Groundwaves, the hip-hop community movement founded by MURS in 2018, culminates a year of open mics, mentorship and community building in Chicago with the first annual GoodWaves Music Festival & Conference. Presented by MURS 3:16 & Groundwaves in association with Good Chaos, GoodWaves takes place on Friday, August 28 and Saturday, August 29 at Venue Six10, and Sunday, August 30, 2026, at The Salt Shed Fairgrounds. The free, all-ages event brings together acclaimed hip-hop artists, rising independent talent, and Chicago's creative community for three days of performances, networking, education, and cultural celebration.
The festival on August 30th features performances by Killer Mike, Snow Tha Product, DJ Premier, Rapsody, Brother Ali, Dee-1, Navy Blue, Coyote x Statik Selektah, Propaganda, Lily Fangz, Recoechi, Pinqy Ring, Urbanized Music, June, Bella BAHHS, M.E.R.C., STR8 BarZzz, Mastermine, DA’LIGHTBEAM, and TMC Records, with hosting duties by Slot-A, B4Lasers, Coolout Chris, and Binkey. Tickets are free and are required for entry (first come first served), and are available at goodwavesfestival.com.
The conference takes place on August 28th and 29th, and will feature 1 on 1 conversations live on stage with Killer Mike, Snow Tha Product, DJ Premier, Vic Mensa, Styles P, Rapsody, Dee-1, April Walker, Estevan Oriol, and The Company Man, and writing and performance workshops with Brother Ali and Phenom. The conference will only hold 400 attendees, who can apply to attend for free at goodwavesfestival.com.
Since its launch, Groundwaves has become known for creating authentic spaces where artists at every stage of their careers can perform, collaborate, receive mentorship, and build lasting connections within the hip-hop community. Previous Groundwaves seasons have taken place in Fort Collins, Denver, Tulsa, and Northwest Arkansas, with Chicago representing the movement's largest expansion to date.
"I’m so happy to partner with Good Chaos to put together this free multi-day event in Chicago, a legendary city for festivals and free public programming. GoodWaves is what I always dreamed my Paid Dues festival would evolve into. The GoodWaves conference gives our Groundwaves community an opportunity to hear from and build with hip hop legends - the GoodWaves festival platforms some of the best performers in the nation alongside the a-list of Chicago talent." - MURS 3:16, Founder of Groundwaves
The Chicago debut is presented in partnership with Good Chaos, a creative studio committed to investing in artists, communities, and cultural movements that create lasting creative and economic impact. Together, Groundwaves and Good Chaos aim to establish Chicago as a flagship destination for artist discovery, collaboration, and community through the annual GoodWaves Music Festival & Conference. Admission is free to the public, with advance registration required.
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