Hundreds of thousands from across the country flock to Lollapalooza
Lollapalooza kicks off at Grant Park
Lollapalooza is back and it's turning up the volume like never before.
CHICAGO - Lollapalooza is here!
What to expect:
Roughly 100,000 people flocked to Grant Park Thursday for nonstop music and a chance to see their favorite artists at Chicago's largest festival.
The gates officially opened at 11 a.m. in Grant Park, when SkyFox captured fans flooding into the festival grounds.
Through Sunday, more than 170 artists will perform across eight stages.
Headlining this year: Tyler the Creator, Luke Combs, Olivia Rodrigo, Korn, Rufus de Sol, Twice, Sabrina Carpenter, and A$AP Rocky.
Keeping festival-goers safe from morning until night, Chicago Police officers are staged in and around the park, along with medics from the Chicago Fire Department, and other first responders.
Lollapalooza brings fans from near and far together each summer, while also funneling hundreds of millions of dollars into our economy.
Lollapalooza fans arrive early for music fest, so what's the plan?
Lollapalooza kicks off Thursday morning in Chicago's Grant Park, and concertgoers were in line early hoping to get the best spots.
What they're saying:
Many festival-goers come up with a game plan before getting inside, which often includes food, water, coffee, and a mission to stake out a spot near the stage.
"Up close as possible, I know there's a lot of people, but we're going to move our way up there," said Zion Bateman.
"Barricade all the way. I'm all for the barricade," said Ziyaan Nurruddin. "This is my first Lollapalooza ever, so I'm really excited to see all these fresh new artists, and artists we've already seen and see them in a different setting and just enjoying the outdoors with other like-minded individuals."
It's a rush that won't hit pause until Sunday.
"The people bring the vibe, everyone comes from out of town, it's a beautiful experience," said Joe Smith.
Some fans, including the Wildes who are visiting from Milwaukee, haven't missed a beat in years.
"During COVID, we sat on the couch, we were watching these kids going to these festivals, we were like, they're having the time of their lives, we're going to do that," said Dan Wilde.
"And we feel like camp counselors who are off duty, we keep an eye on the kids but we're not actually in charge," added Sherry Wilde.
Between clear bags, fans, and fancy fit checks, Lolla-goers came ready for the heat and the hype!
"I really haven't ever been to the City of Chicago, so I took it as a really good experience to travel a bit, and I've heard a lot of great things about the food and overall great experience here," Austin Kelley said.
"Lolla is all about meeting new people, hanging out with a lot of people and mixing cultures and everything, so it's really nice," Sumedh Hanamantappa said.
If you're attending:
Single-day tickets are still available, starting at $189. If you're planning on buying a ticket, don't get scammed. Here are common rip-offs that the Better Business Bureau is warning festival-goers about.
For those heading to Grant Park, there are a ton of transportation options. Just be wary of several street closures that could make your life difficult.
Here's a list of what you can and can't bring to Lollapalooza.
A massive part of the Lollapalooza fun takes place outside festival grounds with dozens of after parties and special shows being held across the city.
Are you going for the first time? Chicago Sun-Times reporter Selena Fragassi, who has been documenting the festival for years, breaks down some of Lolla's historic moments and gives you an idea of what to expect.
Chicago reporter on 20 years of capturing Lollapalooza | ChicagoNOW
This guest has had a front row pass to Lollapalooza the last 20 years. Selena Fragassi is a Chicago-based reporter who has been attending and/or covering the festival since it found a home in the city after years as a traveling festival. She joins us to tell us about her experience.
Today's Lollapalooza lineup
Who you can see:
Tonight's headliners are Tyler the Creator and Luke Combs. Tap here for the Lolla day-by-day lineup. The rest of Thursday's performers include:
- Gracie Abrams
- Dom Dolla
- Cage The Elephant
- Sierra Ferrell
- Role Model
- Mau P
- Royel Otis
- Barry Can't Swim
- Magdalena Bay
- 2hollis
- Cloonee
- Alex Warren
- Overmono
- Xdinary Heroes
- The Blessed Madonna
- Half-Alive
- Mark Ambor
- Fcukers
- Matt Champion
- Glass Beams
- Prospa
- Julie Durand
- Bernarr
- Azzecca
- Ratboys
- Nourished By Time
- Sunami
- Black Party
- The Droptines
- Silly Goose
- The Symposium
- Torren Foot b2b Airwolf Paradise
- Jade LeMac
- DJ Heather
- Yana
- Xaviersobased
- Colby Acuff
- Bo Staloch
- Alexsucks
- Chicago Made
- Girl Tones
The Source: The information in this report came from Lollapalooza and previous FOX 32 reporting.