Labor Day weekend is the last chance to party without worrying about work on Monday before summer is over. And what a better way to cool off than in The Windy City for ARC Music Festival. Here’s everything you’ll need to know about ARC Music Festival 2025.
Tickets
ARC has a couple of ticket tiers suited to different budgets and experiences. The tickets range from a private presale for Mastercard holders, and then GA, VIP, and VIP+ tiers which will release tickets later on. The VIP and VIP+ tiers cater to different VIP experiences, so you get the freedom to curate exactly what you want to do that weekend. Grab tickets here.
You don’t have to be 21+ for the VIP passes, but I feel like you’ll get more bang for your buck if you are. Honestly, you can have a helluva time with a GA ticket. So if you don’t mind port-a-potties or are tight on cash, then I say stick with GA.
How To Get To Union Park
The three-day celebration will be held at Union Park, just west of downtown Chi-town. I DO NOT recommend driving to the event. There are parking lots south of UP, but those will probably be full by the time the festival starts. Plus, you don’t want to be partying and driving because of safety concerns for you and your car.
If you’re staying downtown, you could take the Green (Adams/Wabash) or Pink Line (54th/Cermak) to Ashland Station, across the street from UP. The metro will cost you $2.50 for a two-hour or $5 for a day pass. ARC will probably end at 10 pm, which is good news because the metro will run till about 11:45 pm. However, getting into the train station will be a bit of a cluster buck if you stay till the last song of the day because the turnstile onto the platform only allows one person at a time. So plan accordingly.
Ride share from downtown will run between $15-$20, depending on demand/surging prices. If you are going to be taking ride share FROM UP, then it’s going to be a bit of a pain due to the hoard of people who are also trying to call a car. I suggest you walk east and try to find a well-lit-up area to call your car. Last year, my friend and I walked from UP to downtown (2.5 miles) because we could not secure a ride due to demand. So, be prepared for the muggy summer night after ARC as you wait for a car.
Million Dollar Baby Dress Outfit
The Music At ARC
ARC is a celebration of house music in a city where its roots run deep. So it’s not surprising that the Arius team would bring such a stacked lineup. Without boring you with a massive list, check out the link for the complete list of artists. Here are my picks for each day.
While You’re in Chicago, You Should…
If you’re like me, who traveled to the Windy City for ARC, I suggest you embrace the adventure. Eat a deep-dished pizza from one of them semi-casual restaurants in River North, take an architectural boat tour down the Chicago river or force your friends to walk 3 miles up and down the River Walk after ARC hungover.
Unlike most festivals that are in the middle of nowhere, ARC is actually in the heart of Chicago, so you can double dip as a raver and a tourist! Or don’t, whatever.
