The annual summer music festival Lollapalooza returned to Grant Park in Chicago for four days in 2026. The gigantic gathering of over 450,000 attendees kicked off on July 30 as the crowd entered the gates.
There was a great deal of territory for music lovers to cover with over 170 artists playing on eight different stages. The boundaries of Lollapalooza span from Michigan Ave. to DuSable Lake Shore Dr. and from Roosevelt Rd. to Monroe St.
One of the early bands to rock on Thursday was Kim Theory the Airbnb stage. This riot grrrl-inspired quartet is comprised of four females who have played together for two years. Singer Audrey Cymon told Windy City Times backstage that their group name comes from Sonic Youth’s Kim Gordon, The Breeders’ Kim Deal and The Muffs’ Kim Shattuck.
Another early time slot was filled with queer frontwoman Michelle Buzz, holding court as Haute & Freddy with an entertaining extravaganza of a circus act. This preceded 5 Seconds of Summer on the T-Mobile stage, where the ensemble was joined by “Back to Friends” singer Sombr serving as a warmup before his set.
Overlapping Sombr, Irish musician CMAT approached the topic of online body shaming, and dynamic duo Empire of the Sun executed an electronic set at the same time as queer-fronted band Wet Leg rocked out at Allianz.
Lorde closed down the first day of Lollapalooza with a dramatic rendition of several radio hits and brought out Charli XCX to perform a remix of “Girl, So Confusing.”
On July 31, revelers celebrated Friday with viral hitmaker Claire Rosinkranz, who supplied a sunny disposition in the afternoon. She talked to WCT about performing barefoot on the Allianz stage; Claire confessed, “It makes me feel grounded and it has become a necessity for me when I play live music.”
Other young people who slayed on Friday included Stranger Things star Finn Wolfhard and British pansexual performer Yungblud.
Thanks to her ravenous LGBTQ+ fanbase, solo singer Zara Larsson was shifted to a later time, and bisexual electro pop princess Slayyyter was moved to a bigger stage due to demand.
Similar in style to Slayyyter but with softer vocals, Ivri had to compete for attention from bunny-ear-wearing fans at the nearby shaded BMI stage. The indie pop singer told Windy City Times that she was excited to see Julia Wolf and Lil Uzi Vert at Lollapalooza. Uzi set was canceled, but he still made a surprise appearance during Major Lazer’s performance on Perry’s stage.
The second night of the festival closed with Charli XCX and The Smashing Pumpkins vying for attention on opposite ends of the festival grounds. Throughout the history of Lolla, musicians will often invite a special guest to accompany them onstage. Pop star Olivia Rodrigo joined The Smashing Pumpkins for their nighttime set to collaborate on the song “Thirty-Three” and finish day two.
Heavy overnight rains plagued Saturday’s festivities, so doors remained closed until 3 p.m. and acts were shifted to later with shortened time slots.
The landscape of Lolla led local Lindsay Perrin to organize a last-minute lesbian mud wrestling event where, after a tussle, the competitors ended with a makeout session while being surrounded by spectators. This was the perfect in-your-face match in the mire in opposition to the small group of anti-gay protesters outside of the festival gate.
One attendee, Chloe Bahna, was trapped knee-deep in the sludge and the festival staff had to pull her free after fencing her off from a horde of people.
The tumultuous weather couldn’t stop Sienna Spiro followers from packing into the Airbnb area for 45 minutes to attempt to see the spirited English singer.
Southern goth trans performer Ethel Cain maintained a full hour-long set at Bud Light and Canadian rapper bbno$ brought his bestie Yung Gravy in to accompany him at the Tito’s Handmade Vodka stage at 8 p.m then at 9:15 p.m., DJ Trixie Mattel served political shade during her set.
Best New Artist Grammy Award winner Olivia Dean closed down the T-Mobile stage while South Korean singer Jennie turned off the lights on the Bud Light stage.
Sunday, Aug. 2 started the day with Sunshine at noon. Pontiac, Illinois rapper Sunshine Benzi spoke with WCT following her presentation of the viral TikTok song “Trump the Bill” on the Airbnb stage.
Named after Mercedes-Benz, the solo artist confessed that she had previously been unable to afford to attend Lollapalooza and was honored to be a performer. She stated, “I have always been a pioneer for the LGBTQ+ community and they support me so much. I would be nowhere without the dolls and this industry would be nowhere without them. I’m here for the queer girls, the gays and the theys.”
Other local Illinois talent was represented at the music fest by Naperville native John Summit and Barrington band The Braymores, named after Braymore Court, a street in Inverness, Illinois.
Queer R&B musician Destin Conrad took the crowd to church at the Allianz stage up against six-piece band Surfing for Daisy on the BMI stage. Daisy singer Nick Francis told Windy City Times that he’s a surfer and Daisy is named after his adopted dog.
New Zealand soulful singer Will Swinton also spoke with this publication about his humble beginnings of vocalizing over YouTube tracks. The success of “Flames” after Kelly Clarkson covered it on her show, he described as “unreal,” and his favorite group to see at Lollapalooza was Wunderhorse viewed from the Tito’s Lounge.
Muna, comprised of a queer trio, competed for attention against Wunderhorse on the T-Mobile stage and lead singer Katie Gavin spoke out against Donald Trump and ICE on the mic.
Queer Filipino indie singer Beabadoobee followed their act and set the stage for the headliner Tate McRae. The Canadian Britney Spears of Lollapalooza proved popular with choreographed dance moves and fast-selling merchandise worn by her diehard fanatics labeled as Tater Tots.
The openly gay co-lead band The xx closed down the long weekend as the final act on the opposite end of the grounds from McRae.
Outside of the festival, over 50 official aftershows were held in venues across Chicago and subscribers of Disney+ and Hulu could watch at home with a livestream to avoid the challenges that accompany an outdoor music festival.
The extraordinary and immersive experience known as Lollapalooza will forever be remembered for historic sets like SB19 as the first Filipino group to perform at the festival, a new 112-Ferris wheel for patrons to ride was acquired and a tapestry of LGBTQ+ influence was woven throughout the weekend in 2026.
