Bitter jester music festival: SEASON 18
Discover your next favorite band at Bitter Jester.
Follow us on Instagram and Facebook for the latest info and updates.
Click here to learn about the performers featured during the 2024 season. And click the record below to learn more about our very first DOUBLE LP on vinyl, “Live at Bitter Jester Music Festival, vol. 01” … recorded at Billy Corgan’s (Smashing Pumpkins) Madame Zuzu’s Tea House! Order your copy today and pick it up at any of our 2024 concerts! You can also pre-order volume two!
Congratulations to our 2023 Music Fest Winners:
Scorched Waves (Grand Champions), Ur Mom (Runners-Up), and Heat Above (Honorable Mention)!
Maura Wolf, Christian Keller, Saul Dinauer, and Brady Lott/Damian Kessler received Vocalist, Guitarist, Bassist, and Co-Drummer of the Year Awards (respectively), and Jaren Wojcik was the recipient of the 2023 “Michael Brook Outstanding Instrumentalist Award” for Keyboardist of the Year!
Listen to a mashup of commentary from our past musicians!
Our 2020 & 2021 Prize Money was generously donated by First Bank of Highland Park, a Title Sponsor for our Grand Finale Concert + Fireworks!
Proud to be celebrating 18 summers of quality musical performances and educational feedback for up-and-coming bands and solo artists!
The Bitter Jester Music Festival (BJMF) is the Midwest's largest professional music competition for emerging musicians (bands and solo artists alike). BJMF supports and promotes young and up-and-coming talent from across the Midwest. The competition / concert series is built on a strong foundation of community and emboldening and empowering young performers at a critical time in their social and artistic development. BJMF gives participating young adults an opportunity to receive professional feedback from working musicians and, most importantly, meet and connect with dozens of other musicians their own age. Additionally, performers get to work hand-in-hand with Bitter Jester Studio’s nine-time Emmy award winning production team, providing them with a level of media exposure, professional mentorship, and networking that is unmatched by other similar competitions.
The event has four preliminary competitions on consecutive weekends in June at Port Clinton Square in downtown Highland Park, IL. A winner is selected by qualified judges each night to compete in the Grand Finale Concert. After all four preliminary competitions, Bitter Jester Producers decide on four "Wild Cards" - bands/solo artists who will also compete for the title at a big Grand Finale concert. Showcase bands are also selected to perform on the Bitter Jester Mobile Stage prior to the Grand Finale battle. -- An annual "Best Of" takes places each Labor Day at the Beer Garden on Navy Pier.
The Bitter Jester Music Festival is made possible, in part, by tremendous support from the City of Highland Park, IL, support from First Bank of Highland Park, and a grant from the Highland Park Community Foundation. Click here to read what Mayor Rotering has to say about the festival.
“It has become a summer tradition to attend Bitter Jester concerts...”
Check out our Instagram feed!
2024 Bitter Jester Music Festival Competition Timeline:
FEB. 1, 2024: Applications Go Live!!
MAR. 15, 2024: Early Application Deadline
APRIL 22, 2024: Application Deadline
MAY 3-4, 2024: Entrants Notified
MAY 10, 2024: Official Lineup Announced
JUNE 3, 2024: Satellite Series Concert #1 @ Chicago Botanic Gardens
JUNE 7, 2024: Opening Night Concert
JUNE 8, 2024: Night Two Concert
JUNE 10, 2024: Satellite Series Concert #2 @ Chicago Botanic Gardens
JUNE 14, 2024: Night Three Concert
JUNE 15, 2024: Night Four Concert
TBA, 2024: Wild Cards Announced!!
JUNE 29, 2024: Grand Finale Concert
AUGUST 29, 2024: Special Showcase @ Ravinia Festival
SEPT. 2, 2024: “Best Of” Showcase @ Navy Pier (to be confirmed)
The Bitter Jester Music Festival is supported, in part, by generous financial contributions from the City of Highland Park, First Bank of Highland Park, Judy’s Pizza, the Highland Park Community Foundation, Elmore Pedals, Reactive P.E.C, and Abt Electronics.
The Festival has exciting ongoing partnerships with both Ravinia Festival and Navy Pier’s Beer Garden to showcase exceptional musicians each year.
Ravinia hosts one Finalist band as an opening act before a national headliner on their beautiful Carousel Stage. Navy Pier hosts a day-long “Best Of” showcase concert on Labor Day each year to close out their “Live on the Lake” summer series.
The Bitter Jester Foundation for the Arts, NFP, acknowledges support from the Illinois Arts Council Agency.
Some of our supporters (donating gift cards and other in-kind contributions) over the years have included:
