Poetry Events in Chicago

Check out happening poetry events all around Chicago, IL

An Evening of Songs and Stories with Patti Smith

 Mon, 09 Mar at 07:00 pm Rubloff Auditorium USD 27 to 65

Chicago Symphony Orchestra - DiDonato Performs Neruda Songs

 Fri, 08 May at 12:30 am Chicago Symphony Center

Floetry with Raheem DeVaughn

 Thu, 16 Apr The Chicago Theatre

MONDAY MARCH 2: LATE NITE MIC WITH VIK PANDYA

 Mon, 02 Mar at 07:00 pm The Comedy Bar - Chicago Main Stage Free

DiDonato Performs Neruda Songs with CSO

 Fri, 08 May at 07:30 pm Orchestra Hall - IL

MONDAY MARCH 23: LATE NITE MIC WITH VIK PANDYA

 Mon, 23 Mar at 07:00 pm The Comedy Bar - Chicago Main Stage Free

MONDAY MARCH 9: LATE NITE MIC WITH VIK PANDYA

 Mon, 09 Mar at 07:00 pm The Comedy Bar - Chicago Main Stage Free

Patricia Smith, Ashley M. Jones, Donika Kelly, Aimee Nezhukumatathil

 Thu, 23 Apr at 06:00 pm Poetry Foundation Free

Soul Sessions Chi (Live Music, R&B & Spoken Word)

 Sun, 01 Mar at 07:00 pm Bassline Music Lounge USD 26

The Funktion - Talk Show w/ Comedy & Music

 Sat, 28 Feb at 08:00 pm Surge Billiards, West Fullerton Avenue, Chicago, IL, USA USD 13 to 18

Story Luck Show: Chicago's Storytelling Potluck Sunday March 1st

 Sun, 01 Mar at 06:30 pm Theater Wit USD 5 to 23

Shure Sponsored Open Mic Semi-Finals

 Sun, 08 Mar at 05:00 pm UncommonGround - Lakeview Free

Floetry

 Tue, 14 Apr at 06:00 pm The Chicago Theatre

POETIC JUSTICE: Paint and Elevate

 Thu, 12 Mar at 07:00 pm RISE Dispensary at Salt Shed Chicago USD 39 to 65

Mayda del Valle + Mark Turcotte

 Thu, 12 Mar at 06:00 pm Poetry Foundation Free

Show & Tell for Grown-Ups @ Punch House / Thalia Hall

 Wed, 25 Feb at 06:30 pm Punch House USD 0 to 23

Frank X Walker, Kelly Norman Ellis, Nikky Finney, Parneshia Jones

 Thu, 19 Mar at 06:00 pm Poetry Foundation Free

CAConrad, Rickey Laurentiis, Jake Skeets, S Yarberry

 Thu, 02 Apr at 06:00 pm Poetry Foundation Free

Sunday In The Park With George

 Thu, 13 Aug at 07:00 pm Chopin Theatre USD 25 to 109

Water to Water: Gaza Renga – Marilyn Hacker & Deema Shehabi (IN PERSON)

 Mon, 20 Apr at 06:00 pm Water to Water: Gaza Renga – Marilyn Hacker & Deema Shehabi (IN PERSON)

DEEPER NIGHTS TOUR - CHICAGO

 Sat, 14 Mar at 06:00 pm Kingdom Culture International Ministries Free

Poetry Reading: Hardly Creatures by Rob Macaisa Colgate

 Fri, 27 Feb at 07:00 pm Women & Children First Free

Tuesday Funk #168 - March 3, 2026

 Tue, 03 Mar at 07:00 pm 5148 N Clark St, Chicago, IL, United States, Illinois 60640

Album Listening Session & Writing Therapy with Just Mic "Da Poet"

Sat, 28 Feb at 06:00 pm South Side, Chicago

Onion City Memories Closing Open Mic Night

 Fri, 27 Feb at 06:00 pm Connect Gallery Free

Edgar Allan Poeprov

 Sat, 28 Feb at 07:00 pm The Playground Theater Free

MUJERES CREANDO | Women Creating

 Mon, 09 Mar at 07:00 pm Instituto Cervantes of Chicago USD 13

Chicago, IL - Karaoke Night! @ Punch Bowl Social

 Fri, 02 Jan Punch Bowl Social Chicago Free

Hidden Commons

 Thu, 26 Feb at 06:00 pm The Yard Fulton Market - Coworking Chicago Free

February: Three Avenues Open Mic Night

 Sat, 28 Feb at 07:30 pm 3009 N Southport Ave Free

April Blue Hour featuring Diego Báez and Samyak Shertok

 Wed, 15 Apr at 07:30 pm Haymarket House Free

Get Lit: Speakeasy Rhymes

 Tue, 14 Apr at 05:30 pm American Writers Museum USD 8 to 29

Shure Sponsored Open Mic Grand Finale

 Sun, 15 Mar at 06:00 pm UncommonGround - Lakeview Free

Big Cheese Poetry Slam

 Tue, 31 Mar at 07:00 pm Zhou B Art Center

After Hours with Lover’s Eye Press

 Thu, 26 Feb at 06:30 pm Quimby's Bookstore Free

Concentration

 Sat, 11 Apr at 07:00 pm Ruth Page Center for the Arts USD 18 to 36

Show & Tell for Grown-Ups @ Necessary & Sufficient Coffee in Printer's Row

 Fri, 27 Feb at 06:30 pm necessary & sufficient coffee - Printers Row USD 0 to 23

Water to Water: Gaza Renga - Marilyn Hacker & Deema Shehabi (IN PERSON)

 Mon, 20 Apr at 06:00 pm American Writers Museum USD 6 to 8

Oscar Brown Jr.'s Poetry as Theatre: An American Prophets Program

 Thu, 26 Feb at 06:00 pm American Writers Museum USD 0 to 8

Golden Hour Featuring Superfrye

 Fri, 01 May at 05:00 pm Epiphany Center for the Arts Free

Assembly Required

 Sat, 21 Mar at 07:30 pm Surge Billiards USD 19

Shorties - A Reading Series - April 2026

 Wed, 01 Apr at 07:00 pm The Bad Apple Free

Chicago Teachers House Party

 Sun, 15 Mar at 11:00 am 18th Street Casa de Cultura USD 0 to 25

March Blue Hour Featuring April Gibson and Mira Cameron

 Wed, 18 Mar at 07:30 pm Haymarket House Free

Radiohead Concert in the Dark w Live Strings WAITLIST SHOW – DATE PENDING

 Thu, 02 Apr at 07:00 pm Secret Location in Chicago USD 0 to 322

Femme Gaze

 Sat, 25 Apr at 07:00 pm Logan Center for the Arts USD 29 to 55

Chicago Literary Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony: Ed Roberson

 Thu, 18 Jun at 06:00 pm Poetry Foundation Free

Staff & Friends Reading

 Thu, 14 May at 06:00 pm Poetry Foundation Free

Poetic JustUs

 Sat, 28 Feb at 08:00 pm 950 W Fulton Market Free

Beatles Concert in the Dark w Award Winning Violinist WAITLIST EVENT

 Fri, 06 Mar at 08:00 pm Secret Location in Chicago Free

Zarna Garg at Riviera Theatre - IL

 Sat, 25 Apr at 07:30 pm Riviera Theatre - IL

Chicago New Books

 Thu, 07 May at 06:00 pm Poetry Foundation Free

Creativity Hoarders Anonymous (CHAnon)

 Thu, 05 Mar at 05:30 pm Harold Washington Library Center, Chicago Public Library, 8th Fl., Room 8S-14 Free

the un-blessed | a poetry reading // solo show | by elena victoria feliz

 Thu, 26 Feb at 08:00 pm The Understudy Coffee and Books USD 15

Hands Up! Don't Go There

 Fri, 06 Mar at 07:00 pm Mrs. Murphy & Sons Irish Bistro

Open Mic at The Tattler!

 Thu, 19 Mar at 07:00 pm 4355 N Western Ave, Chicago, IL, United States, Illinois 60618

Proyección del documental - Negra, de la directora mexicana Medhin Tewolde

 Thu, 12 Mar at 04:00 pm OPEN Center for the Arts Free

CHICAGO SPOKEN WORD SHOWCASE: HOSTED BY JAMES HAMILTON

 Sun, 19 Apr at 06:00 pm Offshore Rooftop

Shorties - A Reading Series - March 2026

 Wed, 04 Mar at 07:00 pm The Bad Apple Free

SPEAK YOUR HEART - Valentines Day Event

 Wed, 25 Feb at 12:00 pm 7859 S Ashland Ave Free

Lit Night

 Mon, 09 Mar at 06:00 pm TBD - New Address to Come Free

The Digital Archives of the Unseen — Transmission Test: Signal Restored

 Sat, 28 Feb at 07:00 pm Walls Turned Sideways Free

Marcela Ossa with Jocey and Lulu Sandoval

 Wed, 18 Mar at 07:00 pm UncommonGround - Lakeview USD 14

Chicago Poetry Center’s March Blue Hour Featuring April Gibson and Mira Cameron

 Wed, 18 Mar at 06:00 pm Haymarket House

Chicago Poetry Center's Blue Hour Generative Workshop

 Wed, 18 Mar at 06:00 pm Haymarket House Free

Chicago Poetry Center's Blue Hour Generative Workshop

 Wed, 15 Apr at 06:00 pm Haymarket House Free

ikaros ensemble and cloud community college presents: threaded

 Tue, 24 Mar at 08:30 pm The Understudy Coffee and Books USD 19

Final Hot Desert and Three Poets: MARCH 1st POETRY READING

 Sun, 01 Mar at 02:00 pm Grunts Rare Books Free

SOL Book Club

 Thu, 26 Feb at 06:30 pm Slant of Light Books Free

Open Mic @ The Eco Flamingo Market Cafe

 Sun, 15 Feb at 07:00 pm 4754 N Rockwell St Free

SMOOCH'S POETRY NIGHT

 Fri, 27 Feb at 07:00 pm 1658 W 35th St Free

TOP POP! Open Mic!

 Sat, 30 May at 07:30 pm The.BlkRoom USD 7 to 50

Creativity Hoarders Anonymous (CHAnon)

 Thu, 19 Mar at 05:30 pm Harold Washington Library Center, Chicago Public Library, 8th Fl., Room 8S-14 Free

Artist Talk: Faylita Hicks on Memory, Erasure, and the Living Archive

 Sat, 21 Mar at 03:00 pm Walls Turned Sideways Free

Chicago Poetry Center's Blue Hour Generative Workshop

 Wed, 20 May at 06:00 pm Haymarket House Free

May Blue Hour Featuring Patrycja Humienik and Soham Patel

 Wed, 20 May at 07:30 pm Haymarket House Free

Romanticon EPIPHANIES Reading Series

 Sat, 21 Mar at 07:00 pm 1843 S Racine Ave Free

The Thursday Show: Chicago's Funniest Comedians with New Jokes!

 Sat, 30 Nov at 09:30 pm The Lincoln Lodge USD 13

Movement Philosophy ::::: Spring Session

 Mon, 27 Apr at 07:00 pm bim bom studios USD 0 to 87

S1 Lawndale - hope lives here! w/ Nile Lansana

 Wed, 11 Feb at 03:00 pm Lawndale Mental Health Center Free

Monthly Group Ukulele Lessons in Pilsen. FREE Ukulele Giveaway!

 Sun, 12 Oct at 12:00 pm 1637 W 18th St Free

Open Mic with Lo The Goddess

 Thu, 18 Dec at 07:00 pm Nitro Nostalgia Free

Powerful Voices Open Mic Show - Live Music, Comedy, Poetry+ More!

 Thu, 02 Oct at 07:00 pm Chicago Free

Writers Open Mic hosted by Nakiyah

 Fri, 07 Mar at 07:30 pm Eli Tea Bar Free

Windy City Shorts: An Open Mic Night for Chicago Short Movies!

 Wed, 31 Jan at 07:00 pm The Lincoln Lodge USD 15

Giggle Hour

 Tue, 01 Aug at 07:00 pm The Lincoln Lodge USD 13

Gospel of Silk Book Launch

Sat, 14 Mar at 05:00 pm 6636 s Cottage grove

Poetic Reconstruction

 Sun, 14 Sep at 06:00 pm Urban Luxe Cafe Free

Spoken Word Poetry

 Fri, 04 Apr at 06:30 pm Urban Luxe Cafe Free

Powerful Voices Open Mic Show - Live Music, Comedy, Poetry+ More!

 Thu, 30 Oct at 07:00 pm Chicago Free

Yoga P'al Pueblo: Slow Flow Vinyasa En Español

 Sat, 09 Aug at 02:00 pm 645 W 18th St USD 26

S2 Lawndale - hope lives here! w/ Nile Lansana

 Wed, 22 Apr at 03:00 pm Lawndale Mental Health Center Free

Open Mic Night Trader Todd's Hosted by Devin Glass

 Wed, 07 Jan at 05:30 pm Trader Todd's Free

Free Poetry Writing Workshop and Poetry Reading hosted by Audacious Don

 Mon, 27 Feb at 04:00 pm Legler Regional Library, Chicago Public Library USD 0 to 29

The hidden cry

 Sun, 04 May at 07:00 pm 5844 S Rockwell St