Cold Waves
- Dates
- Expected September 2027
- Status
- Expected
- Venue
- Metro
- Price
- Not announced
- Camping
- None on site
- Last checked
- Oct 16, 2026
Cold Waves's 2027 dates haven't been announced yet. The last festival was 24 to 27 September 2026 in Chicago, IL. Froligo tracks ticket prices, attendee feedback and travel details.
The experience
What's special
Cold Waves is Chicago's annual celebration of the city's relationship with industrial music, spanning industrial, darkwave, EBM and post-punk acts. It began in 2012 as a single benefit night after the death of a well-loved local sound engineer and musician, bringing 14 bands together, and grew into an annual multi-day event at the iconic Metro in the Wrigleyville neighborhood, later expanding to sister editions in Los Angeles and Austin. A portion of proceeds benefits suicide-prevention charities, and the event remains rooted in Chicago's Wax Trax!-era industrial legacy
What people love
Attendees consistently praise the tight-knit community atmosphere and the rare chance to meet and hang out with industrial-scene legends between sets, often citing lively after-parties at nearby venues. Many are multi-year returnees who travel in to reconnect with a scene that gathers here each year, and some solo travelers describe it as a welcoming place to meet people in person
Last time around (2025)
The most recently held edition, Cold Waves XIII in 2025, gathered industrial, darkwave and EBM performers in Chicago. Its official 2025 compilation collected tracks from that year's performers, including She Past Away, Actors, Sidewalks & Skeletons, Clock DVA, Lead Into Gold, Deceits, Choke Chain and Mentallo and the Fixer
Listen
Tap an artist to play them right here.
No official playlist linked yet. Find Cold Waves on Spotify.
Lineup
2027 lineup not yet announced. Here's who played in 2026:
Getting there
How do I get to Cold Waves?
By car
Most people drive to Cold Waves. Check current road and traffic conditions before you set off, and see parking below.
By train
No direct passenger rail to the venue was found. Drive, fly in, or use a shuttle instead.
By bus & public transit
From O'Hare, the Blue Line 'L' train runs 24/7 direct from the in-airport station to the Loop. From Midway, the Orange Line runs to the Loop in about 25 to 30 minutes. From downtown, transfer to the Red Line and get off at the Addison stop at Wrigley Field, two blocks from Metro
Book / info →Taxi & rideshare
Rideshare and taxi pickup at ORD is at designated curbside zones per terminal. At MDW, a taxi stand is outside the terminal and rideshare has a designated arrivals-area pickup zone
Book / info →Taxis and rideshare such as Uber and Lyft can be limited near the venue, especially late at night or in rural areas. Agree a pickup point and time in advance and keep a backup plan.
🅿 Parking
No on site parking. Use nearby lots or transit. Cost Metro has no dedicated parking lot. Metered street parking is available on Clark Street along with several pay lots nearby; the venue itself recommends booking ahead through SpotHero, especially since the venue is two blocks from Wrigley Field and parking demand is high on event nights. Prepay via SpotHero.
🚙 Car hire
Compare car hire
There is no on site parking at the venue, so if you are hiring a car it is worth sorting nearby parking or a park and ride before you go.
Search car hire →Car hire links may earn Froligo a commission; they never change the price you pay.
Where
Venue
The venue has its own page with capacity, accessibility and parking.
Camping & Accommodation
Where can I stay near Cold Waves?
No on site camping. Here is where to stay nearby.
Budget stays 1
On North Clark Street in the heart of Wrigleyville, walking distance to Metro and the Addison Red Line stop
Check rates →Luxe hotels 1
Directly across from Wrigley Field on Clark Street, about a two block walk to Metro
Check rates →Airport hotels 3
6530 South Cicero Avenue, Bedford Park, IL 60638
Link coming soon6520 South Cicero Avenue, Bedford Park, IL 60638
Link coming soon5435 South Archer Avenue, Chicago, IL 60638
Link coming soonAirbnb & private camping
Wrigleyville and the surrounding North Side neighborhoods have a large short-term rental market; expect noticeably higher pricing on Cubs home-game dates if the festival's October dates overlap with a game
Search Airbnb →This is an indoor club festival in dense urban Chicago with no nearby campground; Hipcamp is not a realistic lodging option here
Search Hipcamp →Browse all hotels near Metro →
Hotel links may earn Froligo a commission; they never change the price you pay.
Accessibility & comfort
What the organiser or venue publishes about getting around, and what they do not.
Important warning. Cold Waves publishes nothing about accessibility on its own site, but the Chicago edition is multi venue and the venues do publish, and one of them is not wheelchair accessible. The 2026 Chicago dates run Thursday at Bottom Lounge, 1375 W.
Read the full notes
Lake St, then Friday, Saturday and Sunday at Metro, 3730 N Clark St. Metro states plainly that it is a general admission standing room only venue in a 100 year old auditorium hall, that reaching the space where the stage is viewable takes two flights of stairs, that its accessibility seating is a further two flights up on the balcony level, 41 stairs in total, and that this means it is not wheelchair accessible.
There are handrails on each staircase with landing platforms on each level. Men's restrooms are on the lobby level and women's restrooms are on the third floor balcony level. Limited seating for guests with special needs is on the 3rd floor balcony and can be reserved by buying a ticket first and then emailing [email protected] at least two weeks before the event; it is allocated first come first served, and Metro says it cannot guarantee seating for non mobility challenged guests in the same party, so a carer may not be seated with you.
Bottom Lounge publishes no accessibility information at all; its FAQ says only that it has a small but free lot adjacent to the club plus metered street parking, and that it sits one and a half blocks east of the Ashland stop on the CTA Green and Pink lines.
No accessible parking, drop off, accessible toilet, viewing platform, companion or carer ticket or quiet space information is published by the festival or either venue. Festival contact is [email protected]; venue access requests go to [email protected] and general enquiries to Bottom Lounge through the form on its contact page
Neither the festival nor either venue publishes ASL interpretation. Metro does publish a hearing assistance route: guests who require hearing assistance for an event are asked to email [email protected] at least three weeks in advance.
This is the venue's policy, not the festival's
Confirm your specific needs with the organiser's access team before you travel.
Checked 2026-09-03 · source
Pricing
While you're in Chicago
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