Name: ARC Music Festival
Start: 2021-09-04T14:00-07:00
End: 2021-09-05T22:00-07:00

House heads, it’s that time of year to make the annual pilgrimage to the place where it all began—Chicago. ARC Music Festival is returning to the birthplace of house music once more this weekend September 2-4 with its biggest lineup to date.

Featuring some of house and techno's most iconic talents, and plenty of emerging and local acts, this is one multi-day event you won’t want to miss.

From 2:00 pm until 10:00 pm each day, immerse yourself into the genre that was born in the Windy City.



ARC weekend is a music festival experience that’s as dynamic as it is euphoric. As a festival-goer, prepare to traverse between the vibracious Grid stage, the eccentric party players of Spain’s elrow and make your way to the cavernous Expansions stage, where you’ll find groovers and dance floor heaters.



The expansive city-wide celebration of house music carries over into the after hours for those who have the stamina to keep the momentum winding, from dusk until dawn.



ARC’s After Dark parties are hosted at event venues all across Chicago once festivities end for the day. Find tickets for an array of ARC After Dark parties here.

The three-day festival’s lineup features house icons continuing to champion the genre alongside performances from local and international rising talents. This year's Friday’s ARC headliners include ANNA, Ann Clue, Boris Brejcha, Chris Lake, Cloonee, De La Swing, Eats Everything, Hiroko Yamamura, Kasablanca, Lane 8, Miane, Moritz Hofbauer, Nora En Pure, Pan-Pot, Richie Hawtin, Sama’ Abdulhadi, Skream, and Tini Gessler.







House and techno heavyweights set to perform on Saturday include Carl Cox, Carl Craig, Charlotte de Witte, Chelina Manuhutu, Derrick Carter, DJ Lady D, Enrico Sangiuliano, Gene Farris, Honey Dijon, Joseph Capriati, Maher Daniel, Mark Farina, Mike Dunn, Paco Osuna, Ricardo Villalobos, Ron Carroll, and Seth Troxler.



Sunday’s ARC headliners include some of the most eclectic and revered selectors in the scene. Acid Pauli and Adam Beyer who will be playing alongside Cirez D, Ben Böhmer, Claptone, DJ Tennis, DJ Three, Fatboy Slim, Giolì & Assia, Gorgon City, Justin Martin, Kryptogram, Öona Dahl, Vintage Culture, and Wax Motif.







Complete set times for all three days of ARC are listed below along with a map of the festival grounds.



ARC Music Festival 2022 Set Times are Here

ARC Music Festival organizers have announced a multitude of afterparties highlighting both its diverse set of headliners and the strong Chicago talent on the lineup. Highlights include Eric Prydz, Derrick Carter, Carl Craig, and Vintage Culture, to name a few.


Chicago is a city ripe with incredible music venues, and ARC is taking over the best of them on Labor Day weekend after the lights go off at the festival.



Radius, a massive purpose-built warehouse-style venue, will host Boris Bejcha, Get Real, Eric Prydz, and Adam Beyer. While its next-door neighbor Cermack Hall sees ANNA, Derick Carter, Ricardo Villalobos, and Gorgon City taking the decks.


On the North Side, Concord Music Hall will host Cloonee and Miane on Friday and a rare Ben Böhmer DJ Set on Sunday.


The legendary Spy Bar, open since 1995, welcomes Skream and Eats Everything on Friday, Seth Troxler and Carl Craig at Spybar, and Gioli and Assia performing a DJ Set on Sunday to close the festival weekend out.


ARC Music Festival held its inaugural event in 2021 and quickly expanded from two to three days in 2022. The festival exclusively books underground electronic music, focusing on the brightest names in house and techno with an emphasis on interactive art exhibits, honoring the roots of Chicago and strong brand partners like Elrow.


Combining top-level underground talent with local legends, ARC lets old-school techno cross paths with new-school tech house. The ARC team is committed to creating an event memorializing all that is good about Chicago.


Read below for the full afterparty lineup.






Friday 9/2/22

Boris Brejcha at Radius

ANNA at Cermak Hall

Cloonee & Miane at Concord

Nora En Pure at Prysm

Skream & Eats Everything at Spybar




Saturday 9/3/22

Green Velvet & Claude VonStroke at Radius

Derick Carter and Ricardo Villalobos at Cermak Hall

Joseph Capriati at Prysm

Seth Troxler and Carl Craig at Spybar

Honey Dijon at Smartbar

Mike Dunn and Mark Farina at Primary




Sunday 9/4/22

Eric Prydz and Adam Beyer at Radius

Gorgon City at Cermak Hall

Ben Böhmer DJ Set at Concord

Vintage Culture at Prysm

Gioli and Assia DJ Set at Spybar

Acid Pauli at Primary

DJ Three BTB Oona Dahl at No9



ARC Music Festival Announces ARC After Dark Lineups

After a stellar first year Auris Presents, the team behind ARC Music Festival persists in proving that they want to be at the forefront of the house and techno festival scene. Their debut edition of ARC in Chicago last year was only the beginning. The upcoming iteration on Labor Day Weekend (September 2-4) will blow attendees away. 




ARC stunned with an even more in-depth lineup drop. Pulling in superstars such as Acid Pauli, Pan-Pot, De La Swing, Mark Farina, and Öona Dahl to grace the decks. The stacked initial lineup for ARC already included legendary artists like Carl Cox, Richie Hawtin, Fatboy Slim, Skream, and Gene Ferris. This announcement only heightens the appetite to attend.




ARC also announced other artists playing the ARC Car Stage. The GoodBus is a converted school bus with a mean 10,000-watt speaker system. Set to host supporting artists including Alex Kislov, Dangerwayne, Dani Deahl, and to be announced which true to form with the main bill will bring some heat to the tunes.




Additionally, beloved party conglomerate Elrow has announced its theme for their festival stage, Rowmuda Triangle. Elrow’s stage design, entertainers, and hijinx have made them one the most celebrated party purveyors in the world. So anticipate a party of epic proportions at their wildly curated stage in the Windy City.




As with the first-year, attendees can expect, on top of a world-class lineup, a specially and carefully curated exhibition stacked with elements and art to usher them between four distinctly different and immersive stage environments. All while truly showcasing Chicago’s distinct and beloved culinary scene and showcasing what midwest festivals are all about.




GA, VIP, and VIP+ pass for ARC Music Festival are on sale now via their website.



ARC Music Festival's Stunning Lineup Keeps Getting Better

Colin Tyler and Joe Domingo pulled double duty at ARC Music Festival. Both as the DJ duo GoodSex and as co-conspirators in charge of the ARC Car. Otherwise known as the GoodBus, the art car was central to the festival grounds. It's made from a reclaimed 45-foot school bus purpose-built for spreading positive energy and bangin’ beats. The 10,000-watt four-point VOID audio was at the center of the action and was the perfect spot to enjoy the vibes of a barrage of top-tier local talent.

The GoodBus is an extension of the GoodSex brand of hip-moving beats that defy genre lines. Tyler and Domingo are staples in Chicago and hold residencies at some of its most iconic venues including, Primary and Spybar. They exemplify what makes ARC's production crew so special. A group of like-minded people with a deep love for dance music and the community surrounding it. Chicago is beautiful, vibrant, and united.

GoodSex was one of our first interviews of the weekend. Their sunny positivity, hilarious dynamic, and insight were a preview for the kind of hospitality we continued to receive throughout the weekend. Check out our chat with them. We discussed the importance of ARC’s first year in the birthplace of house music, what makes Chicago such a dope city, and shared some laughs.

Follow GoodSex on Instagram | Soundcloud | Facebook

GoodSex Share the Best of Chicago's House Music Community

Chicago celebrated the fading days of summer with ARC Music Festival. An ode to the birthplace of house music, the festival brought together a diverse lineup of house and techno artists for a one-of-a-kind open-air event just south of downtown. 

It was a first-time event of this caliber for Auris Presents and the veteran group of Chicago dance music promoters proved that their years of experience were the key to a successful weekend. The finely curated music and art experience rivaled that of European festivals. This kind of event is long overdue. 

Spread out over four unique stages at grassy Union Park, ARC was a carnival of the senses featuring performances from Camelphat, Deborah De Luca, Meduza, Seth Troxler, Fisher, Zhu, Eric Prydz, and more. The international lineup gave just as much shine to Chicago heroes like Steve Gerrard and Hiroko Yamamura as it did to house music legends like DJ Heather, Derick Carter, and Gene Farris.

Here are five reasons why ARC blew us away

The Colors of Elrow

If you had streamers in your cup, you were definitely at the elrow stage. The Spanish experience creators brought the circus to Chicago for the first time. And the tent tucked away behind the main stage was the first to be full each day. The stage was a day-glow flashback to the ‘60s, appropriate for the end of our very own summer of love. It was a party within a party with its tie-dye color palate, vibrant décor, stilt walkers, actors, jugglers, and elrow’s dancing avian mascot, Rowgelia.

The stage produced some beautifully wholesome moments. Like when the crowd erupted in unison as Fisher dropped an appropriate remix of Jefferson Airplane’s, “Want Somebody to Love.” Or when Hot Since 82 spotted a Baby Yoda stuffy raised high in the center of the dance floor, and eventually placed it front and center on the DJ booth to silently watch over the crowd as he closed the festival out. Apparently the t-shirt Yoda is wearing was made by a fan for the DJ's baby, Enzo.

Arius marketing director Joe Calderone said that the elrow stage required 70 pounds of streamers and confetti. If you were anywhere in the vicinity of the stage you would know when the hourly confetti blasts happened because you could hear the crowd shout in collective joy every single time. It’s the first time many at the festival heard of elrow, but it won’t be the last. Elrow returns to Chicago for a full venue take over at Radius nightclub in October 2021.




Extended Sets Are Good for Everyone

Photo Credit: Kursza



ARC organizers clearly understand the value of letting a performer stretch their limbs a bit. Many of the sets at ARC were longer than an hour, with some headliner slots stretching out for two. Longer set times meant artists like Camelphat, who played during a picturesque sunset on Sunday, could take the audience on an aural journey, shift moods, build emotion, and tell a complete story. It also meant that set time conflicts weren’t the end of the world because you could easily bounce between artists and catch enough of each set to make it all worth it.




The Stages Were Works of Art

Photo Credit: Kursza



The festival’s two main stages the Grid and Expansions were an example of how Arius hopes to build unique spaces. The production was impressive, especially for a first-time festival. The Grid, ARC’s mainstage was a magnificent build of cascading shipping containers, a massive mural, and a web of LEDs and lasers that came alive at night. Let's be clear though, it was a captivating spectacle during the day as well. The arena was spacious and the sound was incredible.

Photo Credit: Kursza



Expansions was smaller but a gorgeous work of art just the same. A cross between an alien spacecraft, bird's nest, and a raver treehouse. The natural build felt at home nestled among the trees. It was the proper environment for people to get a little bit soaked in the rain during the Saturday night Cirez D set.

Photo Credit: Lunar Speedboat



Let's not forget the ARC Car! The hometown team took over a purpose-built 45-foot rear-engine school bus for the weekend. With a 10,000-watt VOID audio system and a lineup of local legends, the GoodBus was the smallest of the four stages, but it was mighty.




Community Took Center Stage

The sense of community felt at ARC was undeniable. From the camaraderie between the DJs to the hugs and high fives we saw on the dance floor, there was a unifying spirit that hung in the air throughout the weekend. For many ARC was a return to festivals after a nearly two-year break during the pandemic. So the feeling of being back on the dancefloor amongst our people was palpable. It was also a destination festival, with festivalgoers converging on Chicago from throughout the country.

Those who came to the festival went because they hoped to be part of a historic event. Enjoying a weekend of underground dance in the sun with thousands of your closest friends is one of the best feelings life has to offer. There were multiple times I felt the spirit of old-school rave culture.

When you dive deeper beneath the surface, you realize that the sense of togetherness is part of the construction of the ARC itself. The founders include a list of industry legends who helped push the culture forward in Chicago and beyond. They joined forces to build an event company that puts fan experience above all else. Their love for the culture permeated through the festival grounds all weekend.




Chicago is More Than Just a City

The Midwestern charm of Chicago is one of the main characters in the story of ARC. The city’s people are some of the most welcoming and genuine in the country. 

Chicago’s food culture is outstanding. I got a Chicago hotdog and an Italian Beef in the same meal. I skipped the Malort. 

The delightful city that birthed a youth culture movement that’s lasted for nearly four decades is a hearty, honest, and non-pretentious place that is full of natural and architectural beauty. And an amazing music culture that stretches back to the days of the blues. ARC harnessed the vitalic energy of Chicago, its deep-seated history, and charming appeal and put it on display for all to experience. We can't wait to return to ARC for year two. 
















5 Reasons ARC Music Festival Blew Us Away

A brilliantly curated new festival makes its debut in Chicago this summer. ARC touches down in Union Park September 4-5, 2021 with a stellar lineup that traverses the chasm between the sub-genres of house and techno. House music was created in Chicago when Black, Brown, and Queer communities sought to create inclusive spaces that transcend socio-political boundaries. It’s remarkable for a festival of this caliber to make its home in Chicago.

ARC Festival’s Joe Calderone says, “The goal of the festival is to bridge the gap between sub genres of house music and techno.” A message of unity that should be well received after a year without dance floors.

He explains that the goal of unification is greater than sub-genre classifications, “to bridge the gap between cultures of house music and techno, new school and old school, the casual fan and the techno tourist.” Because of course, all are welcome and everyone deserves a safe space to dance.

The inaugural edition of the festival will be a weekend of firsts topped off with a Eric Prydz triple play. It’s the first time in North America that Prydz will play as all three of his legendary aliases. He headlines Sunday under his given name in what will surely be a nostalgia-inducing set. Then he’ll join techno titan and Drumcode head honcho, Adam Beyer on Sunday as Cirez-D for a proper techno workout. It’s the first time these two have performed together in over two years, and their only festival appearance this year. Finally, Prydz will dive deep into his discography to wrap up the festival for an emotive set as Pryda at the official closing party.

Also making their debuts in Chicago are Italian queen of techno Deborah de Luca and godfather of Chile’s dance music scene, Luciano.

Elrow, the flamboyant experiential Spanish event brand will bring the spectacle to Chicago for the first time. Their colorful performers and next-level shenanigans can only be experienced properly with a full stage takeover. Elrow isn’t for spectators, it’s a fan-focused experience that makes the dancefloor the center of the action. Pre-COVID they touched down in 50 cities worldwide. Be ready for Cirque du Soleil meets warehouse rave vibes.

 ARC’s goal of building bridges is clear in the programming. From the poignant progressive of Camelphat to the shuffle-ready party tech house of Fisher. Will Clarke’s funky warehouse techno to Eli & Fur’s cascading synths and evocative vocals. ARC succeeds in building space for all of the diversity that makes dance music history compelling and all-encompassing.

 Chicago and Detroit built the foundation of house and techno. And ARC pays homage to the architects with a lineup of world-class homegrown talent. It’s hard to imagine a genre-defining lineup that doesn’t include veteran names like Dj Heather, Gene Farris, Dj Pierre, Derrick Carter, and Dj Holographic. All of whom have contributed so much to the culture.

 There’s a compelling narrative in the idea that ARC makes Chicago a home with this kind of lineup. The last decade has seen the American festival scene dominated by EDM. It’s created a widespread community of dancers eager to dive further into dance music's nascent sounds. However, until now we haven’t achieved the level of sophistication in curation that you might see in places like the UK, Amsterdam, or Ibiza.

How to Prepare for ARC Music Festival 2021

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Hey guys! In this video, I'm giving you an overview of the new house & techno festival coming to Chicago this Labor Day Weekend...Arc! I'll be going over festival FAQs, travel & accommodation options, ticketing, after parties and more. 

I'll also be sharing my plans for the festival and what I plan on wearing to this years event! More details on that to come 😊

Drop a 💗 in the comments if I'll be seeing you there!

Arc Music Festival tickets - https://arcmusicfestival.com/

0:00 Intro
1:20 Arc Festival FAQs
2:42 Arc After Parties
3:28 My Travel Plans
4:28 Arc Travel Packages
5:45 Outfit Ideas
7:34 Outro
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How to Prepare for Arc Music Festival 2021 | Ticketing, Travel & After Party FAQs

Calderone says, “The textbook definition of an arc as something that joins two points. The significance in the name, is that ARC will be what bridges the divide in the overall electronic music scene and brings everyone together.”

ARC is a sign that the US dance music community is ready to realign itself with the roots of house and techno. EDM allowed stateside audiences to readopt a culture that was born in Chicago. Festivals like ARC prove that dance music has come full circle. It’s beautiful to see an appetite to make space for the classic sounds of house and techno to co-exist with all the beauty that it has birthed.

ARC Music Festival

A brilliantly curated new festival makes its debut in Chicago this summer. ARC touches down in Union Park September 4-5, 2021 with a stellar lineup that traverses the chasm between the sub-genres of house and techno. House music was created in Chicago when Black, Brown, and Queer communities sought to create inclusive spaces that transcend socio-political boundaries. It’s remarkable for a festival of this caliber to make its home in Chicago.

ARC Festival’s Joe Calderone says, “The goal of the festival is to bridge the gap between sub genres of house music and techno.” A message of unity that should be well received after a year without dance floors.

He explains that the goal of unification is greater than sub-genre classifications, “to bridge the gap between cultures of house music and techno, new school and old school, the casual fan and the techno tourist.” Because of course, all are welcome and everyone deserves a safe space to dance.

The inaugural edition of the festival will be a weekend of firsts topped off with a Eric Prydz triple play. It’s the first time in North America that Prydz will play as all three of his legendary aliases. He headlines Sunday under his given name in what will surely be a nostalgia-inducing set. Then he’ll join techno titan and Drumcode head honcho, Adam Beyer on Sunday as Cirez-D for a proper techno workout. It’s the first time these two have performed together in over two years, and their only festival appearance this year. Finally, Prydz will dive deep into his discography to wrap up the festival for an emotive set as Pryda at the official closing party.

Also making their debuts in Chicago are Italian queen of techno Deborah de Luca and godfather of Chile’s dance music scene, Luciano.

Elrow, the flamboyant experiential Spanish event brand will bring the spectacle to Chicago for the first time. Their colorful performers and next-level shenanigans can only be experienced properly with a full stage takeover. Elrow isn’t for spectators, it’s a fan-focused experience that makes the dancefloor the center of the action. Pre-COVID they touched down in 50 cities worldwide. Be ready for Cirque du Soleil meets warehouse rave vibes.

 ARC’s goal of building bridges is clear in the programming. From the poignant progressive of Camelphat to the shuffle-ready party tech house of Fisher. Will Clarke’s funky warehouse techno to Eli & Fur’s cascading synths and evocative vocals. ARC succeeds in building space for all of the diversity that makes dance music history compelling and all-encompassing.

 Chicago and Detroit built the foundation of house and techno. And ARC pays homage to the architects with a lineup of world-class homegrown talent. It’s hard to imagine a genre-defining lineup that doesn’t include veteran names like Dj Heather, Gene Farris, Dj Pierre, Derrick Carter, and Dj Holographic. All of whom have contributed so much to the culture.

 There’s a compelling narrative in the idea that ARC makes Chicago a home with this kind of lineup. The last decade has seen the American festival scene dominated by EDM. It’s created a widespread community of dancers eager to dive further into dance music's nascent sounds. However, until now we haven’t achieved the level of sophistication in curation that you might see in places like the UK, Amsterdam, or Ibiza.

Calderone says, “The textbook definition of an arc as something that joins two points. The significance in the name, is that ARC will be what bridges the divide in the overall electronic music scene and brings everyone together.”

ARC is a sign that the US dance music community is ready to realign itself with the roots of house and techno. EDM allowed stateside audiences to readopt a culture that was born in Chicago. Festivals like ARC prove that dance music has come full circle. It’s beautiful to see an appetite to make space for the classic sounds of house and techno to co-exist with all the beauty that it has birthed.

ARC Music Festival

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