Totally Tubular Festival at RiverEdge Park

Straight up, so nobody wastes a tank of gas: this one is not in Naperville. The Totally Tubular Festival plays RiverEdge Park at 360 N Broadway in Aurora on Sunday, August 16, which is roughly a 20 minute drive west of downtown Naperville. We are covering it anyway, because RiverEdge is the closest large outdoor concert venue to town and every Naperville music fan should have it on the radar.

The festival is a touring package of 1980s new wave and synth pop acts, and the 2026 bill is deep. Gates open at 5 p.m., the show starts at 7 p.m., and tickets run from $45 for general admission to $195 for the VIP package. It is an all ages show. If you spent any part of the 1980s with a cassette player, you already know whether this is for you.

Who Is Actually Playing

The Paramount’s own event page lists the 2026 lineup as Thomas Dolby and The Lost Toy People, A Flock of Seagulls, Men Without Hats, The Producers, Animotion, The Escape Club and Tommy Tutone.

Seven acts in one evening tells you the format immediately: this is a revue, not a headliner with two openers. Sets are short, the pace stays quick, and you get the songs rather than the deep cuts. For a $45 general admission ticket, the collective singles catalog standing on that stage is a genuinely good deal.

Touring package lineups do occasionally shift between announcement and show day. If one specific act is your entire reason for going, confirm on the Paramount’s event page before you buy.

Tickets, Gates, and How the Night Runs

Additional fees apply to phone and online orders, so the number on the screen will not be the number on your card.

RiverEdge is a general admission venue. The area directly in front of the stage is standing room only, and the rest of the park is open for bag chairs and blankets on the grass. That two hour gap between gates and showtime is not dead time, it is the entire point: people arrive early, claim a patch of lawn, and eat.

• Date: Sunday, August 16, 2026
• Gates: 5 p.m.
• Show: 7 p.m.
• General admission: $45
• VIP package: $195
• Ages: all ages
• Venue: RiverEdge Park, 360 N Broadway, Aurora

Plan Your Visit: Getting There from Naperville

The drive west is short, and the parking situation is better than you would expect for a venue this size, as long as you pick the right lot.

That Route 59 tip is the one Naperville readers should pay closest attention to. Route 59 sits on the same BNSF Metra line that runs through downtown Naperville, and Aurora is the western end of it. Weekend service is thinner than weekday service, so check the Sunday timetable and, more importantly, confirm there is a train home after a show that runs late before you commit to the plan.

• Free lots, with a catch: the City of Aurora River Street lots at 309 N River St are free, and you reach the park by pedestrian bridge. Time limits differ by lot: Lot W allows 10 hours, Lots X and A allow 6, and Lot Y allows only 2. For a 5 p.m. gate and a show running into the night, Lot W is the one you want. Lot Y will not cover a concert.
• Cheap paid option: the Aurora Transportation Center overflow lot at 130 N Lincoln Ave is $2, with pay stations taking cash or card.
• Closest paid option: the Aurora Transportation Center main lot at 233 N Broadway is $10 and sits directly across from the park. Spaces are limited.
• Take the train instead: the venue itself recommends parking at the Route 59 Metra southwest lot, 1090 North Route 59, for $2 to $3, then riding 12 minutes to the Aurora Transportation Center for about $7 on weekends. The Transportation Center is across the street from RiverEdge, so you walk right in without touching Aurora traffic.

What You Can Bring Into the Park

RiverEdge is unusually reasonable about outside food, which is worth planning around given those two hours between gates and the first act. A cooler and a blanket turns the pre show into a picnic on the Fox River.

• Bags: one personal purse or satchel, plus one bag, cooler or backpack no larger than 12 inches in any dimension.
• Food: outside food is welcome and soft collapsible coolers are permitted. Pack dinner.
• Drinks: no outside beverages, with the exception of two sealed bottles of unflavored water per person.
• Seating: bring bag chairs, which must be non-reclining and no taller than shoulder height, or a blanket for the grass. Some events cap blanket size at 4 feet by 4 feet.
• Re-entry: allowed at each gated entrance with a wristband or stamp.

The Totally Tubular Festival plays RiverEdge Park, 360 N Broadway in Aurora, on Sunday, August 16, with gates at 5 p.m. and the show at 7 p.m. Tickets run $45 to $195 plus fees, and it is an all ages show. It is roughly a 20 minute drive west of Naperville, or a short Metra ride from Route 59 if you would rather skip the parking entirely. Confirm the lineup, pricing and venue policies on the Paramount Theatre’s official event page before you buy, since touring packages and park rules can both change.

Event Details At-A-Glance

• When: Sunday, August 16, 2026, 7:00 PM–11:00 PM
• Where: RiverEdge Park
• Address: 360 N Broadway, Aurora, IL 60505, United States
• Admission: $45–$195
• Organizer: Paramount Theatre / RiverEdge Park
• Tickets / info: Get details

Dates, times, and pricing can change. Confirm the latest details on the official event page before making plans.

Looking for more? Explore other things to do in Naperville or browse the full Naperville events calendar.