Adriel Favela, Mi Banda El Mexicano And Mariachi Herencia De México To Headline El Grito Fest 2026

DOWNTOWN — Adriel Favela, Mi Banda El Mexicano, Mariachi Herencia de México and Selena The Show will headline El Grito Festival this September, organizers announced Wednesday.

El Grito will return to Grant Park Sept. 12-13 after being canceled last year amid threats of immigration raids. The festival, which celebrates Mexican Independence Day, will feature live performances, local small businesses and artisans, food vendors and cultural programming.

The musical acts scheduled to perform during the two-day festival include:

• Adriel Favela: a Sinaloa-born singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist
• Código FN: a Sinaloa-rooted norteño group
• Mi Banda El Mexicano: a technobanda group from Mazatlán, Sinaloa
• Emmanuel Cortés: a rising regional Mexican singer-songwriter
• Mariachi Herencia de México: Chicago’s Latin Grammy-nominated mariachi ensemble
• Selena The Show: a tribute act honoring Tejano icon Selena Quintanilla-Pérez
• Los de La Homan: a regional Mexican group made up of three brothers from Chicago’s South Side
• Juan Gabriel Tribute: a live tribute celebrating the music and legacy of Mexican singer-songwriter Juan Gabriel
• Sin Anestesia: a Chicago-based rock en español band
• El Ejército Sierreño: a local sierreño-style musical group
• Kombi Bus Dancefloor: a DJ and dance experience from Kombi, a Pilsen-based entertainment collective
• Ballet Folklórico de Chicago: Chicago’s largest Mexican folkloric dance organization.

Festival organizers also announced a food vendor lineup that includes Cafe Tola, Prime Tacos, Xurro, Fernando’s Blue Agave, Bust Outs, Banges, J’s Bacon Hot Dogs, Tacos El Rey, Carnitas Roldan, La Cebollita Grill, El Taconazo Express, Paleteria Los Magos, Windy City Aguas, Ricas Nieves Acapulqueñas, Rory’s Rib Shack, El Campeon, Gaby’s Snacks, El Snack Cart and Frozen Dreams y Más.

El Grito returned Downtown in 2024 after a 10-year hiatus, offering residents a way to celebrate Mexican heritage without participating in car caravans. The festival attracted 24,000 people and had no festival-related incidents, organizers previously said.

El Grito, or “the cry,” is traditionally part of Mexican Independence Day celebrations. The holiday, observed annually on Sept. 16, commemorates Mexico’s independence from Spain following an 11-year war that ended in 1821.

The festival will also feature a free civic ceremony Sept. 13 honoring the tradition of El Grito de Independencia, the rallying cry that sparked the revolution against Spanish rule.

General admission tickets start at $15 per day, while a two-day pass costs $25. VIP tickets start at $35 per day or $60 for the weekend and include expedited entry, front-stage viewing at the main performance area, a dedicated bar and exclusive restrooms, according to a news release.

Children 10 and younger are no longer admitted for free, as organizers previously stated. Tickets for children in that age group cost $10 per day.

All ticket prices will increase as the festival approaches. More information is available on the festival’s website.