66th Annual University of Chicago Folk Festival

Traditional Music To The Rescue For Your Winter Doldrums!
66th Annual University of Chicago Folk Festival, 20-21 February 2026

It’s a bird! It’s a plane! No, it’s the 66th Annual University of Chicago Folk Festival, coming atcha like that asteroid came at the dinosaurs! Not to worry, no dinosaurs were hurt in the preparation of this festival, which features some of the top roots and traditional folk music and arts onstage and in workshops.

We’re proud to present two full nights of concerts on the evenings of Friday, 20 February and Saturday, 21 February in the University of Chicago’s historic Mandel Hall (1131 E 57th St), plus a full day of free workshops and dances on Saturday, 21 February in Ida Noyes Hall (1212 E 59th St). Concerts will also be streamed online.

Featured artists for 2026:

• High Fidelity
• Luke Huval Band
• Gap Civil
• Jontavious Willis
• Lissa Schneckenburger
• Juan Rivera
• Ethan Leinwand

The Friday evening concert will begin at 8:00 PM Central Time; Saturday at 7:30 PM. Livestreams of both concerts will be available on our Facebook page and our YouTube channel.

Free workshops and dance instruction will be offered at Ida Noyes Hall on Saturday, 21 February, 10:00 AM-5:00 PM. Please watch our website and our Facebook page for details.

Nightly concert lineup, ticket prices and the date that tickets go on sale will be announced shortly. The Folklore Society will also provide online opportunities for generous fans to donate to help cover this year’s costs and support future Folk Festivals.