Curated atlas entry
Cold Waves
Cold Waves is a North American industrial and dark-music anchor in Chicago, useful for travelers tracking the Midwest post-industrial, EBM-adjacent, and goth-adjacent festival circuit without relying on guessed map data.
- Location
- Chicago · Illinois · United States
- Dates
- September 24–27, 2026 — past edition; next edition details need official confirmation
- Venue
- 2026 edition: Metro; Bottom Lounge for listed Thursday event
Editorial context
Why this festival matters
Cold Waves gives RetroAltFest a high-signal North American industrial anchor. Its Chicago setting, multi-night structure, and official-source trail make it a strong app-data record, while the entry still avoids map-pin confidence until venue placement is verified separately.
Verification notes
The September 24–27, 2026 Cold Waves XIV Chicago edition has concluded. The official announcement listed a September 24 kickoff at Bottom Lounge and September 25–27 programming at Metro and GMan. The checked 2026 VIP ticket listing is marked ended, and the organizer described September 27 as closing night. No later edition, future dates, venue, ticket sales, or lineup were announced on the official sources checked on October 5, 2026.
City-level candidate only. No coordinates or address are included; not pin-safe until a later no-guess venue/geocoding pass verifies placement.
Official sources
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