The Bean
Photograph: Shutterstock
Photograph: Shutterstock

The best January 2026 events in Chicago

Start the new year with events, festivals, concerts, theater shows and more great things to do in Chicago during January.

Jeffy Mai
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We’ll be honest: January is not exactly Chicago’s finest month. But before you start to dwell on the prospect of snow, cold and seemingly endless winter, allow us to point out some of the best ways to kick off the first few weeks of 2026. Start by catching the final days of Christmas lights in Chicago (they offer a nice excuse to take a walk outside, even when the holidays have passed) and get some fresh winter air when you take a spin around the best ice skating rinks the city has to offer. Prefer to stay inside? Tour new exhibits at Chicago museums—many of which offer free days over the next few months—or check out some of the best things to do indoors, including rock climbing, bowling and soul-warming spa days. Make a resolution to start the year on the right foot with the help of our guide to the best things to do in Chicago this January.

RECOMMENDED: Events calendar for Chicago in 2026

Time Out Market Chicago

We've rounded up the best chefs in the city to join us at Time Out Market Chicago, a culinary and cultural destination in the heart of Fulton Market featuring more than 15 kitchens, three bars and one drop-dead gorgeous rooftop terrace—all spread across three floors.

The best events in Chicago this January

  • Drama
  • Lincoln Park
Peter Shaffer's 1979 masterwork brings to life the rivalry between composers Antonio Salieri (Ian Barford) and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (David Darrow). Salieri is the Court Composer and the established standard of the day—his compositions are palatable, albeit restrained. Enter Mozart, a wild child prodigy with climbing notoriety and the ability to make music like no one has ever heard. Mozart's music moves Salieri to tears, but also awakens a destructive jealousy that compells him to supress Mozart at every turn. 
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