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Sanctum Festival 2026

Two-night darkwave, post-punk and industrial festival at Thalia Hall in Pilsen, Chicago, Friday October 30 and Saturday October 31, 2026, 17+, costume theme Blasphemy.

📅 October 30–31, 2026📍 Chicago, Illinois, United States🏟 Thalia Hall🎵 Darkwave · Post-Punk · Industrial
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Date
October 30–31, 2026
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Location
Chicago, Illinois, United States
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Camping
No
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Price
$$
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Size
Boutique
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Genre
Darkwave
About

What is Sanctum Festival 2026?

Sanctum Festival 2026, billed on the ticketing pages as Sanctum Dark Music Festival, runs Friday, October 30 and Saturday, October 31, 2026 at Thalia Hall, 1807 S Allport St, in Chicago's Pilsen neighborhood, with the attached Tack Room downstairs as a second room. It is a Halloween weekend event run by Sanctum, the Chicago promoter behind sanctumfest.com, and the 2026 poster also credits Substance as co-presenter. The TicketWeb listing, checked 3 Oct 2026, gives doors at 6pm and music from 7pm both nights. The official info page says the Thalia Hall shows are 17+, the Tack Room is 21+, and the afterparties, which are still TBA, will be 21+.

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The 2026 lineup is 14 live acts across the two nights. The Chicago Reader's preview from 2 October 2026 lists Friday as Zanias, Buzz Kull, Crash Course in Science, Kontravoid, Automelodi, Sleek Teeth and Grave Love, and Saturday as A Split-Second, Aux Animaux, Sacred Skin, MVTANT, The Treasury, Pink Stiletto and Children's Crusade. The TicketWeb listing adds visuals by Videowaste and DJs still to be announced, and the poster lists Wildcat Shadow and Sindy Vicious as hosts. The official site at sanctumfest.com shows the lineup flyer and links Day 1 tickets, Day 2 tickets and 2-Day passes; set times had not been posted when we checked on 3 Oct 2026.

Thalia Hall is a multi-level concert hall with a second-floor balcony, Opera Box seats and the Tack Room downstairs, and the official info page says the building is ADA compliant and wheelchair accessible, with elevator access to the upper floors per the venue FAQ. For 2026 the Chicago Reader reports Sanctum worked with Chicago sound firm Big Audio to add six extra subwoofers to the room. The festival's own listing promises a VHS Dungeon, a photobooth, live analog visuals, installations, vendors, drag performances and a costume contest with the theme Blasphemy, and the Reader notes costumes are strongly encouraged. What sets Sanctum apart from a typical rave is the music: post-punk, gothic, darkwave and industrial bands playing live, in a historic concert hall, on the two nights of Halloween weekend.

Lineup

Artists & Performers

Sanctum Festival 2026 official lineup poster
Official 2026 lineup poster. Names below are transcribed from it; read on 3 October 2026.
  • ZaniasFri, Oct 30
  • Buzz KullFri, Oct 30
  • Crash Course in ScienceFri, Oct 30
  • KontravoidFri, Oct 30
  • AutomelodiFri, Oct 30
  • Sleek TeethFri, Oct 30
  • Grave LoveFri, Oct 30
  • A Split-SecondSat, Oct 31
  • Aux AnimauxSat, Oct 31
  • Sacred SkinSat, Oct 31
  • MVTANTSat, Oct 31
  • The TreasurySat, Oct 31
  • Pink StilettoSat, Oct 31
  • Children's CrusadeSat, Oct 31
Essentials

Festival Essentials

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Ticket TypeDay 1 (Fri), Day 2 (Sat) or 2-Day Pass on TicketWeb; the official info page says all tickets grant equal access, no VIP tier
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Price RangePer the Chicago Reader on 2 Oct 2026: one-day early bird $46.39 (Fri) or $52.98 (Sat), 2-Day pass $101.43; fees may change the final total
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Festival HoursDoors 6pm, music from 7pm on Friday, October 30 and Saturday, October 31 per the TicketWeb listing; end times not posted
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Age & ID17+ with valid ID at Thalia Hall; Tack Room downstairs and afterparties 21+; 21+ government photo ID to buy alcohol
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Must-Have AppNo festival app. Tickets are TicketWeb mobile or PDF tickets, so have them downloaded before you reach the door
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HydrationThalia Hall bans outside food and beverage; buy water at the bars inside. Re-entry is allowed if you need a break
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Bag RulesBags up to 12 x 12 x 6 inches; everyone is subject to search at the door per the Thalia Hall FAQ
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Costume ThemeBlasphemy is the 2026 costume theme and there is a costume contest; costumes are strongly encouraged, not required
Travel

Travel & Planning Guide

Thalia Hall is at 1807 S Allport St in Pilsen, about three miles southwest of the Loop. The Thalia Hall FAQ says the venue is five blocks east of the 18th Street Pink Line stop and that the #18 bus stops at 18th and Racine, half a block away. If you fly in, Midway (MDW) is the closer airport, with the Orange Line to the Loop and a transfer to the Pink Line; O'Hare (ORD) connects by the Blue Line to the Loop. The official info page says the venue is easy to reach by CTA, Uber or cab and that there is street meter parking in all directions; the Thalia Hall FAQ adds meters on 18th Street, no-permit parking on Racine, and free street parking along the train tracks on 16th Street between Ashland and Racine.

There is no camping and no official hotel partner on the official info page, so book your own room. Pilsen itself has few hotels, so most out-of-town visitors stay downtown, in the West Loop or near the Pink Line and ride in, which keeps the late-night trip back short. Halloween weekend is busy in Chicago, so book early. Afterparties are listed as TBA and 21+; the info page mentions a secondary location at Smoke & Mirrors, 2045 N Milwaukee Ave in Bucktown, from a previous edition, so check the official socials for the 2026 afterparty venue before you plan a second hotel location.

Tickets are sold through TicketWeb and the Thalia Hall FAQ says you can forward the scannable PDF ticket to a friend. The box office is open 10am to 1pm every Friday and from doors on show nights. Doors are 6pm both nights, so arrive around then if you want a balcony spot or want to see the first band at 7pm. Bags up to 12 x 12 x 6 inches get searched at the door, re-entry is allowed, and the venue offers coat and bag check for some cold-weather shows; email info@thaliahallchicago.com to confirm it for Sanctum. Bring a valid ID showing you are at least 17, and a 21+ government photo ID if you plan to drink or go downstairs to the Tack Room.

Tips

What to Know Before You Go

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Plan A Costume Around Blasphemy

The official site names Blasphemy as the 2026 costume theme and the TicketWeb listing promises a costume contest, photobooth and drag performances. The Chicago Reader says costumes are strongly encouraged, so you will stand out more without one than with one. Keep your costume practical for a standing-room hall: no sticks, poles or selfie sticks, no oversized signs, and nothing security could read as a weapon, because the Thalia Hall FAQ bans all of those.

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Bring The Right ID For Each Room

The official info page splits the age rules by room. The Thalia Hall shows on Friday and Saturday are 17+, the Tack Room downstairs is 21+, and the afterparties will be 21+. The ticket listing says you need valid ID showing you are at least 17, and the Thalia Hall FAQ says anyone drinking must show a valid, unexpired, government-issued photo ID. Without proper ID you are treated as under 21 and cannot buy or hold alcohol.

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Pack To The 12 x 12 x 6 Bag Rule

Thalia Hall allows bags up to 12 x 12 x 6 inches and searches every patron as a condition of entry. The FAQ bans outside food and drink, video or audio recording devices, large umbrellas, fireworks and animals other than certified service animals. The venue offers coat and bag check for certain cold-weather shows but does not promise it for every event, so email info@thaliahallchicago.com before you commit to a heavy coat on a late-October night.

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Arrive At 6pm Doors

The TicketWeb listing gives doors at 6pm and music from 7pm both nights, with seven live acts per night plus DJs. Set times were not published when we checked on 3 Oct 2026, so if you want to see openers like Grave Love on Friday or Children's Crusade on Saturday, be inside by 7pm. The box office opens at doors on show nights, and re-entry is allowed if you need to step out between sets.

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Take The Pink Line Or Park On 16th

Thalia Hall is five blocks east of the 18th Street Pink Line stop, and the #18 bus stops half a block away at 18th and Racine, according to the venue FAQ. If you drive, 18th Street has meters, Racine needs no permit or meter, and there is free street parking along the train tracks on 16th Street between Ashland and Racine. Rideshare and cabs work well too, and the official info page recommends all three.

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Protect Your Ears, Save Your Bank Account

The Chicago Reader reports that Sanctum teamed up with Chicago firm Big Audio to add six extra subwoofers to Thalia Hall for 2026, so bring earplugs for two nights of industrial and EBM low end. Buy tickets only through the TicketWeb links on sanctumfest.com; the official info page says all sales are final with no refunds unless a show is cancelled, and a 2-Day pass is cheaper than two single days per the Reader's prices.

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

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