The New Year brings a plethora of new opportunities to explore Chicago. Whether it’s hot, new restaurants, haute shopping experiences, or high-energy, immersive shows and attractions, it’s clear: the Best Big City in the U.S. (six years running) isn’t resting on its laurels. Visit ChooseChicago.com for more information and see below for the latest What's New and Happening in the city: 

Accommodations

The Fairmont Chicago Millennium Park is now home to Chicago’s first Leaf Spa. Opened December 8, 2022, the spa focuses on authentic wellness practices inspired by the earth’s natural wonders and seasonal evolutions. Not only will the spa focus on physical well-being, but it will also embrace mental wellness, offering therapeutic programs tied to nature. 

The St. Regis Chicago is set to debut later this spring as the 50th St. Regis globally. Through architectural ingenuity and a shimmering homage to sky and water, the 101-story St. Regis Chicago, designed by award-winning architect Jeanne Gang, has changed Chicago’s iconic skyline. It is now the third tallest building in Chicago, the 10th tallest in the United States and the tallest building in the world, designed by a female. The hotel will comprise the first 11 floors of the building, featuring 192 luxurious guest rooms, multiple signature dining options, a world class St. Regis Spa, a fitness center, indoor pool and outdoor sunken terrace with scenic views, the St. Regis Signature Butler Service and more. The hotel’s backyard is a six-acre botanical green space featuring a children’s play park, dog park and attractive ornamental and water gardens.

The Waldorf Astoria Chicago completed a property-wide renovation project in December 2022. The re-imagined property includes a new signature restaurant, Brass Tack, and a new sultry lobby lounge, Peacock Lounge. The renovation also rebirthed Bernard’s, a cocktail bar that restores a beloved city setting. 

Food + Libations

Newly Open:

Levain Bakery, the New York bakery known for its giant and gooey cookies, opened its first Chicago store in mid-November 2022 in the West Loop. The store’s opening marks the first outside the East Coast market. 

The Chicago Symphony Orchestra debuted its new restaurant and bar, Forte, on December 14, 2022. The new concept comes from a diverse leadership team, which includes Executive Chef Stephanie Salas, formerly of Ohio’s Dayton Golf and Country Club, General Manager Janna Mestan, who helped produce beer festivals, Festival of Barrel Aged Beers and Beer Under Glass, and Director of Operations Elana Kopp, formerly of Land and Sea Dept.

Opening Soon:

Kindling | Downtown Cookout & Cocktails, a new concept from The Fifty/50 Restaurant Group, will open January 24 inside the Catalog at Willis Tower. The live fire show kitchen restaurant, helmed by James Beard Award winner Jonathon Sawyer (formerly of the Four Seasons Hotel’s Adorn Restaurant & Bar), will debut lunch service and happy hour on January 24 and dinner service as of  January 31. 

After debuting Gordon Ramsay Burger in December 2021, celebrity chef and restaurateur Gordon Ramsay, plans to pay homage to one of his most popular TV shows with Gordon Ramsay Hell's Kitchen to open in River North in early 2023. The two-story restaurant will be one of only a handful locations in the U.S. and will include a few unique-to-Chicago menu items.

Diageo Beer Company will open the second location of its Guinness Open Gate Brewery in Chicago’s West Loop neighbourhood later this year. Located  in a revitalized historic railroad depot, the location will include a brewery with tours, taproom, outdoor patio space and restaurant. Some of the beers made on-site will only be available in Chicago. 

Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises has announced the two restaurants that will open at the highly anticipated St. Regis Chicago hotel: The first restaurant, Miru (pronounced mē-rōō) will open Spring 2023 in tandem with the hotel and will showcase Executive Chef Hisanobu Osaka's unique take on Japanese cuisine and boasts two terraces and a dining room that overlooks the Chicago River and Navy Pier. The second restaurant, Tre Dita (pronounced trā dē-tä), Italian for three fingers, is a nod to the thickness of a properly cut bistecca Fiorentina that the restaurant will be serving from its open-hearth wood fired grill. The Tuscan Steakhouse is in collaboration with award-winning Chef Evan Funke (Felix, Mother Wolf) and will open in 2023. 

Exhibitions (Immersive Art + Museums)

The Art Institute of Chicago has a full slate of winter/spring programming. Exhibition highlights include: The Language of Beauty in African Art (Until February 27, 2023) – How has African art been evaluated, valued and by whom? That is the question guiding this presentation of more than 250 sculptures from dozens of distinct cultures across the African continent; and A Field Guide to Photography and Media(until April 10, 2023) – This exhibition celebrates that remarkable history through the Art Institute’s collection and offers an occasion to think anew about the photography’s place in the museum and in the world. 

Color Factory’s winter exhibit, “Winter Colorland,” is open at Catalog at Willis Tower, the new curated dining, entertainment, and community experience in the heart of downtown Chicago. “Winter Colorland” invites guests to grab their sleds, goggles and parkas and slide into some winter whimsy. Visitors can enjoy seasonal treats, brand new photo opportunities and installations, and a ski lift through a confetti snowstorm. Encompassing multi-sensory art experiences inspired by the city’s vibrant culture, the space features brand new installations from local artists and beloved rooms from other locations.

The Immersive King Tut experience continues to impress audiences visiting Lighthouse ArtSpace Chicago, taking visitors on a mythical journey through the ancient Egyptian afterlife.

Chicago’s Museum of Contemporary Art (MCA) welcomes Forecast Form: Art in the Caribbean Diaspora, 1990s–Today (Until April 23, 2023), the first major group exhibition in the United States to envision a new approach to contemporary art in the Caribbean diaspora, foregrounding forms that reveal new modes of thinking about identity and place. 

The Museum of Science and Industry is celebrating their 90th anniversary with a series of dynamic exhibits and new attractions, including Mold-A-Rama™: Molded for the Future (Through late 2023). The exhibit centers on the beloved retro machines that make plastic figurines right before your eyes. The exhibit features a collection of popular, rare and experimental Mold-A-Rama souvenirs from the past with their quirky colours, designs and—of course—signature smell. 

The WNDR Museum-Chicago has launched a pair of new exhibits: Hypercubes, an expanse of infinite and ever-changing lights, and OneMinute by Oseanworld, is inspired by artist Yayoi Kusama’s instantly recognizable pumpkins, art pieces that have become fixtures of contemporary art and popular culture. 

Festivals + Events

The 2023 Chicago St. Patrick’s Day Parade will return on March 11, 2023. The 68th annual celebration’s theme is “Recognizing Workers Rights,” and is sponsored by the Chicago Plumbers Local 130 UA. Featuring the iconic dyeing of the Chicago River green, the upbeat celebration will be broadcast live on ABC 7-Chicago. 

The 2023 Bank of America Chicago Marathon will return on October 8, 2023. This elite athletic event is one of the most prestigious marathons in the world and is one of the six World Marathon Majors. Over 45,000 amateur and elite athletes from all 50 U.S. states and over 100 countries race through 29 of Chicago’s diverse neighbourhoods, cheered by hundreds of thousands of spectators. 

Neighbourhood Attractions + Developments

Art on theMART’s 2023 programming projections will feature two acclaimed artists: Brooklyn-based multi-disciplinary artist Derrick Adams will be joined by Korean artist Dr. Yiyun Kang, whose projection will premiere as a part of the fall 2023 lineup. Additional plans for 2023 include the launch of a guest curator program: a platform for digital curators to commission artists and contribute to Art on theMART’s curatorial vision for 2024.

Construction continues on the Obama Presidential Center in Jackson Park. This amazing world-class museum will bring a spectacular new campus to Chicago’s South Side and provide a fabulous new gathering space for the Hyde Park community and residents. Upon completion, it will feature a museum, library, park and activity center, women’s garden and much more.

The Morton Arboretum’s next large-scale sculpture exhibition, Of the Earth, will feature five exclusive new works by Polish American artist Olga Ziemska, when it opens May 26, 2023. The exhibition will run through spring 2025. In Polish, Ziemska means “of the earth.” Her work will be created from reclaimed tree branches and other natural materials gathered from various locations throughout the Arboretum’s 1,700 acres. 

Meetings, Conventions + Venues

Choose Chicago’s new Meeting Professionals Guide provides planners with everything they need to know about the city’s venues, suppliers, and services. The digital guide also offers information about Chicago as a destination, what’s new throughout the city, and activities happening during your event.

The 2023 Chicago Boat Show returns to McCormick Place Convention Center after a two-year hiatus, January 11-15. 

Theatre + Performing Arts

Broadway In Chicago is proud to produce the following shows as part of its winter/spring roster: Cabaret Zazou’s premiere production Luminaire (tickets currently on sale through April 2023 at Spiegeltent in the Cambria Hotel). Luminaire is designed to dazzle and delight audiences with stunning cirque acts, interactive comedy, captivating vocalists, and a stellar band, complimented by a delicious multi-course meal; Annie (playing March 7-19, 2023, at the Cadillac Palace Theatre), the iconic Tony Award-winning musical, is back with a new North American tour, with a limited Chicago engagement;  Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus LIVE! (playing February 14-19 at the Broadway Playhouse) is the hit Off-Broadway comedy, a one-man fusion of theater and stand-up;     Les Misérables (playing February 15 – March 5, 2023, at the Cadillac Palace Theatre) remains the world’s most popular musical; TINA – The Tina Turner Musical (playing March 14 – April 2, 2023, at the James M. Nederlander Theatre) is an uplifting comeback story like no other; The Book of Mormon (playing March 28 – April 16, 2023, at the Cadillac Palace Theatre), winner of nine Tony Awards, this outrageous musical comedy follows the adventures of a mismatched pair of missionaries, sent halfway across the world to spread the Good Word; A Soldier’s Play (playing April 4 – April 16, 2023, at the CIBC Theatre), has rocketed back into the spotlight, thanks to this 2020 Tony Award®-winning Best Revival from Roundabout Theatre Company; and  Jagged Little Pill (playing April 11 – April 23, 2023, at the James M. Nederlander Theatre), is an exhilarating, fearless new musical based on Alanis Morissette’s world-changing music.

The second annual Chicago Cabaret Week, May 12-20, 2023, will showcase productions at clubs and theaters throughout Chicago and the suburbs. This nine-day festival features a lineup of Chicago's top cabaret artists performing blues, jazz, burlesque, R&B, spoken word, comedy, Broadway, American Songbook and world music. 

Chicago Shakespeare Theater’s upcoming shows include: Wurthering Heights (January 27 – February 19, 2023): Groundbreaking theater maker Emma Rice returns with an exuberant reimagining of Emily Brontë’s gothic masterpiece, Wuthering Heights; and The Comedy of Errors (March 9 – April 16, 2023): In her final production as artistic director, Barbara Gaines revisits her signature interpretation of Shakespeare’s riotous comedy with newly rewritten scenes penned by Second City veteran Ron West. 

Riccardo Muti returns to the Chicago Symphony Orchestra in September to open the 2022/23 season, his 13th (and culminating) season of artistic collaboration as music director. His three-week residency includes three subscription concert programs and the annual Symphony Ball Gala concert. 

iO Theater will bring the long-running and critically acclaimed Improvised Shakespeare Company back to Chicago on January 13, 2023, with its hit show, Improvised Shakespeare Chicago. Improvised Shakespeare became a Chicago favourite when it began its run at the iO Theater in 2006, playing for more than 2,100 performances. The new iteration will play every Friday and Saturday night at 8 p.m. through March 3. 

The Joffrey Ballet remounts Yuri Possokhov’s blockbuster Anna Karenina at the historic Lyric Opera House for the first time since its crowd-pleasing world premiere in 2019. Ten performances will take place from February 15-26. Anna Karenina features live music performed by the Lyric Opera Orchestra, conducted by Scott Speck, the Joffrey’s Music Director. 

The Black Ensemble Theater’s 2023 “Season of Excellence” continues with: Reasons: A Tribute to Earth, Wind and Fire (February 25 - April 16, 2023): Reasons takes audiences on a journey of how Earth, Wind, and Fire was formed from their humble beginnings, to become the musical revolutionaries that changed the course of music. 

Sports

For the first time ever, the sights, sounds, and speed of NASCAR are coming to downtown Chicago on July 1-2, 2023. Chicago will add another chapter to its illustrious sports history when the NASCAR Cup Series Street Race and music festival debuts against the backdrop of Lake Michigan and Grant Park, televised on NBC.Reserved ticket packages for the 2023 NASCAR Chicago Street Race Weekend are now on sale. Concert announcements and general admission sales will go on sale later this year.

The PGA TOUR announced that the 16th Presidents Cup will be held at the Medinah Country Cluboutside of Chicago in 2026. Medinah is the fifth different venue in the United States to host the Presidents Cup and adds the biennial team event to an illustrious list of tournaments hosted at Course #3 that include the 2019 BMW Championship, 2012 Ryder Cup, two PGA Championships, three U.S. Opens, the 1988 U.S. Senior Open, three Western Opens (BMW Championship), and a number of other professional championships.