Around 400,000 people stream into Grant Park every year for Lollapalooza, making it one of Chicago’s most popular summer events. As thousands of fans from around the world prepare for this year’s event, we look back at where it all began and why so many people make the pilgrimage each year.
What Is Lollapalooza?
Lollapalooza is a four-day music festival held in Grant Park each summer in the first week of August. The event celebrates musical diversity with performers from an eclectic range of genres, from hip-hop to alternative rock, entertaining crowds each year.
Lollapalooza’s headlining acts play one of two main stages. A staggered schedule minimizes sound bleed and lets fans move between the stages to ensure they don’t miss a moment. Side stages, which showcase the talents of up-and-coming artists, and a dance tent dedicated to electronic music complement the main stages.
The festival fosters a family-friendly atmosphere and has a special area, dubbed Kidzapalooza, especially for mini music fans. Here, children can enjoy kid-friendly musical performances, music workshops, and interactive art displays.
The Origins of Lollapalooza
Jane’s Addiction frontman Perry Farrell created Lollapalooza in 1991. At its inception, Lollapalooza was a multicity festival intended to be the band’s farewell tour. Farrell called the big hurrah Lollapalooza, an old-fashioned word meaning extraordinarily impressive, which he’d heard in a Three Stooges movie. This initial tour made stops at 20 cities throughout the United States and Canada. It was such a success that Farrell decided to make Lollapalooza an annual event.
Who Played the First Lollapalooza?
Farrell assembled an exciting lineup for the first Lollapalooza, including:
- Jane’s Addiction
- Rollins Band
- Nine Inch Nails
- Ice-T and Body Count
- Siouxsie and the Banshees
- Living Colour
- Butthole Surfers
How Has Lollapalooza Changed Over the Years?
Lollapalooza has evolved to become the leading Chicago festival it is today. Below, we shine a spotlight on some of the key changes in Lollapalooza’s history.
From Touring Festival to Iconic Chicago Event
Lollapalooza was a touring festival from its creation in 1991 until its first cancellation in 1998. The festival toured again in 2003, but the financial concerns that plagued the event in the late ‘90s persisted, and organizers canned a 2004 tour. In 2005, Lollapalooza founder Farrell found new backers and revived his festival concept as a destination event held at Chicago’s Grant Park. Farrell chose Chicago for several reasons, including its accessibility for music lovers across the United States and its liberal and open-minded population.
More Stages Join the Festival
The first Lollapalooza featured a single stage. However, in 1992, organizers moved to the multistage concept that’s used today. Adding an additional main stage minimized delays between bands and helped the festival expand its lineup.
More Days, More Fun
While the modern-day Lollapalooza has significantly scaled down from the original 20-city extravaganza, it’s grown since moving to its Grant Park home. The original Grant Park festival in 2005 was a two-day event. It was so popular that organizers decided to add a third day when it returned in 2006. In 2016, Lollapalooza became the four-day festival we know and love today.
More Artists to Discover
The addition of new stages and more days has helped Lollapalooza significantly expand its lineup. From just seven acts in its first year, Lollapalooza has grown to showcase the talents of more than 100 acts at its Grant Park venue each year.
From Alternative Rock to a Multigenre Celebration
As Lollapalooza’s lineup has expanded, so has the festival’s musical scope. While it remains committed to alternative rock, modern Lollapalooza lineups also include pop, folk, soul, and electronic acts that wouldn’t have appeared at earlier events.
More Tiered Ticket Options
Early Lollapaloozas had a single general admission (GA) ticket option, which gave all attendees equal access to the stages. However, now Lollapalooza sells VIP and Platinum tickets, which come with a range of perks, including lounges and special viewing areas near the front of the stage. This means that attendees with GA tickets need to arrive earlier to secure a prime position.
More Focus on Giving Back
Evolving from a touring festival to a destination event has helped Lollapalooza become more engaged with local communities. In 2021, organizers launched the Lollapalooza Arts Education Fund to support arts and education programs in Chicago’s public schools. It also cohosts the Lollapalooza and Sueños Job Fair, a free event that aims to help young local people of color access job opportunities in the festival industry. Lollapalooza also partners with local organizations, including Teens in the Park Fest, After School Matters, Kennedy King College, and NAMI Chicago.
Lollapalooza’s Gone Global
While North America will always be Lollapalooza’s spiritual home, the success of the Chicago event helped Farrell see the festival’s worldwide potential. In 2011, the event went global with the launch of the first international Lollapalooza in Santiago, Chile. In addition to these cities, there are now Lollapalooza festivals in the following locations:
- Sao Paulo, Brazil
- Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Berlin, Germany
- Stockholm, Sweden
- Paris, France
- Mumbai, India
The lineups have also changed to reflect Lollapalooza’s commitment to bringing the world’s best music to audiences. The first festival had just one international act: Siouxsie and the Banshees from the United Kingdom. In 2025, there are several international acts on the bill, including:
- Australian electronic act Rüfüs du Soul
- South Korean girl group Twice
- Irish singer-songwriter Orla Gartland
- Japanese pop act Fujii Kaze
- English alternative rock band Bôa
- Dutch DJ Martin Garrix
Visit Pequod’s Pizza on Your Next Chicago Trip
If you’re attending Lollapalooza or simply planning a Chicago vacation, make sure you stop by Pequod’s Pizza. We’re not just the state’s best pizza joint; Yelp’s elite members say we’re the best in the country. So why would you go anywhere else for Chicago deep dish pizzas? Come visit us in downtown Chicago or Morton Grove.
Image by Liliane Callegari is licensed with CC BY 2.0