Beyond Wonderland Chicago 2026: Down the rabbit hole at Northerly Island

Chicago’s skyline and heavy bass set the stage for Beyond Wonderland Chicago 2026, bringing two unforgettable days of electronic music to Northerly Island.

Walking around Northerly Island at sunset means bright pink skies nestled behind the dreamy Chicago skyline. Orange puffy clouds tumbled across the sky as the summer breeze rustled in from the nearby Lake Michigan. The cool air felt just right, a summer night straight out of a movie set. We arrived on day one, right in the middle of this perfect moment, and started at The Queen’s Domain to watch Loud Luxury perform. The crowd danced unapologetically on the concrete ground, with views of Chicago tucked behind the stage.

Up next was Adventure Club at Cheshire Woods. The tent-covered stage was packed with the sweet smells of nostalgia as we found a spot to dance back left. We sang, we headbanged, we vibed. From there, it was time to venture off to Mad Hatter’s Castle to close out the night with the most anticipated act of the weekend, Zeds Dead, baby. If you missed Zeds Dead, we are so sorry. They dropped banger after banger, mixing Djo’s “End Of Beginning” into “Frontlines.” With the boys’ upcoming hiatus, we got a little emotional, taking in every second as if it could be the last. 

Getting out of the festival wasn’t for the weak, but let’s be real: if you can’t handle a little cardio, why did you even show up? We slept soundly after day one, skipping the afters to ensure we had enough energy for the wonders that day two had in store. We were delighted by the multitude of Alice in Wonderland-themed outfits, trippy totems, art exhibits, and mystical characters roaming the festival grounds all weekend long. Insomniac and all the attending ravers really did their part in building out a beautiful, whimsical world.

Magical mushrooms and mystical creatures roamed about most curiously, adding theatrical elements curated for those brave enough to get lost in the sauce, I mean world. We arrived on day two just in time to see Grabbitz, an incredibly talented vocalist and dubstep producer. We were absolutely mesmerized by his range as an artist, especially his cover of Queen’s classic track, “Bohemian Rhapsody.”

We continued our journey, catching sets from HEYZ, GorillaT, Chasewest, Liquid Stranger, and Excision. The crowd was friendly and welcoming on both days, especially with my go-to plus-one, my mom. People danced and sang with her, remained respectful in the mosh pits, and even traded Kandi with her. Overall, Beyond Wonderland remains our favorite city festival, and while we’ll miss dancing against Chicago’s iconic skyline, we’re excited to see what this next Beyond Wonderland Midwest chapter brings in 2027.

Featured image courtesy of the Beyond Wonderland media team

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Raquel Dixit

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