Aug 11, 2026 - Things to Do

Chicago Humanities unveils 2026 fall festival lineup

Carrie Shepherd

Etgar Keret is sitting facing Ira Glass, who has his right leg up and Keret is holding Glass's foot. They are on a stage with a wood table between them and colorful paper on the ground. — Ira Glass and Etgar Keret in August 2023 in Jerusalem. Photo: Courtesy of Haim Yafim Barbalat

Chicago Humanities has announced its lineup for the annual Fall Festival, kicking off Sept. 14 and running through November.

Why it matters: The Chicago Humanities Fall Festival is Chicago's version of the New Yorker Festival, centered on discussions about the most pressing issues of our time and celebrating cultural touchstones.

What to expect: Two months of programming at venues stretching across Chicago and Evanston, including:

Actor Kyle MacLachlan at 7:30pm on Sept. 30 at Athenaeum Center.
Talk and Singalong with "Monty Python’s" Eric Idle at 1pm on Oct. 4 at Northwestern's Cahn Auditorium.
Bestselling author Leïla Slimani at 5:30pm on Oct. 4 at Northwestern's Lutkin Hall.
Radio and podcast host Ira Glass and world-renowned writer Etgar Keret at 7:30pm on Oct. 5 at Athenaeum Center.
Trans scholar, writer and professor Susan Stryker at 4pm on Nov. 7 at the University of Chicago's Ida Noyes Hall.

Zoom in: This year, the fest is dedicating Sept. 26 to Pilsen, with tours of the neighborhood's public art and architecture, a conversation with Latino music documentarian, photojournalist and author Ramón Hernández and deep dives into Chicano culture.

The fest will also spend days at Northwestern and UChicago.

If you go: Tickets are on sale now for Chicago Humanities members and are available to the public on Thursday.

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Chicago Humanities unveils 2026 fall festival lineup

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