After a slow start, we’ve come to regard Lollapalooza with affection. The kids who flock to Chicago (more than 100,000 per day this year, reportedly) are a fun crew, their destination instantly recognizable from their sparkly, skimpy attire wherever we encountered them in the city this weekend (usually peering into their phones, trying to find their Ubers). And, of course, they spend a lot of money around town, especially in and around Chicago’s Loop, which needs their support. We’d expect the economic impact of the festival this year to be somewhere around $500 million, if not more.
Over the years, Lollapalooza has turned into a good Chicago citizen and, with apologies to Coachella, which has a broader cultural mandate, has become North America’s equivalent of Glastonbury, the massive outdoor British festival, which makes news in the entertainment business every year, often by slating such things as final farewells from the likes of Elton John and Rod Stewart, the pairings of iconic artists and young artists showing respect for previous generations.
We saw some of that last phenomenon this year at Lolla, when young, female headliners such as Gracie Abrams brought out Robyn, Olivia Rodrigo introduced Weezer and Sabrina Carpenter surprised attendees with Earth, Wind & Fire, a retro band that also happens to be playing Ravinia on Thursday night. We hope that, for all our mutual benefits, Lolla keeps its focus on those deft kinds of surprises.
The Chicago Police Department tells us that this year’s festival went off without any significant trouble, beyond what you might reasonably expect when that many humans gather in one place. There were only 12 total arrests over the four nights, which is minimal; zero tickets issued (not a typo) and 42 ambulance reports, which is way down from previous years (in 2021, for example, there were 102 transports). The cooler weather likely helped, but this is all good news.
It could well be that the disruptions caused to downtown residents by the now-departed NASCAR, which actually involved city streets and resulted in lengthy closures, has made us better appreciate Lollapalooza, which mostly confines itself to established festival grounds. We also always appreciate the effort to bring in local food operations, such as Fatso’s Last Stand and the family-owned Bacci Pizzeria. And we heard from out-of-towners who were impressed with this year’s drone show — especially how well it framed the real Willis Tower, if you had the right angle.
Better yet, the aftershows at venues all over town were hopping this past weekend, from the Salt Shed to Radius and from Schubas Tavern to Lincoln Hall. Past concerns about the big event locking up acts with exclusive deals in protected territory haven’t entirely gone away, but with this many people at so successful a festival, it’s now clear that the smaller venues in Chicago generally have decided it’s better to join the four-night party than stand against it. The Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events could do more to use the Lolla base for the benefit of the whole city and get attendees to stay for a week or more.
Still, much as we often detail Chicago’s problems in this space, we also know that its gorgeous skyline can seduce a young visitor like nowhere else in the Midwest. Huge benefits accrue, not just in terms of tourism but when it comes to attracting new residents, when young pop stars with tens of millions of followers post love letters to our town, as when Carpenter posted “thank you, Chicago. Wow.” Carpenter also made specific reference to Chicago in her set, mimicking a Chicago news station.
Rodrigo found her way to Wrigley Field this weekend and we heard tell of a certain young Chicago Cubs star present at Lollapalooza, too. Simply put, this was a weekend for the spotlight to find a way through the haze and shine on the beauty, action and artistry of a Chicago summer.
Glastonbury is taking the year off in 2026 to allow the natural land to recover. Thanks to our urban setting and the hard work of those who tend to its grounds, Lollapalooza does not have that problem. It’ll be back — and we’re happy about that.
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