Concerts Tonight in Chicago

Things to do in Chicago today

The fastest way to see what is on in Chicago today is to scroll the event list above, which auto-sorts by start time. Same-day tickets are usually available for theater, comedy, and most concert venues outside of the very biggest arena tours, and the Chicago Theatre, the Auditorium, and the Goodman all release rush or held seats a few hours before curtain.

For Bulls, Blackhawks, Cubs, White Sox, or Bears games, last-minute resale through verified sellers is the most reliable route since marquee opponents rarely have walk-up availability. Chicago runs late on most nights of the week, which is part of the city's character.

The Green Mill in Uptown books jazz nightly with shows running well past midnight on Fridays and Saturdays. Buddy Guy's Legends in the South Loop runs a 9:30 set and a late set most nights.

Kingston Mines and B.L.U.E.S. on Halsted keep dueling-stage blues going until 4 am on weekends. Comedy clubs in Old Town — Second City, iO, and Zanies — typically run a 10:30 or 11 pm second show on Friday and Saturday.

Midweek nights are noticeably calmer. Tuesday and Wednesday are when you can walk up to a small indie show at Schubas or Lincoln Hall, grab a last-minute seat at the Goodman or Steppenwolf, or catch a comedy try-out night for under twenty dollars.

Thursday is the dividing line — by then the weekend programming has started, patios are back, and the venues are filling up. If you want a quieter version of Chicago, aim midweek.

If you want the full energy, target Thursday through Saturday.