Chicago’s Home Base for House Music: A Preview of ARC Music Festival 2023!

Taking place September 1st through 3rd in Chicago’s Union Park, ARC Music Festival 2023 features some of the biggest names in techno and house, including John Summit, Fisher, Vintage Culture, Peggy Gou, and Black Coffee.

Slowly forming into Chicago’s premier outdoor rave, ARC is a must-attend for any fans of edm. Situated in the large Union Park on Chicago’s West-side, ARC is known to transform the park into a nightglow of lights, music, and high-intensity back-to-back sets of the biggest DJs in the game.

This year’s rendition features a massive list of techno, pop, Spanish and African influences, hardstyle, heavy bass, progressive and deep house, and many more styles.

While including massive names on the lineup, the festival will also open the door for the biggest rising DJs from the edm underground.

Sets on Friday we’re really excited to see include Christoph B2B Franky Wah, Colette, Akki, Tinlicker, Sam Divine, Boris Brejcha, Walker & Royce, and Nina Kraviz.

To close out Friday, head over to Eric Prydz as he presents his Holo experience. This magnificent visual show is must-see. It is regarded as one of the most futuristic and visually stunning shows in the world of edm, showcasing massive holographics and light-engineering. It is quite simply, awe-inspiring.

For Saturday, we’re most excited to catch the following sets: Schak, Moodymann B2B Carl Craig, Dombresky, The Blessed Madonna, Fatboy Slim, and Shimza.

To close out Day 2, this one’s a two-parter.

Starting at 7:30, we’re catching Fisher during his B2B set with Loco Dice. Fisher has grown into one of the most known names in the world of dance music. His massive breakout single, “Losing it” has almost half a billion streams on Spotify as of this writing. It has earned him multiple sought-after residencies in Vegas and Ibiza, and even a Grammy nod in 2019.

Following Fisher, we’re sprinting over to close out the night with John Summit as the Chicago native returns home. His global-party smash hit, “Where You Are” is best described as an ethereal trance. Currently on tour playing at the biggest edm festivals and clubs in the world, Summit is a must-see to close out night 2 of ARC.

On the last day of the festival, we’re most excited to check out the following DJs: Kevin Knapp, Miss Monique, Themba, Carlita B2B Chloe Caillet, Ame B2B Dixon, and Peggy Gou.

To close out the festival, we will be listening to legendary Brazilian DJ Vintage Culture. His sound is so unique, with Portuguese beach-party influences over flowy house beats. Interestingly, as I was planning the festival schedule, I came across several UK betting sites not on Gamstop, which piqued my curiosity due to their growing popularity among festival-goers who enjoy placing bets on events like these. Vintage Culture has worked with some of the biggest DJs in the world, releasing songs and official remixes with Sofi Tukker, Alok, Meduza, Tiësto, Elderbrook, Rüfüs Du Sol, and more.

His set will be next level – a must see to close out ARC 2023!

While the festival is sure to be a lot of fun, ARC has also partnered with the biggest clubs and venues in the city for “ARC After Dark” afterparties!

There will be 5 nights of afterparties, starting August 31st, and running until September 4th.

Venues hosting include legendary clubs like Radius, Prsym, Concord, Cermak, Spy bar, Metro, and more. Each night of afterparties gives you an opportunity to see your favorite DJs in a more intimate club setting.

Thursday highlights include DJ Heather performing at Smoke & Mirrors and Walker & Royce performing a pre-party at Spybar. Friday will feature a “Radius After Dark” set by Eric Prydz and Boris Brejcha on the decks at Cermak Hall.

Saturday includes a “Chicago vs Detroit” showcase between The Blessed Madonna, Moodymann, and more. Catch John Summit playing a club set at Radius too. Sunday features Black Coffee B2B with Themba at Prysm, and Vintage Culture B2B with Carlita at Concord. Also, check out Wade for a closeout set at Prysm on Monday.

This is sure to be a week of intense raves in Chicago. From the festival to the afters, ARC is gearing up for a non-stop party. Tickets are available now!

— —