Things to do in Chicago today
The day's best things to do in Chicago—including free and cheap activities, concerts, screenings, shows, parties and more. It's your social emergency savior.
Looking for something to do this evening? Have a friend coming into town who wants to see the sights? You're in luck, because Chicago is a city filled with attractions and things to do (including some that cost absolutely nothing). Seize the moment with our list of today's best concerts, shows, activities and more.
Art on theMART
Every night, a 25-story-tall video installation takes over the side of the Merchandise Mart, filling the building's historic facade with vibrant colors and moving images. Harnessing 34 digital projectors, the show features work by a rotating lineup of artists and is best viewed from Wacker Drive or the Riverwalk, between Wells and Orleans Streets. Art on theMART lights up the night Monday through Sunday, with projections beginning approximately 15 minutes after sunset.
Navy Pier Water Flicks Summer Film Series
Superheroes are taking over Navy Pier's Water Flicks summer film series at Polk Bros Park this year, with eight screenings centered around cinematic renderings of spandex-suited defenders. Fans of Marvel and DC will be able to enjoy screenings on the shore of Lake Michigan, including recent blockbusters like Black Panther, Aquaman and Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. Check out the complete schedule below: June 24Black Panther July 1Thor: Ragnarok July 8Avengers: Infinity War July 15Wonder Woman July 22The Lego Batman Movie July 29The Incredibles 2 August 5Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse August 12Aquaman
Art on theMART
Every night, a 25-story-tall video installation takes over the side of the Merchandise Mart, filling the building's historic facade with vibrant colors and moving images. Harnessing 34 digital projectors, the show features work by a rotating lineup of artists and is best viewed from Wacker Drive or the Riverwalk, between Wells and Orleans Streets. Art on theMART lights up the night Monday through Sunday, with projections beginning approximately 15 minutes after sunset.
Child's Play
What could have been a fan-savvy update reveals itself to be a plastic retread
Dark Phoenix
The farewell to the current incarnation of the X-Men franchise never quite catches fire
Rocketman
The Elton John biopic reinvents the movie musical with a blast of raw energy
John Wick: Chapter 3—Parabellum
Keanu Reeves’s aggrieved assassin delivers another wildly fun kick-shoot-fight-repeat spectacular
Avengers: Endgame
Marvel's big finish earns its heaviness—you will shed some tears
Pokémon Detective Pikachu
This madcap Pokémon adaptation is tons of fun until ponderous plotting ruins the mood
The Hustle
Anne Hathaway and Rebel Wilson flop hard in a Dirty Rotten Scoundrels remake
Tolkien
Despite the best efforts of its committed young cast, it’s a plodding and polite portrayal that holds few surprises.
Long Shot
Both far-fetched and lighthearted, this politically minded rom-com plays like a broadcast from another planet.
Pasolini
A subtly suggestive cameo of the radical Italian filmmaker Pier Paolo Pasolini’s fateful final few days.