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 Midnight Special is available for free streaming in two different ways – live during the broadcast and on demand via the rights-compliant 5-hour, non-interactive player below within two weeks of the broadcast.
Historic Match-Ups
The anniversary of the 1960 Nixon/Kennedy debate in Chicago prompts a show centered on unusual pairings and compatible duos.
Reaching for the Heights
Songs about skyscrapers, city skylines, and other things that are very tall.
Chicago Music Icons
A cavalcade of covers and treasured recordings by John Prine on his 80th birth anniversary. Also, a set dedicated to the late Chicago music icon Oscar Brown, Jr., on his centenary.
Made in Chicago
A celebration of music and other art forms rooted in ChiTown during WFMT’s member drive, including a centenary salute to Chuck Berry who recorded “Johnny B. Goode” at Chess Records on Michigan Avenue.
This Train…
All aboard The Midnight Special during the live – and lively! – WFMT membership drive.
Into the Mystical
Music of the unseen including disappearing acts and phantoms for Halloween on the 100th anniversary of Harry Houdini’s death.
