UPDATE: Spring Awakening Music Fest Is Moving Out Of Soldier Field

By Tankboy in Arts & Entertainment on Feb 4, 2016 5:04PM

Spring Awakening Music Festival 2014 / Photo: Katie Karpowicz

This story was updated at 12 p.m. to reflect additional information following the official announcement.

The Spring Awakening Music Festival (SAMF) is moving from its home in Soldier Field to Jackson Park, a location about six miles south. A Chicago park district spokesperson confirmed to Billboard yesterday that the festival had been granted a "conditional" permit for the new location. And today organizers have confirmed the move is happening, as well as revealing the dates of the festival, June 10-12.

Spring Awakening was launched in Chicago in 2012 by independent promoters React Presents, a company which has since been bought by national concert juggernaut SFX. The festival called Soldier Field its home, and has played host to a many of the superstars of the electronic dance movement (EDM). It's line-ups have often been viewed as critical successes. Last year featured big name acts including ZEDD, TIESTO, Eric Prydz, Diplo, Afrojack, and Chicago's Flosstradamus,

The festival has also had it's fair share of criticism, including bad behavior by younger attendees, leading the festival to impose an age limit for last year's festival.

The festival's move may be prompted by the Copa América soccer tournament, since that is taking place at Soldier Field throughout June, and could create a scheduling conflict. However, forcing organizers to move the festival, instead of change its timing, may have an unexpected positive side.

The move to Jackson Park would seem to offer festival-goers a larger environment in which to play, instead of penning partiers up in a football stadium. It also takes the fest further south into an area where the surrounding neighborhood stands to benefit from the influx of new visitors over the 3 day event.

In an email statement, Spring Awakening founder Jeff Callahan said, “Jackson Park allows SAMF to continue to grow as the largest dance music festival in the Midwest, with enough space to accommodate our growing number of fans, and will also allow for more stages and bigger production than ever before.” This will include 6 stages, as well as the carnival rides and such that have been cropping up at many other outdoor festivals over the past few years.

Spring Awakening Music Festival 2016 will take place June 10 - 12 in Jackson Park. Tickets are on sale now.