Chicago officials issue safety guidelines ahead of Lollapalooza
CHICAGO - There is lots of excitement in the air with Lollapalooza kicking off Thursday.
Dozens of people were in line Wednesday getting tickets for the four-day event, which is expected to attract massive crowds — up to 100-thousand people each night.
The iconic music festival known worldwide features over 170 bands, along with some pretty big names including Metallica, J. Cole and Green Day.
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Here’s what attendees must know: Festival boundaries extend from Michigan Avenue to Lake Shore Drive, and Roosevelt Road to Randolph Street.
Concertgoers will be subject to an airport-style search, including pat downs. Absolutely no book bags or purses with multiple pockets are allowed — clear bags only!
Rich Giudice of the Office of Emergency Management says public safety remains their top priority.
"For an event of this magnitude, you'll have a Forward Command Post on site. You'll see a lot of the steel fencing around the venue itself, you'll see 8-foot fencing, 12-foot fencing, you'll see jersey wall, you'll see salt trucks, and we have hundreds of cameras within the footprint of the permitter itself and outside an expanded footprint of the permitter," Guidice said.
In addition, Metra says they anticipate more than 100-thousand riders traveling into downtown. Riders are advised to download the Ventra ap for quicker access to trains. They’ve also got some discounted pricing for tickets.
Finally, motorists, pedestrians and residents must be aware of the street closures that will be in effect.