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Chicago · City guide

Chicago Live Events Guide: Concerts, Sports, Theater & More

Chicago has major-league teams in every big sport, large arenas and stadiums, a busy downtown theater district and a full calendar of summer festivals. This guide is a starting point for planning: what kinds of events the city offers, where they happen, and how to find what's on sale right now.

Concerts in Chicago

Chicago hosts tours of every size, from arena and stadium shows to clubs and theaters. Large tours often play the United Center or, in summer, outdoor stadiums such as Soldier Field and Wrigley Field. The city's blues, jazz, house and hip-hop history also means a deep club and theater scene.

For stadium and outdoor shows, the stage and floor layout is set by each production. Check the seating details on the listing rather than assuming the layout of a sports event.

Sports in Chicago

Chicago is one of the few cities with teams across all the major North American leagues. The Cubs play at Wrigley Field on the North Side and the White Sox on the South Side. The Bears play football at Soldier Field. The Bulls and Blackhawks share the United Center. The city also has the Chicago Fire in MLS and the Chicago Sky in the WNBA.

Team pages list each team's upcoming games with home and away filters. For Cubs games, our Cubs tickets guide and Wrigley Field seating guide go deeper.

Theater in Chicago

Downtown's Loop theater district hosts touring Broadway productions and long runs, and the city has a large resident theater community across its neighborhoods. Performance schedules change across a run, so check the exact date and curtain time on each listing.

Festivals and special events

Summer is festival season in Chicago, with large music festivals such as Lollapalooza in Grant Park and many neighborhood street festivals. Festival tickets are often sold by day or as multi-day passes, so read what a listing covers before you buy.

Major Chicago venues

A few venues host a large share of the biggest events. Each venue page lists its upcoming events from every category we carry.

  • United Center — indoor arena on the Near West Side; home of the Bulls and Blackhawks and a major concert stop.
  • Wrigley Field — the Cubs' open-air ballpark in Lakeview, which also hosts summer concerts.
  • Soldier Field — the Bears' lakefront stadium near the Museum Campus, also used for large concerts.

How to explore upcoming events

The Chicago city page is the most complete view: it lists upcoming events in the city across concerts, sports, theater and more, soonest first. From there you can open a venue, team or performer page to narrow things down, or browse the Concerts, Sports, Theater and Festivals sections for the whole country.

Events that have already started are not shown as upcoming. Listings come from live inventory, so what's available changes throughout the day.

Practical ticket-shopping tips

A few habits save trouble whichever event you choose:

  • Check the venue and city — touring shows and away games carry the same name in other cities.
  • Confirm the local date and start time, especially for multi-date runs and doubleheaders.
  • Choose the full quantity on one listing if you want to sit together.
  • For outdoor venues, think about weather and exposure along with the seat.
  • Prices shown include mandatory fees; review taxes, any shipping and the terms at checkout.

Coming up soon in Chicago

See every upcoming Chicago event

Frequently asked questions

Where can I see everything happening in Chicago?
The Chicago city page on OriginalTickets lists upcoming events in the city across categories, soonest first, and links to each venue and team.
Which venues host the biggest Chicago events?
The United Center, Wrigley Field and Soldier Field host many of the largest sports events and concerts. Each has a venue page listing its upcoming events.
Do prices on OriginalTickets include fees?
Yes. Seat prices include our ticket partner's markup and mandatory fees. Applicable taxes and any shipping are added at checkout.

Related pages

OriginalTickets is an independent site and is not a box office. Tickets are sold and fulfilled by the provider handling each listing, under that provider's terms. Venue, event and production policies are set by those organisations. See our editorial standards and corrections pages.