Pitchfork Music Competition has introduced that, after 19 years of calling Chicago residence, it won’t host an occasion within the Windy Metropolis in 2025.
“Because the music competition panorama continues to evolve quickly, we now have made the tough determination to not host Pitchfork Music Competition in Chicago in 2025,” organizers mentioned in an announcement on Monday.
“This determination was not made evenly. For 19 years, Pitchfork Music Competition has been a celebration of music, artwork, and group—an area the place recollections have been made, voices have been amplified, and the shared love of music introduced us all collectively,” organizers added.
The Chicago iteration of Pitchfork Music Competition was the flagship occasion of Pitchfork’s offline occasions and had been touted as a significant income driver for the corporate. Nevertheless, Chicago has lengthy been a aggressive marketplace for music festivals, with rivals such Lollapalooza, Riot Fest, North Coast, and Sueńos all competing for a share of the market in the summertime months. Earlier this yr, Pitchfork’s editorial arm skilled a collection of layoffs as a part of a broader restructuring carried out by its guardian firm, Condé Nast.
Pitchfork mentioned it would proceed to “produce occasions in 2025 and past.” The publication and its guardian firm, Conde Nast, has hosted festivals in London, Paris, Berlin, and Mexico Metropolis lately.
Nineteen years of music and recollections. Thanks, Chicago. pic.twitter.com/SmNEXHwKiV
— Pitchfork Music Competition Chicago (@pitchforkfest) November 11, 2024