Riot Fest has officially entered peak festival nonsense, and quite frankly, we’re completely here for it.
The Chicago festival has launched a gloriously bizarre William Shatner billboard competition, giving one lucky fan the chance to get their face plastered alongside the legendary Star Trek actor — while also bagging one of the wildest festival prizes imaginable.
VIP Riot Fest tickets. For life.
Yes, mun.
Not for one weekend.
Not for next year.
FOR. LIFE. 🤯🔥
Somewhere out there, one festival fan could potentially still be strolling into Riot Fest VIP decades from now, telling confused youngsters:
“Yeah, I won this because I Photoshopped myself next to Captain Kirk.”
Festival culture really is beautiful sometimes.
🖖 WILLIAM SHATNER + RIOT FEST = ABSOLUTE CHAOS
The competition has been created as Riot Fest prepares to welcome William Shatner for what promises to be one of the most wonderfully unexpected moments of the festival.
And naturally, things haven’t exactly been normal.
Apparently inspired by Shatner’s rider demands ahead of his metal debut at Riot Fest, organisers decided to turn one particularly bonkers request into a full-blown fan competition.
The idea?
Get William Shatner onto a massive billboard alongside a Riot Fest fan.
Simple.
Completely ridiculous.
Absolutely brilliant. 😂
Rather than quietly sorting the billboard themselves, Riot Fest has thrown the whole thing open to the public.
Fans are being invited to grab the supplied billboard template, unleash their Photoshop skills and insert themselves alongside the legendary actor.
And if your creation catches the attention of Riot Fest and Shatner himself?
You could end up becoming part of festival history.
🎨 HOW TO ENTER THE RIOT FEST WILLIAM SHATNER CONTEST
Entering is wonderfully straightforward.
Fans need to:
- 🎨 Photoshop themselves and William Shatner into the official billboard design
- 💻 Upload the finished entry through RiotFest.org
- 📱 Post the image on a social media platform
- 🖖 Tag both Riot Fest and William Shatner
- 🤘 Sit back and hope Captain Kirk appreciates your Photoshop masterpiece
Both Riot Fest and William Shatner need to be tagged on the social media post for the entry to be considered valid.
So don’t spend three hours creating the Mona Lisa of festival billboards only to forget the tags, butt. 😂
That would be painful.
🏆 THE PRIZE IS COMPLETELY BONKERS
Now let’s talk about the bit that’s going to have Riot Fest regulars frantically opening Photoshop.
The winner gets their face displayed alongside William Shatner on an actual Riot Fest billboard.
Already pretty ridiculous.
Already fantastic.
But then Riot Fest decided that clearly wasn’t enough.
The winning fan will also receive:
🎟️ VIP RIOT FEST TICKETS FOR LIFE
Read that again.
For life.
That is an absolutely outrageous prize.
We’re talking years — potentially decades — of wandering into Riot Fest with VIP access while your mates stare at you with the sort of jealousy normally reserved for people who mysteriously get upgraded to first class.
You could win this thing in 2026 and still potentially be telling the story years down the road.
“Why do you get VIP every year?”
“Oh, Captain Kirk picked me.”
Unbeatable. 😂🖖
🎸 SHATNER GOES METAL
Of course, the whole thing becomes even stranger when you remember exactly why William Shatner is involved with Riot Fest in the first place.
The legendary actor is preparing for a metal debut.
Yes.
William Shatner. Heavy metal. Riot Fest.
Welcome to 2026.
Shatner has spent decades refusing to be predictable, dipping into music alongside an acting career that made him one of the most recognisable figures in science-fiction history.
But stepping into the world of metal at Riot Fest?
That’s another level entirely.
Forget boldly going where no man has gone before.
We’re heading towards:
“Boldly going where somebody has definitely installed a double-kick pedal.”
🥁😂
🤘 ONLY RIOT FEST
This competition feels wonderfully appropriate for Riot Fest.
Plenty of festivals run giveaways.
Win some merch.
Win a pair of weekend tickets.
Win a meet-and-greet.
Maybe grab some backstage access if the festival gods are smiling.
But Riot Fest has effectively gone:
“Stick yourself on a billboard with William Shatner and we’ll potentially give you VIP festival access forever.”
That’s not a competition.
That’s a fever dream.
And we respect it enormously. 😂🔥
🎨 PHOTOSHOP SKILLS AT THE READY
The challenge should produce some properly ridiculous entries too.
There’s absolutely no way Riot Fest fans are going to calmly Photoshop themselves standing next to Shatner.
We’re expecting:
Spaceships.
Guitars.
Explosions.
Aliens.
Mosh pits.
Probably somebody Photoshopping Shatner crowd-surfing through the Enterprise.
Somebody will absolutely go too far.
And that’s precisely why we want to see it.
🖖 WHO PICKS THE WINNER?
The winning design will ultimately be chosen by Riot Fest and William Shatner, meaning Captain Kirk himself could potentially be deciding whose face ends up beside his on a giant billboard.
Imagine explaining that one at work.
“Why are you checking your phone every thirty seconds?”
“Waiting to see if William Shatner liked my Photoshop.”
Fair enough.
Carry on.
😂
The winner will be announced at a later date once the entries have been reviewed.
🎟️ LIFETIME FESTIVAL ACCESS? YES PLEASE.
Lifetime festival tickets are the kind of prize most music fans can only dream about.
Festivals come and go.
Line-ups change.
Bands reunite.
Bands split.
Someone inevitably complains about the price of beer.
But knowing you’ve got VIP access waiting for you year after year?
That is properly special.
Imagine looking through Riot Fest announcements years into the future and never needing to think:
“Can I afford the ticket?”
Because Captain Kirk sorted you out back in 2026.
Absolute scenes.
🤘 THE RIFF REPORT VERDICT
We see plenty of festival competitions here at The Riff Report.
Some are decent.
Some are brilliant.
And some involve William Shatner, giant billboards and lifetime VIP tickets.
There’s only one winner there.
Riot Fest has managed to turn a ridiculous rider request into one of the funniest and most desirable festival competitions we’ve seen in ages.
So fire up Photoshop.
Find your finest photograph.
Prepare to insert yourself beside one of the most recognisable actors on the planet.
And remember those all-important social tags.
Because somewhere out there, somebody could soon have their face looming above Chicago while also owning VIP Riot Fest tickets for the rest of their life.
That’s not bad for a bit of Photoshop, mun.
🖖🔥🤘
Proudly Welsh. Proudly Loud. Zero Apologies.
Michael is the founder, editor, and chief riff wrangler behind The Riff Report, an independent Welsh rock and metal publication built by fans, for fans. With a lifelong passion for loud guitars, unforgettable live shows, and the incredible community that surrounds rock and metal, he created The Riff Report to celebrate everything that makes the scene special—from legendary headline acts and grassroots venues to rising bands that deserve to be heard.
A familiar face at festivals across the UK, Michael spends much of the year covering events including Download Festival, Bloodstock Open Air, Steelhouse Festival, Firevolt, Plumpton Revival, and many more. Whether he’s battling the Welsh weather on a mountainside, surviving a weekend in a muddy campsite, or squeezed against the front barrier with thousands of fellow fans, he’s always searching for the next great story to share.
As editor of The Riff Report, Michael writes festival guides, breaking news, album reviews, gig reviews, interviews, opinion pieces, nostalgia features, and behind-the-scenes stories from across the rock and metal world. His writing combines honest opinions, humour, and a genuine love for live music, bringing readers closer to the bands, festivals, venues, and people that keep the scene alive.
Michael is particularly passionate about supporting independent artists, local venues, charities, and the wider UK rock and metal community. He believes every band deserves a chance to be discovered and every festival has a story worth telling. Through The Riff Report, he aims to shine a spotlight on both the biggest names in rock and the future stars waiting to break through.
When he’s not writing or interviewing artists, you’ll probably find him exploring festival campsites, photographing live shows, chatting with fellow fans over a pint, or planning the next road trip in search of more riffs, bigger crowds, and unforgettable moments.
Above all, Michael believes rock and metal are about more than music—they’re about community, friendship, and creating memories that last a lifetime. That’s exactly what The Riff Report exists to celebrate.
Proudly Welsh. Proudly Loud. Always chasing the next great riff. 🤘
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