Chicago's ARC Music Festival Expands to Four Days in 2026

The festival's 2026 lineup features Sara Landry, Anyma, and more.

Published on Mar. 10, 2026

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Chicago's ARC Music Festival has announced it will expand from three to four days in 2026, taking place Labor Day Weekend, Sept. 4-7, at the city's Union Park. The festival has also revealed its 2026 lineup, which features a long list of producers including Sara Landry, Ki/Ki, The Blessed Madonna, Nia Archives, Michael Bibi, Chris Stussy, Anyma, Underworld, Cloonee and Chase & Status.

Why it matters

The expansion to four days allows ARC to book more artists and provide deeper programming for attendees. As one of Chicago's premier electronic music festivals, ARC celebrates the city's legacy as the birthplace of house music by featuring pioneering artists like Green Velvet, Honey Dijon and Derrick Carter.

The details

ARC partner and lead talent buyer John Curley says the team has been wanting to expand the festival from three to four days since they grew from two days back in 2022. The expansion allows them to 'go deeper with our programming' and book more incredible artists. In addition to the expanded lineup, the festival will also feature a new stage area called The Midway, which nods to Chicago's Midway International Airport and the architectural legacy of the original Midway Gardens.

  • ARC Music Festival 2026 will take place Labor Day Weekend, Sept. 4-7.
  • Tickets for the 2026 festival go on sale March 13.

The players

John Curley

ARC partner and lead talent buyer.

Sara Landry

Performing her Eternalism show at ARC Music Festival 2026.

Green Velvet

House music pioneer performing at ARC Music Festival 2026.

Honey Dijon

House music pioneer performing at ARC Music Festival 2026.

Derrick Carter

House music pioneer performing at ARC Music Festival 2026.

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What they’re saying

“This is something the team has been talking and dreaming about since we expanded from two days to three back in 2022. Every year booking the festival, we run into one little problem: we have more incredible artists that we want to book than we have slots on the festival. Expanding to four days allows us to go deeper with our programming.”

— John Curley, ARC partner and lead talent buyer (Billboard)

“Six years in, and ARC really feels like it's in its own lane. There's a global energy to the weekend, but ARC is still very much a Chicago festival in its DNA. That energy gives ARC a character you don't really find anywhere else.”

— John Curley, ARC partner and lead talent buyer (Billboard)

“It feels like a family reunion for the global house and techno community. Artists really lean into that, you can feel them bend their sound toward Chicago, see the emotion in their eyes as the sun sets into the skyline. There's a feeling of legacy when artists play here that gives every set more weight and more staying power.”

— John Curley, ARC partner and lead talent buyer (Billboard)

What’s next

Tickets for ARC Music Festival 2026 go on sale March 13.

The takeaway

ARC Music Festival's expansion to four days in 2026 allows the Chicago-based electronic music event to book more artists and provide deeper programming, cementing its status as one of the premier house and techno festivals in the world and a celebration of the city's legacy as the birthplace of the genres.