In a whirlwind of a weekend, Riot Fest came and went, bringing some of the biggest names in punk, emo, and 90’s sitcoms to Douglass Park. Day three of the festival took place on Sunday, and it offered up nostalgic album plays, some of the most exciting new names in punk, and Hanson. The weekend closed with a band that has filled stadiums bringing a massive crowd to Douglass Park, as well. Let’s break it down:

The early part of the morning was reserved for buzzing young names, and amongst them was The Paradox, who once again proved that they’re the real deal when it comes to crafting catchy pop punk with tons of energy. The band, known for TikTok-friendly hits like “Do Me Like That” and the Travis Barker-assisted “Bender” got things going early on the Roots Stage. A big crowd was on hand early to jump in the pit in the summer-like weather.

Shortly after, Delta Sleep made their US festival debut on the Rebel Stage. On the heels of 2024’s “Blue Garden,” the band brought an arsenal of well-crafted emo to Chicago. With some Midwestern influence that came out in their set, they made an impact, and showed that not only are they ready to take things stateside, they’re ready to take over the world of new-school emo.

Later on at the same stage, The Ataris would pay tribute to their breakout, “So Long, Astoria,” with an album play set. The band has had their ups and downs, but certainly seemed to be in stride on Sunday, with songs like “Takeoffs and Landings and “In This Diary” still hitting just as hard as they did when the album was released in 2003.

Amongst the new names making noise were Lambrini Girls, who made the most of a half hour on the Rise Stage. Beyond their music, the girls weren’t afraid to make a statement, with Phoebe Lunny donning an “Fuck ICE” t-shirt for part of the set. Lunny would also explain to the Chicago crowd that if there were newcomers around, Lambrini Girls aren’t afraid to speak up for injustice, and called out both the UK and US governments, which felt especially poignant amongst many calls for justice this weekend. They could mix the sour with the sweet well, and they did that on songs like “Company Culture,” aimed at wandering eyes in offices worldwide, and the catchy “Cuntology 101” to close out the set.

Back at the Roots stage, punk legends Bad Religion would make their return to Douglass Park. With an album play of 1988’s “Suffer,” the band paid tribute to one of their biggest records, while still finding time in their hour to work in favorites like “Fuck Armageddon… This Is Hell” and “American Jesus” which also seemed to feel just as appropriate in 2025 as they did when they came out.

Riot Fest turns 20 years old this year, and so does Philly emo stalwarts The Wonder Years, who didn’t shy away from acknowleging they’ve become older collectively. “We’ve grown up alongside you” noted Dan Campbell, saying that it was enjoyable to watch kids come to shows on the shoulders of fans that had seen the band in their infancy at venues like Beat Kitchen in Chicago. That didn’t stop generations of fans from screaming their hearts out to “Local Man Ruins Everything” and set closer “Came Out Swinging” over the course of 45 minutes.

If you’re looking for one of the best live shows in modern punk, Idles were there to deliver. The band not only gave an angsty hour with no slowing down on the Riot Stage, they also had a special guest lined up. Towards the end of their set, Jack White made his way out to join the band on “Never Fight a Man with a Perm,” adding a blistering solo to the song. They also announced that after over 135 shows on tour, they would not be performing together “for a long time,” seemingly indicating that production on a new record would start soon. Stay tuned there.

To close out the festival, a pair of Bay Area bands from the 90s would bring a one-two punch for the purists and the casual Riot Fest goers, alike. Jawbreaker were up first, just a few years removed from reuniting at Riot Fest to come back to the Roots Stage. Within an hour, the band went deep into their catalogue, spanning everything from “Unfun” to the hiatus-inducing “Dear You,” which frontman Blake Scwharzenbach would note “was a bomb at first but would later go on to define the emerging emo genre,” with a Wikipedia-like accuracy. The band may have improved just a bit too much in their hour, though, and ended on “Accident Prone” before declaring “we have a curfew” and possibly skipping single “Fireman.” Whoops.

Then, heaven and earth stopped for Green Day, who took sole possession of the festival grounds for a closing set on the Riot Stage. With everything from pyro to a celebration of much of “American Idiot,” the band delivered as always with 90 minutes of their biggest material. Early on, Billie Joe Armstrong set the tone, reworking the lyrics of opener “American Idiot” to mention that he won’t be part of a MAGA agenda, and bluntly telling the Douglass Park crowd “fuck the FCC” in light of recent cancellations of Jimmy Kimmel Live and impositions on Stephen Colbert. Their crowd went from the front of the stage to the back of the festival park, and it put an extravagant close on three days of everything that’s big in alternative music.

Riot Fest’s 20th anniversary is done, but there’s no end in sight; the festival already announced that it will return from September 18-20 of 2026. It’s never easy to get a milestone right, but Riot Fest did just that, honoring the past, present, and future of the festival all within three days in Douglass Park.