As we come to the last two weeks of summer, we reflect upon all the good times–especially if you attended a summer music festival in Chicago.

The 2016 music scene was one for the record books. The variety of music offered surpassed anyone’s expectations on every level, from local neighborhood festivals to stadium concerts such as Pitchfork, Lakeshake and Lollapalooza’s 25th anniversary! While the solo artists in town presented an unreal selection with artists such as Beyonce, Adele, and Bruce Springsteen, the festivals offered all-day and multi-day entertainment from $60 per ticket to $350 weekend passes; there was something for everyone.

“As a musician, it’s really cool to see huge bands like Red Hot Chili Peppers playing 300 feet away from someone who only has one album,” said Maggie Quick on Lollapalooza.

Reflecting on 25 years of Lolla, what started out as a goodbye tour for Jane’s Addiction, has grown to be a four day festival that features bands that are just starting out and headliners that can sell out stadiums on their own right.

The culture and pulse of this festival attracted over 400,000 people in 2016 alone.

“I had a lot of fun, and I was exposed to different cultures of music,” said Isabel LoPiano, junior.

Not only is it amazing to see a cross section of cultures and over the generation gap of talent, but we can say the same about ages of those that attended the festivals as well.  With the amount of attendance and tickets totally sold out, Lolla is here to stay.

For those who wanted a festival that was maybe not as large as others, Pitchfork was a great option.  

“What I like about Pitchfork is it’s pretty low key, having 10,000 people rather than 100,000 people per day, and you are not overwhelmed with the amount of people there,” said Chris Gemkow, music teacher.

Another positive note about this festival is that prices tend to start at $60 for acts that will also be at other big shows.

While some may have attended the well know Country Thunder in neighboring state Wisconsin, Chicago offered Windy City LakeShake as an option to a country festival with bigger acts and a whole lot closer to home (and frankly a better view of a much bigger lake!).

Looking ahead to 2017 festivals, it’s never too early to start saving and planning for next year’s summer tours. Tickets go on sale months in advance so staying informed is key. Make sure to keep an eye out on concert dates with newsletters such as bandsintown.com.