Editorial: So long, Lolla kids. Hope you had fun.
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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And now I'm still making cocktails. At parties, at functions, I'll be throwing it down in the bar. So, I think it just made sense.' Tour support is a crucial element for any artist, with corporate partnerships helping to foot the bill. For Adell, the collaborative endeavor continues to pay dividends. 'Being an independent artist makes so many things that are dreams and goals that you have very difficult to attain. And going on tour is really hard to do as an independent artist,' explained the singer, who released her debut full length album Buckle Bunny in 2023, appearing on Beyoncé's Cowboy Carter album a year later. 'For me, live shows are my favorite thing. Being on stage is the reason that I am here,' said Adell. 'It makes me feel like, 'OK. When it's my turn to give back to a smaller artist, I'm going to remember these times and how someone took a chance on me.'' 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Touting American, South Korean, Swiss and Filipino members, Katseye sing primarily in English with a clear goal not just for their Lollapalooza performance but the path forward following the release of their second studio album Beautiful Chaos earlier this summer. 'We've been a girl group for only a little over a year. And hitting these milestones is insane,' said Manon backstage prior to the set. 'It's been a super exciting weekend so far. We've had lots of fun. And we are all super, super thrilled about [the set]. It's going to be the biggest thing we've done in our career so far. I think we just want to inspire - especially young girls out there - to chase their dreams and put in the work and show that it really pays off,' she said. 'I think that we have always tried to have a touch in our music that can resonate with any age group, all different cultures and people from around the world,' added Lara. 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Make some noise for all of the artists that performed this weekend!' Carpenter was the epitome of poise, delivering an energetic and entertaining performance on stage while controlling the moment with a quick wit between songs. Carpenter conjured up images of Fleetwood Mac's 'Seven Wonders' via the rewarding pop rock feel at the heart of 'Taste' second in the set, with a series of videos continually localizing the Lollapalooza performance for the Windy City faithful. Acoustic guitar drove 'Coincidence' as Carpenter crouched down with a tambourine early, with the video screens showing members of TWICE in attendance during 'Juno' later. But the real surprise lay in Carpenter's handpicked guests, as Chicago-born R&B/funk legends Earth, Wind & Fire arrived for a bit of a homecoming celebration alongside Carpenter on the Lollapalooza stage. 'Chicago, the first time I played here it was to a room of 300 people,' said Carpenter incredulously, looking back. 'Now, because of you guys, we get to play this one,' she continued. 'I just thought it would be fun if we could bring some friends out!' she exclaimed, introducing her iconic guests. Moving from 'Let's Groove,' a funky, rollicking bassline soon drove 'September,' with Philip Bailey smiling through a killer early vocal as the ensemble worked in a snippet of The Emotions' 1977 hit 'Best of my Love.' Nearby, fireworks and pyro soared as Garrix worked up the crowd over 75 minutes on Perry's stage. 'I played Ibiza Thursday night. Friday night and Saturday was Las Vegas and then today in Chicago. Tonight, I fly right after the show to Utah,' said Garrix, racking up frequent flyer miles in the run up to Lollapalooza. 'I remember the first time I came here. And I was just mindblown by the size of the festival - by the energy, by the crowds. And just the skyline,' said the DJ, looking back upon Lolla Chicago sets in 2014 and 2016. 'What I remember the most is that I walked on stage and it felt so surreal. You've got the crowd of people and then the skyline in the back. Really special.' For Garrix, the process of collaboration is a rewarding one which found him working with songwriter and producer Lauv on 'Mad' earlier this year while teaming with AFROJACK, David Guetta and Amél on 'Our Time.' Collaborating with Dutch DJ and producer Armin van Buuren and vocalist Libby Whitehouse, Garrix is set to release his latest single 'Sleepless Nights' this Friday, August 8. 'Any collaboration, I'm learning so much from the people that I collaborate with - from the production point of view or the songwriting point of view,' said Garrix Sunday backstage at Lollapalooza 2025. 'I love Armin. I've known him since forever. So, it was just a matter of time until we ended up doing a song together. And Libby was incredible,' he said. 'We recorded with her in the studio. We wrote the bridge together. And just the whole song has been fun. It's my first trance song ever. My first song at 138bpm,' Garrix explained. 'So, I'm excited to play it tonight.'
