Lollapalooza 2026 Turned Chicago’s Grant Park Into a Pop Spectacle, With Charli XCX, Lorde, Zara Larsson and Tate Mcrae Leading

CHICAGO, IL — Lollapalooza 2026 brought four days of pop-heavy energy to Grant Park, where rain, mud and massive crowds did little to dull the mood. The festival’s latest edition leaned into a lineup built for fans chasing the biggest names in current pop, with standout sets from Charli XCX, Lorde, Zara Larsson and Tate McRae.

The Chicago festival also mixed in nostalgia and surprises, from 5 Seconds of Summer and The Chainsmokers to U.S. debuts and special guest appearances. For many fans, the weekend played like a victory lap for pop’s most visible stars and fastest-rising names.

Lorde, Zara Larsson and Charli XCX set the tone early

Day one set the bar high, with Lorde delivering one of the weekend’s most talked-about performances. Her set paired intimate vocals with big visual production, and it got an extra jolt when Charli XCX popped out for “Girl, so confusing,” sending the crowd into a frenzy.

Zara Larsson also made her presence felt, first at an official aftershow and then on the main stage with a polished performance that felt large enough for headliner status. Backed by a live band and dancers, she worked through songs from Midnight Sun and fan favorites including “Never Forget You,” “Symphony” and “Lush Life.”

Charli XCX later turned her headlining set into a full-scale club-like spectacle, using dancers, fast-paced visuals and tracks from BRAT and Music, Fashion, Film to create one of the most ambitious shows of the weekend.

Rain and mud never stopped the crowd from showing up

By day three, Grant Park had earned the nickname “Mudapalooza,” with overnight rain leaving parts of the grounds slick and messy. Even so, festivalgoers kept packing stages for performances that leaned from playful to theatrical.

Slayyyter drew one of the most energized daytime crowds, while Sienna Spiro impressed with a performance that outgrew the stage’s limitations. K-pop group CORTIS marked its U.S. festival debut with a confident set and a surprise appearance from Juicy J for “Motion,” while bbno$ leaned into internet humor and guest appearances from Yung Gravy and Lolla Bunny.

The weather added chaos, but it also seemed to sharpen the weekend’s sense of shared experience. Fans came prepared for the rain, the mud and the long walks between stages, and the music kept the atmosphere buoyant anyway.

Tate McRae closed the festival with a carefully built pop narrative

By the final night, attention had shifted to Tate McRae, who closed Lollapalooza with a long, theatrical set built around her growing pop-star identity. The show leaned on Greco-Roman visuals, with towering columns framing the stage like an ancient temple.

Working with creative director Parker Genoway, choreographer Sergio Reis and fashion direction from Ludovic de Saint Sernin, McRae used the performance to underline how much her live show has evolved. She moved through a 90-minute set before ending with “Sports Car,” where she emerged from a bath of liquid gold as fireworks lit up the Chicago skyline.

The finish felt designed to leave a mark: a finale that tied together the festival’s biggest theme of the week, which was pop ambition on a grand scale. For fans, it was less just a closing set than a declaration that McRae has fully arrived as a major festival headliner.

Chicago's music scene, one story at a time — Chicago Music Guide.