Riot Fest announced its lineup Tuesday with some major headliners joining this year's festival, but there could be a hiccup before any band even hits the stage: the Chicago Park District says the event hasn't been given a permit yet.
In a statement to NBC Chicago, park district spokesperson Michele Lemons said organizers submitted a permit application to use Douglass Park for the popular event, but the park district has not yet issued that permit.
"The Chicago Park District is committed to balancing the needs and interests of all park users," Lemons said.
Lemons added that "any ticket sales made prior to the park district approving a permit, are done at the organizer's risk."
Feeling out of the loop? We'll catch you up on the Chicago news you need to know. Sign up for the weekly Chicago Catch-Up newsletter here.
"All applications must go through the permit process before getting Park District approval," the statement read. "Depending on the features offered during the event, organizers may be required to obtain additional approvals from other agencies before the Park District can issue a permit. In addition, the Park District requires the event organizer to perform outreach to engage community stakeholders."
A spokesperson for Riot Fest said they have a "conditional approval" from the park district, which is common for this stage in the planning process and "typical for events of this size."
“Riot Fest is delighted at our engagement and communication with stakeholders," the spokesperson said.
Local
The park district acknowledged the festival has until the event begins to fulfill permit requirements.
The 2023 Riot Fest is scheduled for Sept. 15, 16 and 17 in Douglass Park. Presale tickets went on sale Monday and tickets to the general public went on sale at the same time the lineup was announced Tuesday morning.
Topping the headliners for this year's three-day event are the Foo Fighters, The Postal Service, Death Cab for Cutie, The Cure and Queens of the Stone Age.
The event has had a somewhat contentious history with area residents in the past. Community leaders last year asked the festival to leave Douglass Park and some accused the event of environmental racism.
In August, Riot Fest issued a statement following a meeting between a contractor and community members, stating that it wanted to “remain a positive asset to the community.”
“We have been in Douglass Park since 2015, and we consider it our home,” the statement read, adding that the festival was going to take feedback from residents and implement suggestions when possible.
