Chicago’s Lollapalooza Music Festival held its 33rd edition in downtown’s historic Grant Park (its 20th in the location) this past weekend, featuring over 170 artists on 8 stages. The four day festival has grown in recent years to include more than just music; as the festival partners with brands to create enticing activations, provides a family friendly area full of activities, and partners with local eateries to provide a taste of Chicago. Whether you were able to attend the festival and catch headliners like Hozier and blink-182, or just want to read about performances from up-and-coming artists like Hayes Warner and Josiah and the Bonnevilles, we’ve got it covered in our festival recap.
Catch our interviews at the festival with Dasha, GrentPerez, Ruel, Josiah and the Bonnevilles, and BoyWithUke.
THURSDAY
Canadian singer, songwriter, model, and DJ Goldie Boutilier performed an intimate eight-song set early in the day on the BMI stage at Lollapalooza. Her musical style combines country pop-rock with her unique retro-glam vibe, and she and her talented live band delivered an impressively fun performance. This was her first time at the festival, and she was thrilled to see the audience singing along to her songs, including her newest releases, “The Angel and the Saint,” and “The Actress,” from her upcoming EP, The Actress, which is set to release in September. “I can’t tell you how much this means to me!” she exclaimed after the audience finished singing along with her. As a backup, she also prepared a beautiful cover of “Out of Touch” by Hall & Oates but was pleasantly surprised by the audience’s reception of her original songs. Having recently supported Orville Peck on his Stampede Tour, Goldie Boutilier has a series of upcoming festival appearances scheduled for the remainder of 2024, along with the imminent announcement of her own headlining tour.
Palestinian-Jordanian rapper Saint Levant captivated the audience with his lyrical prowess and captivating R&B melodies on the Bacardi stage. He mesmerized the crowd with a medley of his chart-topping hits, including the poignant “On This Land” released in 2024, 2022 hit “Very Few Friends,” and the soulful “From Gaza With Love” from 2023. In a powerful display of solidarity, festival goers donned keffiyehs and proudly waved Palestinian flags, creating an electric atmosphere of support during his entire performance. Backed by band members on keyboards, drums, and hand drums, Saint Levant also delighted fans with surprise saxophone solos throughout, showcasing his musical versatility. Towards the end of his performance, he came down from the stage to sing with and greet fans along the barrier, and they handed him a flag which he proudly wore across his shoulders as he finished out his final songs. Although the festival schedule did not permit encores, the spirit and impact of Saint Levant’s performance persisted with fans continuing to chant “Free! Free! Palestine!” for several minutes after he departed the stage.
Drawing an impressive crowd during the hot mid-afternoon sun, singer-songwriter d4vd brought his raw talent and pure energy to the Tito’s stage, delivering all his biggest hits (and famous back flip) to the passionate Lolla crowd. The robust set list included songs like “Sleep Well,” “Romantic Homicide,” “Worthless,” and “My House Is Not A Home.” Also in attendance was his little sister, Emily, who has always played a major part in his creative process. He invited her on stage to perform his viral track, “Here With Me,” as fans cheered her on and sang along. “Y’all sound so good! That’s all you!” he praised, acknowledging the audience’s enthusiasm. During the set, he also introduced his newest single, “There Goes My Baby,” as well as his recent track “Feel It” – the soundtrack for Amazon Prime Video’s original series, Invincible. As his popularity continues to grow, we will likely catch d4vd performing on an even bigger Lollapalooza stage next year!
Closing out a successful day one, Irish singer-songwriter Hozier brought his soulful, indie folk-pop tunes to the Bud Light stage, drawing an immense crowd as one of the two main headliners of the night. He showcased tracks from across his discography, such as “Cherry Wine,” “Eat Your Young,” and “Too Sweet.” Near the end of his set, he also took a moment to encourage the audience to contact their local representatives and help stop violence in Gaza, eliciting cheers and applause from everyone before launching into the passionate “Nina Cried Power.” Hozier also delivered a surprise in the form of a live debut of his unreleased track, “Nobody’s Soldier” – expected to be included in his upcoming EP, Unaired, which will be released on August 16. Accompanied by a live band and talented backup singers, festival goers were treated to a rich and poignant set as a rainbow-lit skyline, and the words ‘Stay Safe Lolla’ provided an iconic backdrop to his emotional performance. The exciting yet exhaustive day finally culminated with the highly anticipated and well-loved song, “Take Me to Church.” With emotions running high, the audience screamed out the lyrics along with him, pouring their hearts and energy into the entire finale.
FRIDAY
Singer-songwriter RAYE captivated an enthusiastic crowd with her electrifying performance at the Tito’s stage Friday afternoon. Dedicated fans endured scorching sun and temperatures to support the multi-talented, record-breaking artist. Throughout the hour-long set, the audience reveled in the magic of her smooth, jazzy vocals, impressive high notes, and compelling storytelling through her lyrics. She opened with “The Thrill Is Gone,” followed by popular tracks like “Worth It.,” “Secrets,” and her latest single, “Genesis.” Midway through, she delivered a soul-stirring rendition of James Brown’s “It’s A Man’s Man’s Man’s World” before wrapping up with the ever popular “Escapism” noting, “It’s the track that changed my life – it went #1 in the whole country!” The entire crowd joined in singing along to the hit song, providing an emotional conclusion to an overall riveting performance.
At just 21 years old, Sydney native Ruel has consistently sold-out worldwide tours, earned multiple platinum and gold singles, and even been called an ‘astonishing’ talent by Sir Elton John. Making his Lollapalooza debut, Ruel treated fans new and old to tracks off his various EPs including “I DON’T WANNA BE LIKE YOU,” “GO ON WITHOUT ME,” “Younger,” and “SOMEONE ELSE’S PROBLEM.” Ruel’s late afternoon set coincided perfectly with his soulful pop sound as the sun was shining and beach balls made their way into the audience for the crowd to bounce around. Ruel’s latest release, an EP of covers aptly titled Adaptions, came out earlier in the day. The crowd (and those watching the livestream on Hulu) were able to hear his updated takes of Sixpence None The Richer’s ballad “Kiss Me,” Tobias Jesso Jr.’s “Hollywood,” and The Weeknd’s “Call Out My Name.” Ruel’s captivating and endearing presence as he performed the rest of his set with “Painkiller,” “GROWING UP IS ___” and “as long as you care” made this Friday set one to remember.
One of our favorite performances of the festival came from rock band In This Moment. The Los Angeles-based quintet of lead vocalist and frontwoman Maria Brink, co-founder and lead guitarist Chris Howorth, bassist Travis Johnson, guitarist Randy Weitzel, and drummer Kent Diimmel were scheduled to close out the Bacardí stage on Friday evening. The stage had been plagued by sound issues all day, which unfortunately pushed back the band’s start time. Thankfully, fans did not have to wait terribly long and were soon greeted by smoky cryo haze, creating a spooky atmosphere matching the bands opening tracks “The Purge,” “The In-Between,” and “Blood.” Brink was center stage for most of the performance, perched on a raised platform and flanked by two backup dancers as she belted out popular tracks “Sacrifice” and “SANCTIFY ME.” Watching In This Moment perform felt more like attending a stage performance than a concert, as the band’s theatricality created an otherworldly atmosphere. Fans were not disappointed as the rocker’s set continued with “Sex Metal Barbie” and “Big Bad Wolf” before closing with “Whore.”
Stray Kids delivered an unforgettable performance at Lollapalooza, solidifying their reputation as one of K-Pop’s most electrifying acts. Headlining the Bud Light stage on Friday night, the group drew an enormous crowd of fans (called “STAY”) who had been waiting hours for the show to begin. In front of a sea of lightsticks and other fan memorabilia, the set started off with a bang as the group launched into “S-Class,” immediately setting the tone with its signature whistle and high-energy beats. For the next 90 minutes, Stray Kids delivered an impressively diverse setlist of hits including “TOPLINE,” “MANIAC,” and “God’s Menu,” each song enhanced by stunning visuals on the screens, and pyrotechnics that lit up the stage. Their performance was a masterclass in showmanship, with each member – Bang Chan, Lee Know, Changbin, Hyunjin, Han, Felix, Seungmin, and I.N – showcasing their exceptional talents through intricate choreography, powerful vocals, and charismatic stage presence. The addition of a live band further elevated the set, giving songs like their new single, “Chk Chk Boom,” and “LALALALA” a fresh, rock-infused edge. The group’s connection with their fans was palpable, as they playfully interacted with “STAY” as well as the Hulu livestream audience, splashed water on the crowd, and even teased an encore before finally closing out with “Haven.” The night culminated in a breathtaking display of fireworks that exploded overhead in celebration during their performance.
SATURDAY
New York pop artist Hayes Warner has just nine songs under her belt, and has already taken the world by storm; from being named one of PEOPLE Magazine’s ‘Emerging Artists to Watch in 2023’ and performing for the U.S. Olympic Gymnastics team trials, to getting a shout-out on TikTok from Gwen Stefani. During her Lollapalooza performance, fans were treated to her updated take of No Doubt’s “Just A Girl” and her latest single “Predator.” Two years ago, Hayes was a college student at Northwestern University outside of Chicago, and addressed the crowd by thanking them for making her dream of playing Lollapalooza come true. The breakout star continued her set with tracks “Breadcrumbs,” “Dead To Me,” and “SHUT UP” while gaining new fans from the large crowd who are now eagerly anticipating her debut EP this fall.
Saturday started off with country artist Dasha playing to a large morning crowd on the Tito’s stage. Fresh off debuts on both the legendary Grand Ole Opry stage and Jimmy Kimmel Live!, the San Luis Obispo native continued her year of firsts by also making her Lollapalooza debut. The 24-year-old singer-songwriter performed her latest single “Didn’t I,” as well as tracks “Even Cowboys Cry,” “Talk of the Town,” and “King of California” from her sophomore album What Happens Now? as fans sang along. Closing with her hit single “Austin (Boots Stop Workin’),” Dasha proved she is truly a star in the making as the crowd performed a line dance before she hopped the barricade and joined them to close out her set.
Having played Lollapalooza in its early years, alt-metal band Deftones proved they have longevity with their Saturday evening set. Riding high on the resurgence of ‘90s/early ‘00s nu-metal led by TikTok, the Sacramento based band performed a set spanning their discography from “Feiticeira” and “My Own Summer (Shove It),” to “Digital Bath” and “Needles and Pins.” The crowd for vocalist Chino Moreno, lead guitarist Stephen Carpenter, keyboardist Frank Delgado, and drummer Abe Cunningham grew throughout the quartet’s hour-long performance as fest-goers all wanted to say they saw the legendary band. The diverse crowd of attendees cheered the rockers on as they finished their main stage set with fan-favorites “Change (In the House of Flies)” and “Genesis.”
“You don’t gain confidence shouting affirmations in the mirror. You have to give the world irrefutable proof that you are who you say you are. We’re The Killers and we are a great rock ’n roll band. Here, let me show ya” declared frontman Brandon Flowers before the four-piece launched into their iconic tracks “Somebody Told Me,” “When You Were Young,” and “Jenny Was a Friend of Mine.” The Killers headlining set spanned an hour-and-a-half and featured hits including “In Another Life” and “boy” before Flowers picked a fan from the crowd and brought them onstage. Oscar (from Chicago) was the lucky pick, who’s hours waiting at the barricade to see the band paid off, as he was given the opportunity to play drums during “For Reasons Unknown” and performed to massive crowd applause. The Las Vegas-based quartet of lead vocalist Brandon Flowers, guitarist Dave Keuning, bassist Mark Stoermer, and drummer Ronnie Vannucci Jr closed out their headlining set with “Read My Mind,” “Caution,” and “All These Things That I’ve Done” before exiting the stage and leaving fans anticipating an encore. After cheers from the expansive crowd, the rockers retook the stage to finish their set with “Human” and “Mr. Brightside.”
SUNDAY
Japanese pop metalcore group HANABIE. drew a large crowd for their early afternoon set on the Lollapalooza main stage. The all-female rockers from Tokyo combine Kawaii (meaning cute in Japanese) aesthetics and heavy metal music to create their genre of Harajuku-core. Originally scheduled to perform at 1pm, the group was part of Sunday’s mass of rescheduled set times which allowed a larger crowd to grow as well as fan’s anticipation. Composed of vocalist Yukina, guitarist Matsuri, bassist Hettsu, and drummer Chika; HANABIE. began their set with “O•TA•KU Lovely Densetsu,” “NEET GAME,” and “Warning!!” to loud cheers and large applause. Yukina’s death metal growls and the band’s Kawaii look created an enticing performance that drew fans in for “L.C.G.” “Osaki ni Shitsurei Shimasu,” “TOUSOU,” and closer “Today’s Good Day & So Epic.”
Nashville-based singer-songwriter Knox skyrocketed to fame when his single “Sneakers” went viral in 2022, racking up over two million views virtually overnight. After being a spectator at Lollapalooza last year, he fulfilled his dream of performing at the festival this year, with an incredible opportunity to play the Bud Light stage. Fresh off of a recent tour supporting The Band Camino, Knox treated festival attendees to a diverse selection of songs, including well-received tracks such as “Love Letter,” “Change your Mind,” and “Girl On the Internet.” He also performed fan-favorite, “Sneakers,” followed by his most recent release, “Treadmill.” During the performance, Knox took a moment to connect with the audience, reflecting on the fact that The 1975 had performed on the same Lolla stage the previous year. To close out the set, he then performed “Not The 1975” – a song he released during Lollapalooza 2023 – creating a full circle moment for himself and his fans.
“How many of y’all haven’t heard of Waterparks?” shouted frontman Awsten Knight as the Houston-based trio greeted the crowd and silence followed. “All of you have heard of Waterparks?!” asked Awsten, followed by an eruption of cheers. Fans (or as the band calls them, “Parxies”) had flooded to the IHG stage early before the bands set time to ensure a good spot in the crowd. Formed in 2011, Waterparks consists of long-time friends Geoff Wigington on guitar, Otto Woods on drums, and vocalist Awsten Knight. The band had their choice of tracks to perform having released five albums over the years, opening with “FUNERAL GREY,” “Dream Boy,” and “Fuzzy.” Throughout the set (which was being streamed live on Hulu) Awsten told the crowd that playing Lollapalooza had been a bucket-list goal for him since he was 13. Finishing up their fifteen-song set with “Numb,” “Turbulent,” and “REAL SUPER DARK” to massive applause, the pop-rock band proved they deserved their evening slot.
From the first note of “Feeling This,” the crowd gathered for blink-182’s headlining set were taken back to the golden age of pop-punk. Bassist and vocalist Mark Hoppus, guitarist and vocalist Tom DeLonge, and drummer Travis Barker are more than a nostalgia act with their hits “Rock Show” and “What’s My Age Again?” Having last played Lollapalooza in 2017 (also for a headlining set) while DeLonge was on hiatus from the band, blink-182 is riding high after their long-awaited reunion with sets at every major music festival and their own arena tour. Their set was chock-full of deep cuts like “Aliens Exist,” “First Date,” and “Stay Together For The Kids” as well as crude sex jokes and other antics the band has been known for since their creation in 1992. The trio released their ninth studio album One More Time… in late 2023 and performed four tracks “DANCE WITH ME,” “EDGING,” “MORE THAN YOU KNOW,” and “ANTHEM PART 3” as well as unreleased song “Can’t Go Back” which will appear on the albums deluxe edition. Fireworks erupted from behind the stage before the threesome closed out with “All The Small Things,” “Dammit” (featuring Hoppus singing the chorus of Chappell Roan’s “Pink Pony Club”) and new emotional fan-favorite “ONE MORE TIME.”
FINAL THOUGHTS
Attendees were not deterred by the threat of rain during Chappell Roan’s mainstage set (which held off until evening, making it the first rain-free Lollapalooza in recent years) as Roan broke records with the largest attendance for a daytime performance in the festival’s history. It felt as if all 110,000 attendees were at the set, creating a bottleneck that lasted for over thirty minutes as fans fled the stage to see the next performer on their list. 2023 was the first year the festival increased its capacity (by 15,000 people) and the addition was only felt during the evening performances. This year was different, however, as it seemed each day all attendees showed up at the 11am gate opening rather than waiting until the sun went down.
As Lollapalooza continues to grow its capacity and diversify its lineup, so do the brand activations on site. This year the amount of brand activations expanded to 23 (vs.16 in 2023) featuring custom arm marbling at Tree Hut’s Self-Care Studio, complimentary beauty touch-ups at Ulta Beauty’s House of Joy, free samples and airbrush tattoos from House of Dunkin’ and more.
Also debuting this year was Plant Base (a 100% plant-based food vendor section of the festival) and Vibe Village (a gathering place which featured social-media worthy desserts, beauty services, and local vendors).
2024 saw the lineup diversification created last year continue as the festival featured K-pop groups Stray Kids and IVE, Japanese rockers HANABIE and Japanese pop duo Yoasobi, country chart-topper Megan Moroney, pop-punk band Pierce The Veil and more. The continued variety of acts creates a welcoming environment for both festival veterans and concert newcomers, that combined with the plethora of activities available for attendees makes Lollapalooza one of the best festivals around.
Portraits by Ann Storlie
Words by Ann Storlie and Sarah Peter
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