Illinois events

Illinois is dominated by Chicago, its biggest city (and the third-largest in the nation). The Windy City is home to an incredible array of cultural establishments and entertainment venues, including several museums considered among the best in the world. While most visitors stay in the vicinity of Chicagoland, Illinois locals know there's also an abundance of appeal in the smaller cities and towns that dot the prairies and farmlands downstate, among them the state capital Springfield, historic Rockford and Peoria, and the vibrant college town Champaign.

Illinois tickets

Illinois is an ideal place to be for music lover, with Chicago's heritage as one of the birthplaces of jazz and blues, and its contemporary status as the major music hub of the Midwest. The city hosts a huge variety of annual music festivals throughout the year, including Lollapalooza at Grant Park, the Pitchfork Music Festival in Union Park, plus major jazz, blues, world music and reggae festivals. The Southern Illinois Music Festival brings world-class classical music to the Southern Illinois University Carbondale.

Elsewhere in Illinois, the annual entertainment calendar features the Illinois State Fair, held in Springfield every year since 1853, and the Illinois Shakespeare Festival, bringing the Bard to Bloomington annually since 1978.

Sports fans are spoiled for choice in Illinois, with Chicago boasting teams in all the major sports leagues, even claiming two Major League Baseball teams. Motor racing at speedways in Joliet, Cicero and Madison is a big draw for motorsports fans. The Illinois Fighting Illini athletic teams give college sports fans year-round action too.

Illinois venues

Whether it's a baseball game at Wrigley Field, an outstanding orchestral performance at the Chicago Symphony Hall or the return of Farm Aid to its original home state, Illinois offers live entertainment for everyone.