Arc Festival Must See Artists

September 2 – 4 in Chicago, IL at Union Park is Arc Music Festival. While there is no payment plan, there are single day passes now available. With a star studded lineup like this, we highly recommend splurging on the weekend pass since it is Labor Day weekend! Gates open 2pm and wrap up at 10pm. Be advised this is an 18+ event with ID. There are no pass outs. So once you are in, make sure you are strapped in for the ride with your camelbaks. This is a cash free event. Make sure you are prepped and you will be able to vape/smoke. This is a rain or shine event with lockers on site. Bring an umbrella or poncho and score a locker for all your rain gear. That way you are able to dance in the rain should there be any! It is a public park that is ADA compliant, open air, with first aid on site and water stations. There are several hotels, all easily accessible and within walking distance if traveling from afar. They will fill fast for the holiday since there is no camping allowed in Union Park. Feel free to check the Arc Festival home page for hotel partners. Now that we have all the info out of the way, on to the fun stuff!

ARC extends far beyond the music; bringing the global scene to the culture and artistry that makes Chicago special. Attendees experienced a curated production and art to guide between each of the immersive stage environments. ARC will continue to be a larger than life experience that will leave you feeling both connected and exhilarated long after you leave the dance floor.

https://arcmusicfestival.com/festival-info

Pass holders to Arc Festival will get special perks like first grab at tickets to the after party series. There is an old school info line that has special messages, ticket giveaways, secret info and more! This excites the older crowd (who remember map point days), more than you know. When we called, we were greeted by a recording from Fatboy Slim and we are excited to call for the next Artist message. This festival aims to put Chicago back on the map and pay homage to the city’s House music roots. The line up features everything from ANNA to Wax Motif. There is literally something for everyone at Arc.

Friday is Boris Brejcha at the TOP of our list followed by Nora En Pure. These two traveled far and wide. We are stoked to see them state side. Boris has a sonic command unparalleled and Nora En Pure is a force to be reckoned with. Both lay down beats that make us excited for the wall of sound. Richie Hawtin has NEVER disappointed. We think the man bleeds Techno and he continues to astound. Chris Lake, Eats Everything, Pan-Pot, lest we forget Hyperactive?! Hiroko Yamamura (aka Biobooster), is a Chicago hometown hero in the top 10 according to XLR8R magazine.

Saturday boasts more talent than we can shake a conductor’s baton at. Charlotte de Whitte (for those that do not know), is a Belgian DJ/Producer that delivers the kind of driving, minimal, acid feeling Techno that makes us get Bass Face. Another hometown hero is Derrick Carter and his smooth underground House. This is due to his old school disco, and jazzy soul that brings us to another jazzy artist, Mark Farina. Mark’s Mushroom Jazz did it for us and we catch him whenever we can. Pay attention to C4 . . . Carl Craig and Carl Cox. Carl Craig is one of the foundations of Detroit Techno and Carl Cox is an award winning musician. Both have spun around the globe almost as many times as the records they played. Seth Troxler’s strong stage presence makes him delightful to dance to and Paco Osuna has a Spanish sabor to be savored. So does the sweet melodies of Honey Dijon. We had the pleasure of seeing both in Detroit at Movement and were hooked. Gene Farris and Joseph Capriati round off our choices for day two on who’s who.

Sunday we have Adam Beyer whom is a brilliant Swedish Techno producer. If you know what is what, there is Fatboy Slim. Wax Motif has been a bucket list for sure. Giolì & Assia play pan drum, piano, and do some of the best live hybrid sets. Justin Martin (fun fact), is a co-founder of the Dirtybird crew. Need we say more? Claptone crosses Techno, House, Deep House and has a mysterious aura that keeps fans wondering. This product of Berlin is sometimes one, other times two individuals. No show is ever the same.

These are our personal picks for the weekend. We are not saying the others are not worth noting. That is why we go to these type of events. We enjoy discovering new talent we did not know was there. While they may not be new to the industry, they are new to us and it gives us a chance to glimpse back at fond memories of past sets while creating new experiences and connections with things seen and unheard. Arc Festival (if we had to describe it), is the best of Detroit Techno meets the best of Chicago House with a dash from around the world. That gives us renewed sense of where the scene is headed as Arc is really striving to put the Unity back in our Dance Community. For that we give mad props. This promises to be a festival like no other we have seen in a while. Post pandemic society . . . THIS is the type of reset we all needed and deserve. Hope to see you all in the park because we cannot wait to see your shiny faces when we are able to dance as one.