Chicago Festival Summer’s Last Dance Returns to Bridgeview With Big Gigantic, Saxsquatch and a Charity Mission Fans Can Dance Behind
BRIDGEVIEW, IL — Summer’s Last Dance is heading back to Bridgeview on Sept. 19 with a pitch that goes beyond a typical festival bill: show up for the music, and help support a cause at the same time. The one-day event has built its identity around that mix of dance-floor energy and charitable giving.
This year’s festival will again benefit the Miracle Michael Fund, a nonprofit created in honor of Michael John Shultz. A portion of every ticket and every sponsorship dollar is set to go toward family support and research connected to Osteogenesis Imperfecta, also known as brittle bone disease.
A lineup built for genre-hopping festival fans
The 2026 roster is led by Big Gigantic, Saxsquatch, Henry Fong and The Sponges, with additional sets from Rich Dietz, SNBNY, Ston Don and Lisa Pizza. A Chi Groove Collective stage takeover will also feature Rosé, Jesse Luna, Siji, Sir Trevor James and Indi.
Organizers are leaning into the same all-angles approach that has shaped the event from the start: live electronic music, bass, funkier house sounds and local club energy all folded into one day. The result is a lineup meant to appeal to fans who like their festivals with variety rather than a single lane.
Founder Bobby De Maria ties the festival to Chicago’s club and charity history
For founder Bobby De Maria, the event is personal as well as professional. A longtime Chicago DJ and promoter, he has spent more than two decades in the city’s nightlife scene through Afterlife Entertainment, while also helping raise money for groups including Ronald McDonald House Charities, Hope For The Day and the Miracle Michael Fund.
His work is closely connected to his father, Jim De Maria, a longtime Chicago sports and nonprofit executive whose career included stints with the White Sox, the Blackhawks and Ronald McDonald House Charities. That background helps explain why Summer’s Last Dance has been framed as more than a party from the beginning.
What fans can expect when the gates open
Summer’s Last Dance remains one of the last major independently owned and operated festivals in Chicago, with three stages, more than 20 artists and 12 hours of music packed into a single day. Organizers say the smaller, more hands-on setup is part of what keeps the event focused.
Past editions have featured names such as Marshall Jefferson, Cheat Codes, KSHMR, Destructo, The Knocks and Slushii. Tickets start at $24 and are available now through SummersLastDance.com, giving fans an affordable way into a festival that aims to blend club culture, live music and fundraising in one trip to Bridgeview.
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