Pitchfork Music Festival will celebrate its 15th-anniversary event at Chicago’s Union Park this weekend! Here are five reasons to attend Pitchfork Fest 2021:

1. Phoebe Bridgers, St. Vincent, and Erykah Badu Are Headlining

Pitchfork is delivering an incredible, female artist-driven top line with Phoebe Bridgers, St. Vincent, and Erykah Badu scheduled to headline. Last year, Bridgers unveiled her album, Punisher, led by indie gems “Kyoto” and “Garden Song.” Meanwhile, Annie Clark, aka St. Vincent, kicked off a forward-thinking ’70s-inspired era with the release of Daddy’s Home, and the one and only Erykah Badu has proven to be a timeless performer and artist – whether she’s serving up a ‘90s classic from Baduizm, the Drake-inspired “Cel U Lar Device,” or a deep cut from her various cult classics. With these artists known to captivate and shred on stage, their expansive catalogs will make for memorable headline sets this weekend at Union Park.

2. The Fiery Furnaces Reunion Performance

Chicago rock duo The Fiery Furnaces is set to perform as a band for the first time in nearly a decade this Friday at Pitchfork. The festival first announced the band, comprised of sibling duo Matthew and Elanor Friedberger, would reunite in 2020, but Covid obviously foiled those plans. Building the hype for their comeback performance on Friday, the band shared their first single of the year, “The Fortune Teller’s Revenge.” The song marks their second release on Jack White’s Third Man Records following last year’s “Down at the So and So on Somewhere.”

3. Discover New Artists

Arrive early, stay for the headliners. From Ela Minus and The Soft Pink Truth on Friday to Divino Niño, Jamila Woods, and Bartees Strange on Saturday, and KeiyaA, Caroline Polachek, and oso oso on Sunday, and over 40 total sets promised, you’re bound to catch a new favorite you’ve never seen while at P4K Fest. See the lineup and purchase tickets here.

4. After Shows

Festival after shows are the best. The shows occur in more intimate venues, the sets are usually curated for super fans, and the lineups never disappoint. This year, Pitchfork has aligned several after shows to keep the music going all night. Kim Gordon takes over Thalia Hall on Friday, Faye Webster at Sleeping Village on Saturday, Yves Tumor at The Empty Bottle on Sunday, and Bartees Strange at the same venue on Monday. See the complete 10-show lineup.

5. Fairs & Crate-digging with CHIRP

Chicago’s CHIRP Radio has run a vinyl Record Fair near the east edge of the Pitchfork Music Fest since its inception, and this year it’s once again hosting a collection of indie labels, local record stores, and independent dealers. Whether you’re in between sets or somehow missed Record Store Day twice this year, here’s your chance to finally pick up that vinyl you wanted or didn’t know you needed.

The festival is also hosting the Renegade Craft Fair, which brings together artists at the forefront of their craft with an audience of conscious consumers dedicated to supporting the handmade and advancing the creative economy. American Poster Institute and Speedball will also host the Flatstock Poster Fair.

Stream the lineup