Lollapalooza, the largest musical festival of the year, has arrived. Should you choose to attend one day or spend your entire weekend there, here’s what you should know.
Where and When
Grant Park in Downtown Chicago, Aug. 3-6, All Day
Getting There
Driving
You can drive to Lollapalooza, but you’re in for a traffic nightmare. Parking is available at the nearby Millennium Garages, steps away from the festival. But with thousands of festival-goers expected to be in attendance, parking spaces will fill up quickly. Downtown has many public parking options. You can locate one using a digital parking app.
Public Transportation
CTA or Metra is the best, most stress-free way to get to Lolla. The Red, Blue, Green, Brown, Pink and Orange lines all have stops that put you within comfortable walking distance of the festival. You can also take your Metra downtown. Five downtown Metra stations will put you within a mile or less of Grant Park: Millennium Station, Ogilvie Transportation Center, Chicago Union Station, LaSalle Street Station and Van Buren Street Station.
Using a Rideshare Service
You can also request a ride through a rideshare provider like Uber or Lyft. When leaving the festival, organizers advise that you exit Grant Park and walk west of State Street for a hassle-free pickup and drop-off experience. If you do use a rideshare service, be on the lookout for surge pricing. Expect to pay more at big events like Lollapalooza, where ride demand will be high.
Bike
If you are willing, able and close enough, you can bike to Lolla. Organizers encourage it. If you’re using your bike, make sure you bring your lock. A bike valet will be just south of the main entrance off Michigan Ave. Divvy also offers one free ride (up to $5) using the code LOLLA23.
What You Can Bring
- CLEAR bags, small clutch purses and fanny packs with no more than one pocket.
- Baby Strollers
- Binoculars
- Personal cameras
- EMPTY reusable water bottles and plastic or aluminum water bottles
- Sunscreen in non-aerosol containers, 3.4 ounces or less
What You Should Leave at Home
- Coolers of any kind
- Blankets, sheets or towels
- Frisbees
- Framed and multiple-pocket backpacks
- Professional audio recording equipment
- Professional cameras and professional recording equipment
- Professional video equipment
- Drones
- Hammocks
- Glass containers
- Illegal and Illicit substances
- Outside food, beverage or alcohol
- Umbrellas
- Pets (except service animals)
- Selfie sticks
- Skateboards, scooters, bicycles, wagons, carts
- Tents
- Weapons or explosives of any kind
- Fireworks
- Large chains or spiked jewelry
- Bicycles inside festival grounds
- Carts
- Chairs
For more information on permitted and prohibited items, visit this link.
Safety Tips
For large outdoor festivals with warm temps, it’s best to follow these tips:
- Stay hydrated and cool: There will be hydration stations at the festival that will have free, cool, filtered water and cooling stations. You are encouraged to bring your refillable water bottle.
- Have sun protection: Wear sunscreen, bring a hat, and wear sunglasses. Black people can get sunburn too.
- Bring earplugs to protect your hearing: It gets loud at Lolla. If you don’t have a pair, you can get some at Guest Services
- Have emergency contact info on your person and phone.
- Bring your prescribed medications with you: You also want to carry a list of your allergies. This is all in case of an emergency.
The Music
The main headliner for Friday is the inimitable Kendrick Lamar. But there are a plethora of musicians performing, especially artists of color.
Friday: Kendrick Lamar (Headliner), Tems, Sudan Archives.
Saturday: Pusha T, J.I.D., Thee Sacred Souls, Zack Fox, Mavi, Pardyalone.
Sunday: Red Hot Chili Peppers (Headliner), A Boogie Wit da Hoodie, Lil Yachty, Joey Badass, UMI, Big Boss Vette.
Here’s the full lineup:
