Saturdays at 9:00 pm
Unique weekly series featuring songs, silliness, and show tunes
Original and offbeat, this three-hour Saturday night romp presents fresh new singer-songwriters alongside well-known artists who have played at Chicago area clubs, concert venues, festivals, and on the comedy scene. Inclusive, high-energy, and always entertaining, The Midnight Special offers listeners a lively potpourri of folk songs, ballads and blues, showtunes, spoken word, and hilarious novelty routines. Escape into the stories, experience the emotions, and let loose with a good guffaw whenever you tune in. Get onboard here, on wfmt.com, or use the WFMT app. The Midnight Special first aired in 1953 with Mike Nichols as host. View The Midnight Special archived playlists.
You might also be interested in WFMT's weekly series Folkstage featuring a one-hour folk concert.
The player below includes a continuous three hour loop of the most recent The Midnight Special episode to be joined in progress. Listen to the past two weeks of The Midnight Special here.
Women’s History Continues…
A birthday salute to trailblazers Gloria Steinem, Bonnie Guitar and other history-making women.
Tomfoolery for April Fools’ Day!
Anticipate Tom Lehrer’s 95th birthday and have a few laughs with folk fun.
Season of Renewal
Music for Easter and Passover, plus a sprinkling of songs about April showers, blue skies and rainbows including Yip Harburg and Harold Arlen’s Wizard of Oz classic.
We get the job done!
Songs that do the work, make it pay, and take care of business on tax day. Live on-air pledge drive, too.
This Island, Earth
For Earth Day, songs about caring for our planet as we feel the pull of spring fever.
Making Plans
Songs about planning ahead, great expectations, and anticipating what lies ahead.
