frequencies” and co-founded the Chicago Music Nexus.

Even more compelling is how ARC has established its own ecosystem within the Chicago area. The festival itself takes place at Union Park every Labor Day weekend, along with its late-night partner, “ARC After Dark.” However, events such as ARC at the Lake serve as pre-parties and even an artist incubator of sorts.

Landing the 36th spot on DJ Mag’s coveted “Top 100 Festivals of 2025” all but cements ARC as a global destination and leader.

THE ARTISTS

This year’s lineup unfurling Friday-Sunday (Aug. 29-31) marks ARC’s most sonically diverse and ambitious curation yet, featuring pioneering legends, next-generation tastemakers and groundbreaking back-to-back sets that embody the festival’s spirit of innovation and celebration.

Whether it’s Sweden’s Eric Prydz returning his three alias festival identities of Eric Prydz, Pryda, and Cirez D, crowd favorite FISHER from Australia, or Chicago native John Summit, ARC has top-shelf representation from some of the most in-demand tastemakers from across the globe.

Techno has one of the best offerings to date, featuring artists like the aforementioned Hawtin, along with a stacked Friday night lineup at Expansions, including Nicole Moudaber, Anfisa Letyago, and Amelie Lens, who closes things down. Also watch for techno’s new school Layton Giordani going b2b with mentor Adam Beyer, Luciano going b2b with Ricardo Villalobos, and the UK’s high-energy master Eli Brown.

ARC has established itself as the place to be for b2b sets, and they haven’t taken their foot off the gas in Year 5 with notable pairings of Detroit’s Carl Craig going b2b with Chicago’s Cajmere, Paco Osuna b2b Ilario Alicante, Nic Fanciulli b2b Prunk, along with Chicago house legends DJ Sneak b2b DJ Heather.

Because the spirit of Looking for the Perfect Beat aims to help fans discover artists who may not be as well-known as the marquee artists, below are sets you won’t want to miss (alphabetical order) and will leave you reveling in your time on the dance floor while in Chicago.

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Adriatique (5:30 p.m. Friday, The GRID) – Anthemic and emotive, Adriatique is the perfect artist to get ARC started, as the global sounds of melodic techno and organic house gain more momentum almost daily. The Swiss DJ and production duo of Adrian Shala and Adrian Schweizer are at the forefront of said movement, with notable remixes including RÜFÜS DU SOL and Swedish House Mafia with The Weeknd, Adriatique is perhaps best known for their global anthem “Miracle.” Their performances are a bit of a slow burn, with a meditative undercurrent dovetailed into a hypnotic groove.
https://www.instagram.com/adriatique
https://open.spotify.com/artist/02DWGcShQivFepRvGJ7xhB

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Cristoph (Midnight Thursday, Radius/ARC After Dark) – One of the hardest working DJs and producers in the business as evidenced by his steady O2C tour dates in support of his recent full-length release, “Life through a Different Lens” (featuring a remake of Alan Parsons Project’s “Games People Play” called “Where Do We Go”). Cristoph’s ability to connect with fans is the root of his success. While his tour schedule did not allow for a proper appearance at the festival itself, you will get to see him opening for Eric Prydz during the ARC After Dark opening party at Radius on Thursday night.
https://www.instagram.com/cristophmusic
https://open.spotify.com/artist/532SqCIYmJyXEdEiCJLgYG

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Gene Farris b2b Tini Gessler (5:30 p.m. Sunday, ELROW) – If Chicago House had a proverbial Mayor and ELROW had a Sheriff, Farris and Gessler could easily fit into these respective roles, darn near perfectly. With each at the top of their respective game with Farris’ production and performance acumen, combined with Gessler’s flawless mixing and unbridled energy, they’ll undoubtedly leave ELROW in disarray early on in the closing day of ARC. If there is one b2b set that is going to come unglued this weekend, my prediction is this will be the one.
https://www.instagram.com/genefarris
https://www.instagram.com/tinigessler
https://soundcloud.com/genefarris
https://soundcloud.com/tini-gessler

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Honey Dijon b2b Derrick Carter (8:30 p.m. Sunday, Expansions) – A fixture in the underground house scene of Chicago since its inception in the mid-’80s, Derrick Carter originally mentored the Chicago-born Honey Dijon, who’s become a notable performer and producer within the underground and the world of fashion alike, collaborating with Louis Vuitton and Dior on their respective runway presentations. As the last act at Expansions, this is one of the best ways I can imagine closing down ARC.
https://www.instagram.com/honeydijon
https://www.instagram.com/blucu

https://soundcloud.com/honeydijon
https://soundcloud.com/derrick-carter-956229803

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Tinzo + JoJo (4 p.m. Friday, Area 909) – The Brooklyn-based brother (JoJo) and sister (Tinzo) DJ duo made a name for themselves with their immensely popular YouTube channel and party called Book Club Radio. With a decidedly Gen-Z approach, Tinzo and JoJo perhaps are best known for their unapologetic ‘no phones on the dance floor’ policy, which allows attendees to focus on what is important: the inclusive connection that dance music allows.
https://www.instagram.com/tin.zo
https://www.instagram.com/imjojolorenzo
https://www.youtube.com/@tinzoplusjojo

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THE ARC FOOTPRINT

Set within Chicago’s Union Park just west of the Fulton Market district, my wife and I walked through the park back in July leading up to an ARC pop-up event called Shipment with Odd Mob, and it’s fairly amazing to see what Auris does from a space activation perspective when you’re able to see the park in its daily usage setting.

The GRID: Considered the main stage and in many ways is on par with EDC’s Kinetic Field, Electric Forest’s Sherwood Court, or Movement’s Main Stage. Generally speaking, this is where you will hear many, if not most, of the top-shelf global touring artists. Utilizing artistically adorned shipping containers as the backdrop, the production level leaves nothing to be desired. When the sun sets behind the architecture, The GRID offers a worthy backdrop of the Chicago skyline that can’t be replicated.

ELROW: Spanish promotion troupe elrow returns with its “Enchanted Forest” stage takeover, which is fitting for those traveling from Michigan due to the proximity to Electric Forest. Although it may be difficult to describe in layperson’s terms, Elrow is along the lines of Barnum & Bailey throwing a rave, with Captain Jack Sparrow as the CEO, and the Spice Girls in Spandex chicken costumes as your tour guides.

EXPANSIONS: 2024 saw one of ARC’s most significant improvements in how Expansions was reconfigured, offering more room for guests by simply adjusting a few angles and relocating items a few feet in different directions. A nice departure from the magnitude of The GRID and the chaos of Elrow, Expansions is where some of the most talked about b2b sets have taken place, and is often where you will find the more serious fans of house and techno alike.

Area 909: Aptly named in honor of the historic Roland TR909 drum machine that served as umbilical cord of sorts between Detroit and Chicago back in the mid-1980s, what Area 909 lacks in square footage more than makes up for in its intimate setting. A moment that raised an eyebrow for me was seeing Richie Hawtin booked at this stage on Saturday, which is going to be absolute pandemonium.

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Tickets, ARC After Dark and Pro-User Tips

As of this week, ARC is 90 percent sold out, and only Friday and Saturday passes remain. Single-day, general admission Friday passes are $189 (with $259 and $599.99 VIP options); Saturday passes are $199 (with $269 and $599.99 VIP options). Get tickets online here. Two-day (Friday/Saturday) passes start at $339.

The festival is open to those 18 and older.

From Day 1 and certainly by design, ARC After Dark is where it’s really at. Chicago nightlife is already legendary on a global level when you consider well-known venues such as Radius and Cermak Hall, Prysm, Spybar, Metro/Smartbar, Concord Music Hall/Smoke & Mirrors and Outset. With these venues, booked with modern-day electronic music heroes alongside Chicago’s own house heroes, ARC has left no stone unturned, cementing Chicago in its rightful place on a global level. View lineups, venues here.

Below are some user tips from a lifetime of traveling to Chicago and my 35-plus years in this industry that might help attendees better enjoy their weekend in the home of house music.

Attire: The fashion at ARC is somewhere between Coachella and Movement with a few splashes of EDC for good measure, yet surprisingly relaxed and mature. Keep in mind, Chicago is right on Lake Michigan and has earned its famed nickname of “the Windy City,” so you’re best to have an extra layer with you when out late.

The ‘L’ and Union Park: Chicago’s CTA transit system (L is short for elevated) is the best way to travel within the city. Google Maps will show you options via the green and pink lines from the Loop area to Union Park, and there is a CTA stop literally right at the gates. By and large, transit in Chicago is safe at 10 PM when the festival lets out. Also, if you’re flying into O’Hare or Midway, the CTA will get you to where you’re going cheaper and quicker than any other option.

The Warehouse: New in 2023 is the historic status of the industrial building that housed the famous Warehouse nightclub at 206 S. Jefferson St. within the West Loop. While there is no touring the famous jaunt, photos in front of it have become fairly popular. The Warehouse’s former location is a short walk to Union Park, and no trip to Chicago would be complete without a photo in front of this famed location.

The Lakeshore and its neighbor, The Loop: September in Chicago is fairly magical. Try to carve out an hour to walk along Lake Michigan and down by Grant Park (where Lollapalooza is held), which offers incredible views of the Chicago skyline. Union Park is only a few miles from the Loop and River North hotel districts, so if time and energy permit, the walk through the heart of the historic Loop district is like no other. Of course, there are amazing dining options along the way as well.

Traveling to Chicago: One of the best things about any excursion to Chicago is its relative near proximity, and people often forget that in most cases it’s not much further than Detroit. When you factor in that Chicago’s nightlife goes until 5 AM, it’s always been an easy decision for me, especially with the city’s architecture. If you’re not up for the drive or parking in Chicago, Amtrak has always been a popular and affordable option for travelers to the windy city.

Facebook Groups: This ARC Music Festival group will connect you with other ARC attendees, people traveling from overseas, and so on. There is another group I have enjoyed moderating called the 2025 ARC Music Festival 35+ that is designed for the more mature traveler. If you have any questions, feel free to ping me @toddtoddernst on both Instagram and Twitter.

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ARC: THE DAILY SCHEDULES

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