Unforgettable North Coast Music Festival
The North Coast Music Festival, a.k.a. the biggest Labor Day Weekend music festival in Chicagoland, held its 14th iteration of the annual cultural phenomenon at the Village of Bridgeview’s SeatGeek Stadium from Friday, August 30th through Sunday, September 1st. Drawing crowds averaging almost 30,000 each day, North Coast 2024 brought new and returning “Coasties” alike together to experience sets from some of the biggest names in electronic dance music (EDM), including Subtronics, Illenium, ISOKNOCK, and Two Friends. Top-tier music, combined with a myriad of big-name vendors, spellbinding stages, eye-catching art installations, and free giveaways, left no one wanting after three full days of pure festival joy. Stepping into the festival grounds, attendees were immediately swimming in a sea of attractions to explore in a choose-your-own adventure style aided by the detailed North Coast Map.
North Coast will be returning to the Village of Bridgeview’s SeatGeek Stadium in 2025 from Friday, August 29th through Sunday, August 31st!
Spectacular Summer Smash
On Friday, June 14th the annual three-day Lyrical Lemonade Summer Smash hip hop music festival began with concertgoers immediately greeted with monster trucks, gigantic, inflated Minions from “Despicable Me,” and music video set replicas in giant lemonade cartons created by Lyrical Lemonade.
The huge end of the night performances by the Summer Smash headliners, some of the biggest names in the rap/hip hop industry, made history with truly spectacular performances amid pillars of fire and smoke shooting out around the artists on stage. After Travis Scott on Friday and Playboi Carti on Saturday, Sunday night ended the festival with a stunning bang as the legendary rapper Chief Keef walked on stage amid 40,000 festivalgoers screaming in excitement.
Historic and extremely well-received performances were the main takeaways for the thrilling festival. Summer Smash and SeatGeek Stadium provided everything fans needed for a fantastic experience and more, bringing record success to Summer Smash 2024. The Lyrical Lemonade Summer Smash will return in 2025!
Incredible International Soccer and Rugby
The Chicago Fire FC battled Liga MX’s Deportivo Toluca as part of the Leagues Cup tournament at SeatGeek Stadium. The competition brought top-tier international soccer talent from Mexico to face off against Major League Soccer teams, and the Fire vs. Toluca match had fans on both sides cheering passionately during the intense game. Toluca took an early 0-1 lead, but the Fire responded soon after with a goal of their own. Not content with an even score, Toluca made another shot that ended the 1st half with the score 1-2. Unfortunately for Chicago Fire fans, Toluca didn’t let up their offensive and scored a third goal, burying the Fire and defeating their passion in a competitive game.
USA Rugby’s Eagles fought Romania’s Oaks for the 100-year anniversary of the Pershing Cup in the first international rugby competition at SeatGeek! The fierce push-and-pull over the chance to maintain or take the trophy ultimately led to a win for Romania that reignited the rivalry between the two teams.
SeatGeek Stadium continues to host incredible international soccer matches while expanding into rugby, and the Village of Bridgeview looks forward to continually serving as the heart of Midwestern soccer and a premier international sports destination.
The Herculean Chicago Hounds
The strong, rugged, and beloved rugby team’s 2024 regular season showing drastically improved this year, demonstrating that the Hounds have put in the time and dedication to bolster their abilities and build a successful team.
The ferocious Hounds bared their fangs even against difficult teams, and even small fixes could lead to even more wins next season. Fans always offer enthusiasm about the team’s current direction, as the Hounds finished 6th out of 12 teams with a record of 8 wins, 7 losses, and 1 draw, putting them in the very respectable upper half of the pack. They went on to beat NOLA Gold 45-21 in the Eastern Conference Semifinals in the Hounds franchise’s first ever appearance in the MLR playoffs before falling to the New England Free Jacks 17-23 in the Eastern Conference Finals.
The Shining Chicago Stars
The Chicago Red Stars are no longer underdogs after a transformative year. During the 2023 NWSL season they ranked last place, but since then they’ve brought in new players, new coaches, and new management to build a winning women’s soccer team. Returning to the field this 2024 season was Mallory Swanson, a starter and top scorer for the Red Stars who was unable to play due to a knee injury. The Stars also boast a truly star-studded group of Olympic athletes, including U.S. gold medalists Alyssa Naeher and Mallory Swanson, Brazilian silver medalist Ludmila, and Canadian midfielder Julia Grosso who each competed in Paris in 2024.
The Chicago Red Stars ranked #6 in the NWSL after a season of success at SeatGeek Stadium and rebranded themselves as the “Chicago Stars FC” with a new logo. Despite losing in the playoffs to the top seeded Orlando Pride, the Stars put up a brave fight and showed they have what it takes to compete with the best.
Ultimate BMW Driving Experience
Curious drivers and die-hard BMW fans from all around the Midwest stayed at the Hampton Inn to visit SeatGeek Stadium in May for an exclusive BMW driving experience. Attendees who were lucky enough to reserve their spot online were able to get a 1-on-1 with the new BMW i5 eDrive40 and the BMW 540i xDrive sports sedans. In addition, BMW displayed its latest cars and set up a variety of interactive displays for eager test drivers. There’s no good substitute for the feeling of driving a car, and those who test drove the cars on the Stadium’s West Lot exited the vehicles with smiles on their faces.