Your Guide to Chicago Open Air

Chicago Open Air is coming back and The Local Tourist has your guide to the hottest event this summer.

We attended the first-ever Chicago Open Air and had a blast, check out last year’s review HERE. We are so excited for this year, that we want to share with you a comprehensive guide of what to expect at the second annual Chicago Open Air.

This jam-packed event comes to the area on Friday, July 14, Saturday, July 15 and Sunday, July 16 at Toyota Park in Bridgeview, IL, just outside Chicago.

This festival will take you through three days of great music, delicious craft beer, tasty Gourmet Man Food and much much more.

Over 40 rockin’ performances will happen and includes legendary rock artists Ozzy Osbourne, KISS, and Korn, along with Rob Zombie, Slayer, Godsmack, Stone Sour, Megadeth, Lamb Of God, Seether, Meshuggah, Anthrax, Clutch, Body Count, and more.

The Chicago Open Air music lineup features a rare U.S. festival appearance from rock legends KISS who headline on Friday. Korn will finish out Saturdays festivities making their second appearance at Chicago Open Air. The “Prince of Darkness,” Ozzy Osbourne, headlines Sunday making it one of his first solo performances since the final Black Sabbath tour and he will reunite with guitarist Zakk Wylde after a decade apart.

THE TICKETS

Ticket prices:

• 3-day General Admission Field: starting at $209.50
• 3-day General Admission Bowl: starting at $119.50
• 3-day VIP: starting at $425.00
• Single Day General Admission Bowl: starting at $50.00

All VIP tickets include: VIP entrance lanes into the event, access to a VIP lounge area featuring dedicated food and beverage offerings (for additional purchase), field and stadium level viewing areas of the main stage, dedicated restroom facilities, and a commemorative Chicago Open Air VIP-only laminate.

No Service Fee tickets will be available at all Chicago-area Kuma’s Corner locations and exclusive Chicago Open Air/Kuma’s merchandise.

THE KICKOFF DINNER

Chicago Open Air Kickoff Dinner: Danny Wimmer Presents will be throwing the official Chicago Open Air Kickoff Dinner, held at Kuma’s Corner (2900 W. Belmont) on Thursday, July 13 at 7 p.m. For $50, attendees will be treated to burgers, appetizers and beer, and will have the chance to hang out with host Jose Mangin, from SiriusXM’s Liquid Metal.

THE MUSIC

Festival doors open at 11:00 am each day.

The daily band lineup (subject to change) is as follows:

Friday, July 14

KISS, Rob Zombie, Megadeth, Anthrax, Meshuggah, The Dillinger Escape Plan, Falling In Reverse, Vimic, Suicide Silence, Whitechapel, Crobot, Code Orange, Hell or Highwater, Failure Anthem

Saturday, July 15

Korn, Godsmack, Seether, Clutch, Steel Panther, Body Count, Avatar, Mushroomhead, Metal Church, Pig Destroyer, Dragonforce, Cane Hill, Night Verses, Black Map

Sunday, July 16

Ozzy Osbourne, Slayer, Stone Sour, Lamb Of God, Amon Amarth, Behemoth, Hellyeah, Demon Hunter, DevilDriver, KYNG, Norma Jean, Whores., DED

THE GOURMET MAN FOOD

Festival attendees can savor a variety of local and regional cuisine throughout the weekend including selections from Bruges Brothers, ChicagoDoghouse, Crème of the Crop, Dia De Los Tamales, Dinky’s Donuts, Kuma’s Corner, Pizano’s (Chicago deep dish), and Yum Dum. Additional Gourmet Man Food vendors will include: Aporkalypse Now, Porkchop, Ben’s Burrito Bowl, Cheeze Louise, Cravin’ Cajun, Master of Patties, Pie Baby (wood-fired pizza), The Big Cheesy and The Cheesies Truck.

THE CRAFT BEER

Headbangers Bier Hall: Presented by Decibel Magazine, this unique metal themed dive bar is returning to Chicago Open Air. Headbangers Bier Hall will feature national and regional craft beers and artist inspired beverages including: Goose Island (Chicago – 312 Urban Wheat Ale, Four Star Pils), Half Acre Beer Company (Chicago – Daisy Cutter Pale Ale, Vallejo IPA, Pony Pilsner), Iron Maiden’s Trooper Beer, Lagunitas (Petaluma, CA – IPA, A Little Sumpin’ Sumpin’), Motörhead Wine, Revolution Brewing (Chicago – Fist City, Rev Pils), Surly (Minneapolis – Surly Hell Lager, Surly Furious IPA), Two Brothers Brewing (Chicago – Sidekick Extra Pale Ale, Dog Days Dortmunder Style Lager), and more to be announced. Look for unique experiences throughout the weekend.

THE ONSITE EXPERIENCES

Monster Energy: Stop by the Monster viewing deck to refuel and meet some of your favorite Chicago Open Air artists! Monster Energy will be keeping fans fueled up and ready to rock by offering free sampling on their Monster Energy viewing deck. Enjoy Monster Energy drinks from one of the best seats in the house. Make sure to check back throughout the festival for a schedule of Monster Energy’s interactive artist experiences. Most companies spend their money on ad agencies, TV commercials, radio spots and billboards to tell you how good their products are. At Monster Energy, we chose none of the above. Instead we support the scene, our bands, our athletes and our fans. We back athletes so they can make a career out of their passion. We promote concert tours, so our favorite bands can visit your hometown. We celebrate with our fans and riders by throwing parties and making the coolest events we can think of a reality.

Jack Daniel’s: “Taste of Tennessee” invites visitors to come out and tour the nation’s oldest registered distillery from outside the Jack Daniel’s Hollow. Visitors get to see (and smell) whiskey dripping slowly through charcoal and the new oak barrels used in maturing Tennessee’s finest whiskey. The Experience is open to all fans, 21 years old and up, for tours free of charge. Stop by the Jack Daniel’s Experience for interactive engagements throughout the weekend.

Revolution Brewing: Illinois’ largest craft brewery is brewed right in the heart of Chicago. Started as a brewpub in Logan Square in 2010, Revolution added to its growth with the 2012 opening of its production facility in the Avondale neighborhood, just a short distance from the brewpub.  Revolution offers dozens of different beer styles to craft beer fans through stores, its brewpub, and its taproom located at the brewery. Revolution focuses on brewing the highest quality beer as displayed in its popular brews such as Anti-Hero IPA and Fist City, a Chicago pale ale.  Rev Brew has tripled its brewing capacity over the past year and sells its beer in seven states including Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey and Wisconsin.

The Music Experience: The Music Experience features all things a musician needs to ROCK OUT! The interactive exhibit features your chance to test out your inner Rock Star with guitars, basses, amps, drums, keyboards and electronic gear that are used by today’s most popular bands. After laying your hands on the hottest equipment available, you will walk away feeling like a rock star! Find a full list of exhibitors coming soon.

Ellefson Coffee House: The premier roasts from Megadeth’s David Ellefson will be available onsite at Chicago Open Air exclusively at this special fan meetup spot. Ellefson opened his first coffeeshop in his hometown of Jackson, Minnesota in February 2017 and offers various blends including Roast in Peace, Kenya Thrash, She Wolf and Urban Legend. Fans might even see the bassist-turned-barista serving them coffee!

Caduceus Wine Garden: This wine garden will highlight Caduceus Cellars and Merkin Vineyards, owned by Arizona resident Maynard James Keenan, co-founder of international recording acts TOOL, A Perfect Circle, and PUSCIFER. Having already dove headfirst into this venture, Maynard found out from a distant relative that wine making is in his blood. His Great Grandfather, “Spirito” Marzo, had vineyards and made wine in Venaus, Italy, just North of Turino in Piemonte.

Heavy Tiki: The dark side of Tiki is through the totems where savages and beasts enjoy Scorpion Bowls and Zombie cocktails—all in the name of tropical leisure. The Tiki Gods are looking for a good time and they have come to Chicago Open Air to find it!  At the Heavy Tiki Bar, fans will find an oasis filled with killer cocktails, shade, and a live broadcast from the one and only Mancow, the legendary radio personality from Chicago’s WLUP.

Kuma’s Corner: Kuma’s Corner will be returning to serve their signature metal themed burgers.

Metal Hammer: The premier metal magazine is turning 30 years old in 2017 and will be celebrating all weekend long at Chicago Open Air. Stay tuned to Metal Hammer’s website and social media pages for more details.

BlackCraft: We are proud to announce The BlackCraft Stage as the second stage at Chicago Open Air. Beez from “That’s Not Metal” will also be interviewing artists backstage for BlackCraft all weekend. Set times and performing artists will be announced at the end of June. During Chicago Open Air, make sure to visit the BlackCraft apparel shop next to the stage. It’s the only place to purchase BlackCraft merchandise over the weekend.

FYE: FYE is the ONLY place to score your favorite Chicago Open Air artists’ latest CDs and Vinyl at the festival and even get a chance to get them signed! Participating labels include Roadrunner, Century Media, Another Century, Nuclear Blast, SharpTone Records, Spinefarm and Razor & Tie Records. We will be hosting artist signings all weekend long – follow us on Facebook and Instagram for the latest signing schedules and special pop-up performances.

Fxck Cancer: The Dyin 2 Live DREAMS Program is a wish-granting organization whose purpose is to try and enrich the lives of those fighting cancer by offering them an experience that will bring hope and inspiration to their lives. In doing this, we hope it can help give them a chance to forget, even if it’s only for a day what they are battling. Through our extensive network of friends, supporters, and affiliates, we are able to reach out to individuals and present them with one of a kind experiences and opportunities that arise. We feel a Dyin 2 Live Dream can offer a source of inspiration for those undergoing difficult medical treatments and be a positive force that offers a life-changing impact not only on them, but also the family to overcome their obstacles. If you are currently fighting cancer or know of someone in the fight who could benefit from a Dyin 2 Live Dream, please submit your story and tell us why and how a Dyin 2 Live day would help.

Take Me Home: Take Me Home (TMH) has been saving the lives of homeless animals since 2001. TMH was founded as an animal rights advocacy foundation saving orphaned animals and striving to end animal overpopulation. TMH works in conjunction with shelters and rescues throughout California and beyond to help save animals on death row, on the streets, or in unsafe living conditions. Stop by their booth for custom gear and to contribute to a great cause.

THE EXTRA INFO

Lockers: If you want a safe and secure place to store your things while you attend Chicago Open Air Festival, personal lockers with unlimited cell charging will be available so you can free up your hands and avoid losing any personal items during the fest. Lockers measure 18”h x 12”w x 18”d.

Lodging: Chicago Open Air has partnered with Curadora to help you browse the coolest hotel accommodations The Windy City has to offer and to make joining Chicago Open Air a breeze. With Curadora, you can search all local hotels based on price, proximity to Toyota Park, or whatever amenity is most important to you.

Shuttles: Come enjoy the festival and leave the driving to Share the Bus! Affordable one-way or round-trip rides are available from downtown Chicago and area hotels.