This year, Lollapalooza – the iconic Chicago festival – kicked off on Thursday, July 31, spanning 4 days, and was everything music lovers could’ve dreamt with its surprise duets and celebrity appearances.
Lollapalooza was started by Perry Farrel, the lead singer in Jane’s Addiction, in 1991. Originally Lollapalooza was a traveling tour however, its main venue became Grant Park in 2005. Since 2011, Lollapalooza has also popped up across Europe and South America. The festival is praised as a place where fans of all genres can come together and celebrate both big and small artists. Each year, the festival attracts over 400,000 people from across the country and the Chicago area.
The buzz around Lollapalooza is huge, and ETHS students are no exception. Music fans jump to get tickets in hopes of seeing their favorite artists and spend months picking their best festival outfits.
“It was stressful to buy tickets and figure out what to wear, but Lollapalooza was fun and easy to navigate.” Relays senior Ruby Dold.
This July, headliners included Tyler, The Creator, Olivia Rodrigo, K-pop group Twice and Sabrina Carpenter as well as notable performances by Wallows, Clairo, KATSEYE and Doechii. For day 1, the contrast of a country star, Luke Combs, versus the alternative hip hop icon, Tyler, The Creator allowed fans of many genres to find something they could enjoy, illustrating the draw that Lollapalooza brings to the music scene.
A highlight of day 1 was singer-songwriter Gracie Abrams, who attracted a sizable crowd. The star has rocketed to fame in the last year from pop hits like “That’s So True” to emotional tunes like “I Love You I’m Sorry.” During her performance, fans were excited to see her perform these popular songs along with others like “I Miss You, I’m Sorry.” The end of her set brought an exciting surprise for fans with the Swedish popstar Robyn coming on stage to sing “Dancing On My Own”, a song Abrams called her “favorite song of all time” which she covered in 2022 during her first Lolla appearance.
“I don’t listen to a lot of her songs, but her performance was great and made me want to listen to her more.” Says senior Alana Gerbie.
After Abrams’ performance, Tyler, the Creator took the stage just days after the release of his new album, “Don’t Tap The Glass.” Tyler has been touring for the majority of 2025 but still managed to give an astounding performance.
One of the biggest surprises happened on day 2 when headliner Olivia Rodrigo brought out the band Weezer to perform “Say It Ain’t So” and “Buddy Holly”, appearing in an iconic sparkly purple ensemble complete with edgy Doc Martens, a trademarked look of the singer.
On day 3, Twice made history as the first K-pop girl group to headline. The group, made up of nine artists, wowed fans with live vocals and in-sync dance moves.
“They gave 110% energy, the vocals were beautiful and the performance was life-changing.” Praises senior Eleanor Dillow.
And finally, pop icon Sabrina Carpenter graced the stage to close off the festival on day 4. Carpenter performed hits like Espresso, Nonsense and Manchild while also teasing a new album. The biggest surprise came when Carpenter quipped “Why not bring out my friends from Chicago?” before launching into a performance of “September” with R&B group Earth Wind & Fire.
Carpenter, with her razor melodic vocals, strong stage presence and entertaining crowd work was able to captivate festival-goers and close Lollapalooza on a high note, while honoring the home of the festival itself.
Although Lollapalooza is known for its expensive food, tickets and merchandise, ETHS students wouldn’t exchange the experience.
“I loved Lollapalooza because I was able to meet new people in the crowds.” Remarks senior Liora Rappaport.
Lollapalooza, once again, was a major hit, especially among ETHS students who attended. There were so many memorable artists who gave wonderful performances, making it impossible to name them all. The array of artists and contrasting musical genres can only leave music fans to anticipate next year’s lineup.
