Summer time Smash is again—and this yr’s lineup is shaping as much as be a memorable expertise.
Marking its seventh yr as one of many largest independently-owned hip-hop festivals on the planet, Summer time Smash has unveiled a heavyweight lineup. Happening June 20-22 at SeatGeek Stadium in Bridgeview, Illinois, the 2025 version will function the primary reside efficiency from Younger Thug since 2022, the world debut of a brand new collaborative undertaking from Don Toliver and YEAT, and a triumphant return from Future, who stays within the midst of one in all rap’s most dominant runs.
Thugger, who final carried out reside in spring 2022 earlier than going through ongoing authorized points, will shut out Sunday evening with what is anticipated to be a celebratory and emotional set full of hits, deep cuts, and fan favorites. His headlining slot marks one of the important reserving coups of this yr’s hip-hop pageant circuit.
In the meantime, Day 1 provides an unprecedented second: Don Toliver and YEAT will share the stage for the primary time, launching their extremely anticipated joint undertaking in entrance of 1000’s. Although particulars across the collaboration stay tight-lipped, their chemistry—each sonic and stylistic—has already sparked buzz as one of many style’s most enjoyable pairings in current reminiscence.
Saturday evening sees Future return to Summer time Smash as a pageant alum, coming off a career-defining string of hits, excursions and viral moments. He’ll headline in peak type, reinforcing his place as one of the constant stars in trendy rap.
However the lineup goes past blockbuster names. Summer time Smash 2025 is doubling down on its hometown roots by spotlighting elite Chicago MCs like Likelihood The Rapper, G Herbo, Saba and FamousDex. Likelihood may even shut out one in all Sunday’s principal levels in a nod to his hometown hero standing, whereas Saba and G Herbo carry depth and lyrical dexterity to a pageant finest identified for turning mosh pits into monuments.
Different returning alums add to the nostalgia and vitality that Summer time Smash has turn out to be identified for, with Lil Yachty, Sexyy Purple, Quavo, Destroy Lonely, Sahbabii, Nav, Ski Masks the Stoop God, Trippie Redd and NLE Choppa all set to hit the stage as soon as once more. First-timers like Soulja Boy, 1900Rugrat and Che spherical out a lineup that blends legacy acts with the subsequent wave of viral phenoms.
Behind all of it are the native titans of youth tradition: Lyrical Lemonade and SPKRBX, co-founded by director Cole Bennett and promoter Berto Solorio, respectively. “We’re excited to current the seventh version of the biggest unbiased hip-hop pageant on the planet and might’t wait to point out the followers what we’ve been engaged on,” Solorio mentioned. Bennett added: “I really feel fortunate to have the ability to throw the get together of the yr with my finest associates. Might this be one of the best one but. Fortunate quantity seven.”
Final yr’s version made headlines with Chief Keef’s long-awaited return to Chicagoland and the U.S. pageant debut of Travis Scott’s Cactus Jack crew. This yr, the pageant builds on that momentum with genre-defining expertise, improved stage manufacturing and an expanded on-site expertise, together with artwork installations, a Ferris wheel, carnival video games, roaming performers and one of the numerous culinary packages within the nation.