Overview
- Organizers announced Monday that El Grito will be held in Grant Park on Sept. 12 and 13, and early-bird tickets are now on sale.
- Festival leaders say the event will relaunch with “renewed energy,” strengthened safety infrastructure, and a larger operations team to reduce risks for attendees.
- Programming will include live performances such as Ballet Folklórico de Chicago, food and artisan vendors, a free civic ceremony on Sept. 13, and vendor application opportunities.
- The Consulate General of Mexico publicly endorsed the return and Mayor Brandon Johnson faulted federal immigration enforcement tactics for forcing last year’s downtown cancellation.
- El Grito is a long-standing Mexican Independence Day tradition that returned downtown in 2024, drew roughly 24,000 people with no major incidents, and its 2025 Grant Park pause led communities to hold neighborhood celebrations instead.