Belmont-Sheffield Music Fest Memorial Day Kickoff

The Lakeview East Chamber of Commerce will open the 41st annual Belmont-Sheffield Music Fest on Friday, May 22, along Sheffield Avenue in Chicago’s Lakeview neighborhood, according to event listings from Choose Chicago and the chamber. The three-day street festival runs through Sunday, May 24, and is billed by organizers as a Memorial Day weekend kickoff with tribute bands, local entertainers, food and drink vendors, and family activities. Choose Chicago lists the event at 3200 N. Sheffield Ave., while the chamber says the festival takes over Sheffield Street at Belmont and Sheffield. Special Events Management, which also lists the event, says the festival is in its 41st year. ### When does the festival run, and where is it set up? Friday, May 22, is scheduled from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m., and Saturday, May 23, and Sunday, May 24, are each scheduled from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., according to Choose Chicago, the Lakeview East Chamber of Commerce and Special Events Management. The event is centered on Sheffield Avenue near Belmont Avenue in Lakeview, with Choose Chicago listing the address as 3200 N. (choosechicago.com) Sheffield Ave. The Lakeview East Chamber of Commerce describes the festival as the “official kickoff to summer,” while Choose Chicago says it is part of the city’s Memorial Day weekend lineup. The event has been a neighborhood tradition for more than 40 years, according to Choose Chicago’s May events guide. ### What will people find once they get there? (choosechicago.com) Choose Chicago says the festival will feature national tribute bands and local entertainers across the May 22-24 run. The chamber’s event page says visitors can expect live music, dancing, drinks, bites and sing-along songs, while Choose Chicago’s Memorial Day guide says the festival also includes artisans and beer and wine vendors. (lakevieweast.com) Special Events Management says the street fest includes a beer garden, and the chamber says the event will have food, drinks and festival vendors. Choose Chicago’s broader festival guide describes Belmont-Sheffield as one of the city’s recurring summer street festivals known for tribute bands and local artisans. ### Is this a music event only, or more of a neighborhood street festival? (choosechicago.com) The Lakeview East Chamber of Commerce presents Belmont-Sheffield as both a music festival and a neighborhood street fair. The chamber says Sheffield Street will be turned into a festival space for three days, and Choose Chicago groups the event with the city’s festivals, fairs and special events calendar rather than listing it only as a concert. (chicagoevents.com) Choose Chicago’s Memorial Day weekend guide says the Lakeview festival includes tribute bands, artisans, and beer and wine vendors. That combination places the event alongside Chicago’s seasonal street festivals, which typically mix live performances with food, drinks and shopping. That description is drawn from the organizers’ listings and city tourism guides. (lakevieweast.com) ### How does it fit into Chicago’s Memorial Day weekend calendar? Choose Chicago lists Belmont-Sheffield Music Fest among the city’s Memorial Day weekend events for May 22-24, alongside the Chicago Memorial Day Parade on May 23 and Sueños Music Festival on May 23-24. The tourism agency’s weekend guide says the holiday weekend also marks the start of beach season and a broader ramp-up in festival activity across the city. (choosechicago.com) May 2026 listings from Choose Chicago also place Belmont-Sheffield in the city’s monthly calendar of festivals and neighborhood events. That listing describes it as a Lakeview tradition with music, shopping, food and drink. ### Where can people check the lineup and latest details? Choose Chicago has published an event series page for the 41st annual Belmont-Sheffield Music Fest with separate entries for May 22, May 23 and May 24. (choosechicago.com) The Lakeview East Chamber of Commerce also has a dedicated 2026 festival page with hours and event details, and Special Events Management has a separate listing with the same dates and location. (choosechicago.com) Friday’s opening begins at 5 p.m. on May 22, according to the event pages, and the festival continues through 10 p.m. on Sunday, May 24. Organizers’ listings on Choose Chicago and the Lakeview East Chamber site are the published sources for schedule updates and festival details. (choosechicago.com) (lakevieweast.com)