Sole Aussie Band Land Spot on Riot Fest 20th Anniversary Alongside Blink-182 and Green Day
A single Australian act has landed a spot on one of the biggest alternative music festivals in the US, joining a stacked lineup full of punk and rock heavyweights.
Brisbane’s Dune Rats will fly the flag for Australia at Riot Fest’s 20th anniversary, performing alongside global icons like Green Day, Blink-182, and Weezer.
The long-running punk and alternative music festival returns to Douglass Park in Chicago from September 19th–21st. Blink-182 will open the weekend on Friday, Weezer will perform their full Blue Album on Saturday, and Green Day will close things out on Sunday.
Dune Rats will bring their loud, chaotic energy to a bill packed with legends and crowd favourites. Other big names include Jack White, Sex Pistols with Frank Carter, Idles, Alkaline Trio, Bad Religion, the Beach Boys, the Pogues, Dropkick Murphys, and Sparks. There’s also something for every taste, from “Weird Al” Yankovic and Rilo Kiley (recently reunited), to Rico Nasty, Hanson, the Linda Lindas, and Buzzcocks. One mystery act is still to be revealed on April 25th.
Started in 2005, Riot Fest has become a staple in Chicago’s music scene. It’s been held at Douglass Park since 2015 and recently secured a long-term deal to remain there. “We didn’t plan for twenty years — just one weekend,” said founder Mike “Riot Mike” Petryshyn. “But here we are. Still loud, still weird, still building something bigger than we ever meant to.”
Dune Rats are currently touring in support of their fifth album, If It Sucks, Turn It Up, which dropped last August and earned an ARIA nomination for Best Hard Rock/Heavy Metal Album. They’ll hit a run of European festivals throughout July and August 2025, with more international dates expected.
The band’s frontman Danny Beus discussed the vision for new music in a recent interview with Rolling Stone AU/NZ, revealing they’ve been toying with expansive ideas.
The full lineup and tickets are available now on the Riot Fest website.
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