Jimmy Eat World at Riot Fest 2016. ( COVERT NINE / Flickr)

After a dramatic announcement two months ago that Riot Fest would be relocating to suburban Bridgeview’s SeatGeek Stadium, the music festival has pulled an about-face and will be returning to Douglass Park Sept. 20-22, pending Chicago Park District approval, it was announced Wednesday.

Ald. Monique Scott (24th Ward) and the community have asked the city and Park District leadership to engage in discussions with Riot Fest organizers and community stakeholders about a longer-term partnership that will secure the future of the festival in Chicago, according to a statement.

“Festivals are about activating and enhancing communities, and the North Lawndale community has been very clear that Riot Fest’s home is in Douglass Park,” said Chicago Park District General Superintendent Rosa Escareño, in the release. “With the organizers having met the permit requirements earlier this year, we are pleased to partner with community stakeholders and city leadership to welcome the festival back this year. We also look forward to an ongoing partnership with the community and organizers that aligns with the Park District Board of Commissioners process.”

Michael “Riot Mike” Petryshyn, founder of Riot Fest, had pulled the plug on the event’s run in Douglass Park back in June, placing blame firmly at the Park District’s feet.

It was a decision that caught the Park District by surprise, Escareño told WTTW News in a phone interview Wednesday night.

Her team had been ready at the time to present the event to commissioners for permit approval, and “felt good about it going to the board,” she said. “When they (Riot Fest) left in June, we thought we had been working through issues.”

Escareño said she was only made aware recently the fest wanted to come back to Douglass Park. She credited Scott for championing the ongoing engagement with Riot Fest.

Petryshyn struck a conciliatory tone in a statement Wednesday: “We’re not just coming home — we’re coming back passionately, with an even greater purpose and doubling down on our commitment to Chicago, our fans, and our community. Riot Fest was born and bred here; it’s where we belong.”

Rumors had been running rampant in recent days about the fest’s location as keen-eyed ticket buyers noticed the planned three-day music fest was not listed on SeatGeek’s website and the Chicago Red Stars continued to sell tickets to a soccer game listed for Sept. 21, which would be the second day of the festival.

At the same time, a series of “tentative” permits were listed on the city’s data portal with the Chicago Park District for Douglass Park under the Riot Fest name. The permits are filed for each day from Sept. 11-26, according to the city data portal. In advance of Wednesday’s news, the Park District declined to respond to multiple requests for comment by WTTW News Tuesday afternoon and Wednesday morning asking if the permits were newly submitted.

In 2022, the Park District’s code was amended, giving the board of commissioners final approval on permits for events — like Riot Fest — with an expected 10,000 attendees per day. The district’s general superintendent can’t overrule the commissioners’ decision.

The amendment was largely seen as a response to ongoing pressure from some neighbors to push Riot Fest out of Douglass Park. Complaints ranged from noise and loss of the community’s green space, to concerns about emergency vehicles being able to navigate street closures in order to access neighborhood hospitals.

The board’s next meeting is scheduled for Sept. 11, which would be a tight deadline to consider the Riot Fest permit.

Escareño said it’s not as tight as it appears, because all of the groundwork was laid earlier in the year.

As for community input, Escareño said the Park District had met with the most vocal opponents prior to the anticipated June presentation, and had attempted to address their concerns.

“We want to continue to hear from the community,” Escareño said, but acknowledged some people “may never be happy.”

Ultimately, “It’s about what the majority wants,” Escareño said, and with Scott supporting the event on behalf of the community, Riot Fest in Douglass Park is something the majority is behind.

As for rumors Riot Fest might move back to Humboldt Park, or that organizers might be looking for a multi-year deal similar to Lollapalooza (which doesn’t require Park District board approval annually), Escareño said there had been no longer term conversations.

“Douglass Park is where Riot Fest is this year,” she said.

After Wednesday’s announcement, the Chicago Red Stars announced a partnership with Riot Fest, saying the Sept. 21 game will take place as originally scheduled. The team will have a booth at the festival and will host a Riot Fest night on Nov. 3.

“I look forward to our partnership and each of us being able to host our events in a manner that best serves our fanbases and allows us to collaborate going forward,” said Karen Leetzow, Chicago Red Stars president.

Ticketholders who’ve already had to change plans once will now have to adjust again.

SeatGeek, given its suburban location, had not been popular with many Riot Fest regulars. Organizers had, in recent weeks, begun arranging and promoting shuttle bus stops to transport attendees to the suburbs from the city and back.

This year’s Riot Fest headliners include Fall Out Boy, Beck and Slayer.

Heather Cherone, Amanda Vinicky and Josh Terry contributed to this report.

Contact Patty Wetli: @pattywetli | (773) 509-5623 | [email protected]