Poetry Events in Chicago

Check out happening poetry events all around Chicago, IL

Chicago Symphony Orchestra - DiDonato Performs Neruda Songs

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

Zarna Garg at Riviera Theatre - IL

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

Floetry with Raheem DeVaughn

 Thu, 16 Apr at 01:00 am The Chicago Theatre

Masters of the Mic at Auditorium Theatre Chicago

 Sat, 18 Apr at 08:00 pm Auditorium Theatre Chicago

Rudy Francisco Live in Chicago

 Sun, 19 Apr at 07:30 pm Color Club USD 39

Mary Jane & Mimosas

 Sun, 19 Apr at 12:00 pm Punch Bowl Free

DiDonato Performs Neruda Songs with CSO

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

MONDAY MAY 4: LATE NITE MIC WITH VIK PANDYA

 Mon, 04 May at 07:00 pm The Comedy Bar - Chicago Main Stage Free

CHICAGO SPOKEN WORD SHOWCASE: HOSTED BY JAMES HAMILTON

 Sun, 19 Apr at 06:00 pm Offshore Rooftop

Poetry vs. Hip-Hop Live!

 Wed, 08 Apr City Winery - Chicago

MONDAY APRIL 13: LATE NITE MIC WITH VIK PANDYA

 Mon, 13 Apr at 07:00 pm The Comedy Bar - Chicago Main Stage Free

MONDAY APRIL 27: LATE NITE MIC WITH VIK PANDYA

 Mon, 27 Apr at 07:00 pm The Comedy Bar - Chicago Main Stage Free

MONDAY MAY 25: LATE NITE MIC WITH VIK PANDYA

 Mon, 25 May at 07:00 pm The Comedy Bar - Chicago Main Stage Free

Cecilia Vicuña Lecture

 Tue, 07 Apr at 06:00 pm Art Institute of Chicago

Festival of Independent Artists

 Fri, 08 May at 05:00 pm 2408 N Kedzie Blvd USD 17 to 33

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

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

Floetry

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

Golden Hour Featuring Superfrye

 Fri, 01 May at 05:00 pm 201 S. Ashland Avenue, Chicago, IL, United States, Illinois 60607

Tuesday Funk #169 - April 7, 2026

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

Get Lit: Speakeasy Rhymes

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

Hybrid Poetry Event with Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Samarasinha

 Wed, 29 Apr at 07:00 pm Women & Children First Free

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)

Speak, Easy: Higher Vibration

 Mon, 20 Apr at 06:00 pm BASSLINE || 2239 - CHICAGO USD 0 to 33

Pilsen Ukulele Party (PUP) FREE!

 Sat, 09 May at 12:00 pm Pilsen Arts & Community House Free

Sunday In The Park With George

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

BrooksDay 2026

 Sun, 07 Jun at 12:00 pm Harold Washington Library Center, Chicago Public Library Free

PO JAM's: Poetic JustUs

 Sat, 28 Mar 950 W Fulton Market Free

Poetic-hy presents puff&poetry

 Sat, 11 Apr at 07:30 pm Prohibition THCafe - South Loop USD 22 to 44

Coffee, Hip-Hop & Mental Health Presents: Pour It All On Stage (All Genres)

 Thu, 09 Apr at 07:00 pm Coffee, Hip-Hop & Mental Health Cafe USD 16 to 25

Second Sunday Salon: Joe Rendon & Friends, Chicago Poets, Tigerlily Cross

 Sun, 12 Apr at 05:00 pm Colvin House Free

Concentration

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

HOT SAUCE CLEAN COMEDY SHOW ( Historical Bronzeville)

 Sat, 25 Apr at 07:30 pm 3953 S King Dr USD 15

FEM/THEM Comedy Open Mic at The Understudy

 Fri, 17 Apr at 08:00 pm The Understudy Coffee and Books Free

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

Vibes and Verse

 Sat, 18 Apr at 04:00 pm The Gathering USD 18

Chicago, IL - Karaoke Night! @ Punch Bowl Social

 Fri, 02 Jan Punch Bowl Social Chicago Free

HOT SAUCE POETRY ( National Poetry Month)

 Fri, 10 Apr at 07:30 pm Bronzeville Soul USD 15 to 45

Femme Gaze

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

WVON Chicago Read-In!

 Sat, 25 Apr at 12:00 pm Harold Washington Cultural Center Free

Poesía en Abril - Diálogo y lectura de poetas "Versos en el viento"

 Sat, 25 Apr at 01:30 pm Instituto Cervantes Chicago Free

Chicago Poetry Center’s April Blue Hour Featuring Diego Baez and Samyak Shertok

 Wed, 15 Apr at 07:00 pm Haymarket House

Ross Gay & Angel Bat Dawid on Poetry

 Thu, 14 May at 05:00 pm Smart Museum of Art Free

Staff & Friends Reading

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

Spiral Body: Body Deploys

 Wed, 08 Apr at 07:00 pm International Museum of Surgical Science Free

Lectura de poetas homenajeadas. Anuncio del Premio de Poesía Juana Goergen

 Sat, 25 Apr at 06:00 pm Instituto Cervantes Chicago Free

Chicago Literary Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony: Ed Roberson

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

Sistas Circle Expo feat : 2ndPOETSExpo, BeautyRedefined Runway Show & more!

 Sat, 30 May at 10:00 am South Shore International College Preparatory High School Free

Chicago New Books

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

Poetry Workshop & Open Mic Night

 Sun, 12 Apr at 06:00 pm Nabala Cafe Free

Transcendent Frequencies

 Fri, 10 Apr at 07:00 pm Nabala Cafe Free

Listening Hours: The Rotation with Homecourt Collective

 Fri, 10 Apr at 06:00 pm The Land School Free

Northwestern SPS MFA & MA Faculty Reading

Fri, 15 May at 06:30 pm The Book Cellar

First, Breathe Healing Arts Series

 Thu, 16 Apr at 06:00 pm Washington Park Arts Incubator Free

Black Poetry Experience + Open Mic

 Sun, 12 Apr at 06:00 pm 1859 N Talman Ave USD 0 to 13

Long Story Short

 Mon, 13 Apr at 10:00 am Front Porch Arts Center USD 10

Beatles Concert in the Dark w Award Winning Violinist WAITLIST EVENT

 Sun, 03 May at 08:00 pm Secret Location in Chicago Free

Chicago Poetry Center's Blue Hour Generative Workshop

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

Where The Mind, Pen, &, Paper Converse: The Blessed Mic Experience

 Sun, 26 Apr at 05:00 pm 6055 S Wentworth Ave USD 7 to 10

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

 Thu, 14 May at 07:00 pm Chicago Free

Shorties - A Reading Series - May 2026

 Wed, 06 May at 07:00 pm The Bad Apple Free

Collage Workshops with Paloma Trecka

 Sun, 19 Apr at 01:00 pm Oleander & Artesian USD 55 to 87

Artist Talk - Graphic Poems From "Negro"

 Sat, 25 Apr at 04:00 pm 4623 N Clark St Free

May Blue Hour Featuring Patrycja Humienik and Soham Patel

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

TOP POP! Open Mic!

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

Chicago Poetry Center's Blue Hour Generative Workshop

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

Open Mic @ The Eco Flamingo Market Cafe

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

Alternating Currents: When Images Speak art exhibit

 Fri, 24 Apr at 06:00 pm 5504 W Lawrence Ave Free

Copy of Other People's Poems--April

 Tue, 14 Apr at 07:00 pm Consignment Lounge Free

Gather. Spring

 Sat, 18 Apr at 04:00 pm 3806 W Montrose Ave USD 29

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

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

Show & Tell for Grown-Ups: Audience Top Pick Presenters!

 Sun, 07 Jul at 06:00 pm The Lincoln Lodge USD 0 to 21

S2 Lawndale - hope lives here! w/ Nile Lansana

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

Movement Philosophy ::::: Spring Session

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

Vampires Welcome Open Mic

 Fri, 27 Mar The Crib Comedy Playspace 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

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

Poetic Reconstruction

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

Soulspeak Open Mic

 Sat, 25 Apr at 04:00 am Northshore Healing Centre USD 25

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

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