Six stages featuring more than 100 electronic artists take over SeatGeek Stadium in Bridgeview Sept. 2-4 for the 11th annual North Coast Musical Festival.
Headliners for the Sept. 2 to 4 outdoor event for ages 17 and older include Armin van Buuren, Illenium, Porter Robinson, Fisher, Diplo, Subtronics, Kaytranada, Seven Lions, Madeon, Svdden Death presents Voyd (Garden of the Deceiver), Two Friends, Gryffin, Jai Wolf, Slander, and Tchami x Malaa.
“One of the main ethos of North Coast is to celebrate our differences,” said Pat Grumley, founding partner and marketing director of North Coast Music Festival.
“This year our headliners are all very different as far as the genres that they play. Armin Van Buuren is a trance act. Illenium is the hottest melodic bass act right now. Kaytranada plays a more soulful side of house music.
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“At the end of the night we schedule it so there’s only one of those acts going so everyone kind of filters into the stadium for one big party all together.”
North Coast Music Festival, which took place at Union Park in Chicago from its 2010 inception through 2018, was presented at Huntington Bank Pavilion at Northerly Island in the city in 2019, went on hiatus in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic and returned in 2021 at SeatGeek Stadium.
“It has a stadium. It has an air-conditioned dome. It has multiple soccer fields that connect,” said Grumley about moving to the Southland venue, which features padded turf instead of a potentially muddy floor if rain hits the fest.
“When people go there they get all these different experiences and different environments. It was just the perfect place to do the festival. We made the move in 2021. We’re happy to stay there for this year and hopefully the next two years.”
Stages include The Stadium with heavy hitters closing out each night, The Canopy with house music, The Vega with bass music and dubstep, The Fire Pit with the Incendia crew’s spectacles, The Chill Dome with laser lights and disc jockey sets, and Silent Disco with DJ sets to check out via headphones.
“We really upped the ante for this year in 2022. We’re going to have activations plus something called Temple of Intention that they can do inside a room of mirrors,” said Grumley, who grew up in Joliet and now lives in Chicago.
“We’re having the North Coast Yacht Club. We actually bought a boat. You get a bird’s-eye view of the festival and can go up for photo ops. We have sculptures we’re bringing in that are made of natural materials.
“We do our best as far as the food goes. We’ve got some of the festival staples in there but we also get some local vendors so there’s a wide variety of food. We make sure that there’s gluten-free options, vegan options, vegetarian options and healthy options.”
Grumley said he tends to like house and techno music a little more and is looking forward to several acts including Fisher’s Catch & Release takeover and LP Giobbi, who supports equitable opportunities for women and gender-expansive individuals in music through the 501(c)(3)Femme House.
He estimated that half of North Coast Music Festival ticket-holders travel from all over the United States to attend the event, which is nicknamed Summer’s Last Stand by attendees, who are known as Coasties.
“We plan our festival year-round so we’re already planning our lineup for 2023. These kids also plan year-round so they’re asking, ‘What can I wear to the festival?’ They’re planning how they’re going to get there,” Grumley said.
“Just the sheer excitement our fans have for the festival, you can tell that they’re so supportive of it and they look forward to it a long time out so that’s why I love working on it all year long.
“We’re very thankful to be in Chicagoland for this long and to still be going after 12 years. We owe it all to the fans and the staff and the artists that make it happen.”
North Coast Music Festival
When: 2 p.m.-midnight Sept. 2-3; 2-10:30 p.m. Sept. 4
Where: SeatGeek Stadium, 7000 S. Harlem Ave., Bridgeview
Tickets: $88.57-$93.57 for single-day or $248.50 for three-day pass for ages 17 and older; $165.50-$173 for single-day or $391.50 for three-day VIP pass for ages 21 and older; $274.50 for single-day or $777.50 for three-day VIP Platinum pass; parking is $30.50 for single-day or $79.50 for three-day general admission pass or $62.50 for single-day VIP
Information: 708-594-7200; seatgeekstadium.com or northcoastfestival.com
Jessi Virtusio is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.
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