Photos: Riot Fest goes big on Day 3 with sets from Idles, Jawbreaker, & Green Day

IDLES perform at Riot Fest in Chicago on Sept. 21, 2025.

On Sunday, Sept. 21, Riot Fest came to a close in epic fashion as Green Day played a headlining set on the Riot Stage to conclude the three-day event in Douglass Park. “American Idiot,” “Know Your Enemy” and “Welcome to Paradise” had everyone in attendance singing at the top of their lungs.

Earlier in the day, Bad Religion treated fans to a full album play of their 1988 release, Suffer, which includes songs like “You Are (The Government),” “Land of Competition,” and “Delirium of Disorder.” Another stand-out set came from Idles as Joe Talbot, Mark Bowen, Lee Kiernan, Adam Devonshire, and Jon Beavis proved once again why they are one of the best live bands in the business.

After sharing blistering performances of “Mr. Motivator,” “I’m Scum,” and more, a very special guest in the form of Jack White joined the band on stage to absolutely shred through “Never Fight a Man with a Perm.” Just when it seemed the energy couldn’t be topped, “Danny Nedelko” provoked a giant sing-along.

IDLES perform at Riot Fest in Chicago on Sept. 21, 2025.

“This song is a celebration of the bravery and the hard work of the immigrants that made your country a better place. It’s a celebration of the bravery and the hard work of the immigrants that made our country a better place,” said Joe Talbot of the Joy as an Act of Resistance hit. “It’s for the beautiful people of Chicago. It’s for the beautiful people of Palestine. It’s for me. And it’s for Danny Ne-fucking-delko.”

Smoking Pops perform at Riot Fest in Chicago on Sept. 21, 2025.

DEHD, The Linda Lindas, local favorites Smoking Popes – who played Born to Quit in its entirety – and Jawbreaker were additional highlights on the third and final day of Riot Fest.

Riot Fest 2025 marked the 20^th anniversary of the beloved event. It’s hard to believe that festival organizers can continue to top themselves, but if these past 20 years are any indication, there is a lot more incredible music to come from Riot Fest in the years ahead.

Check out photos from Sunday’s sets below and click here to check out our galleries from the rest of the fest. More information can be found at RiotFest.org.

(Photos by Laurie Fanelli)