Chicago’s first blues festival opened in 1984, just a year after the death of blues icon Muddy Waters. As an important Chicago institution, the festival celebrates an important part of the city’s heritage and highlights the musicians who live their lives playing and singing the blues.
“Sweet Home Chicago” was a beacon to blues musicians from the Mississippi Delta, who helped make it one of the biggest spots in the country for urban blues music. The Chicago Blues Festival greets music fans with lakeside lounging for three days of free outdoor concerts in early summer.