Chicago Live Festival takes a little planning and a lot of walking. Five stages share Navy Pier, and some performances last only half an hour. Stay for the end of one set and you may miss the beginning of another. That leaves a useful question for the weekend: which performances do you want to build your day around, and where can you leave yourself time to look around?

The free festival returns September 19 and 20 for its sixth year, with more than 100 artists and organizations. Common headlines Saturday night. Across the rest of the program, dance companies, theater groups, orchestras, jazz musicians and DJs give visitors plenty to choose from before they reach his set.

Chicago Live Report photographed the festival in 2024 and 2025. The images collected here revisit those two weekends as we look ahead to the 2026 program.

One advantage of Chicago Live Festival is getting to see companies you may have heard of without having to book a separate night out for each one. Saturday's lineup includes Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, Black Ensemble Theater and The Second City. A visit can take in dance, a theater excerpt and comedy before Common's evening set.

Admission is free, and many appearances are short. That makes the festival an easy place to try unfamiliar work. If you normally follow one company or one kind of music, leave a little time for something else on the schedule.

Chicago LIVE Again! began in 2021, bringing more than 40 cultural organizations to Navy Pier as live performance returned after the pandemic shutdowns. The free outdoor gathering became an annual event, growing to five stages and more than 100 performances by 2024.

For its fifth anniversary in 2025, the festival commissioned five new works. The 2026 edition continues to bring in new participants: nearly one third of this year's lineup is making its festival debut, according to Navy Pier.

Common is scheduled to perform on the Lake Stage at 9 p.m. Saturday, with fireworks afterward. It is a reason to stay late, but anyone arriving earlier will have a full afternoon of performances to choose from.

For dance, start with the East Stage. Saturday opens with Chicago Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra at noon, then moves through a series of short appearances that includes Joel Hall Dancers, Chicago Repertory Ballet, Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, Giordano Dance Chicago, Red Clay Dance Company and Ensemble Español Spanish Dance Theater. Sunday's dance program includes Ballet 5:8, The Joffrey Ballet, South Chicago Dance Theatre, The Seldoms, Deeply Rooted Dance Theater and Cerqua Rivera Dance Theatre.

The Lake Stage has a different mix each day. Saturday brings theater, comedy, opera and aerial performance before Common, with Black Ensemble Theater, Kokandy Productions, The Second City, Chicago Fringe Opera and Aerial Dance Chicago on the schedule. Sunday's program is a good place to spend time with jazz. The Jazz Institute of Chicago opens, followed during the day by Angel Bat Dawid, Nico Segal, Dee Alexander Quartet and Victor Garcia, among others.

The RYTHM Stage offers longer sets from bands. JC Brooks and Universal Togetherness Band are on Saturday's schedule; Liquid Soul and Dancing Queen: An ABBA Salute close out Sunday there. The Ferrara Candy Wave Wall Stage combines children's theater, dance, hip hop, cabaret and blues. DJ Readerz has extended slots at the West Stage on Saturday.

Choose a few performances you want to see in full, then check the time and distance between them. You can fill the gaps as you go. Trying to reach every stage in quick succession will leave you spending more of the afternoon walking than watching.

Saturday's program begins at noon and continues into the night. Sunday runs from noon to 6 p.m. Check the published schedule again on the morning of your visit, since times and stage assignments can change. For a short performance, aim to reach the stage before the listed start time.

Navy Pier extends more than six city blocks. Comfortable shoes and an extra layer are worth bringing, especially if you plan to stay after sunset. Check the weather and bring a way to protect your camera or other belongings from rain. Admission is free; food, parking and the Pier's attractions have separate costs.

CTA routes 2, 29, 65, 66 and 124 serve Navy Pier. The 124 connects the Pier with downtown Metra terminals, giving visitors arriving by train an option for the last part of the trip.