<p>When the 2026 Summer Smash lineup was announced, Cole Bennett <a class="Link" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DXFhQkKkkde/?img_index=2" target="_blank" ><u>posted an Instagram video</u></a> of the flyer being delicately assembled, by hand, from cardboard and paper.</p><p>Organizing the festival also requires a deft touch.</p><p>“There's so much that goes into it, booking so many artists and making sure everyone feels comfortable,” said Bennett, 30, who <a class="Link" href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/music/2026/06/11/cole-bennett-summer-smash-hip-hop-festivals-chicago-chief-keef-juice-wrld-eminem" >co-founded the festival</a> eight years ago with Berto Solorio under the Lyrical Lemonade brand. “It’s surgery. It’s a piece of art that you're building and curating.”</p><p>Returning to Bridgeview’s SeatGeek Stadium Friday through Sunday, Summer Smash boasts a strong lineup of headliners, including Playboi Carti, Lil Uzi Vert, Chief Keef and Baby Keem.