Lollapalooza Brings The Promise Of A Brighter Future While Continuing To Deliver On The Good Times Today
By: Dennis M. Kelly – Photo by Miranda McDonald for Lollapalooza 2024
With Lollapalooza celebrating its 20th anniversary here in Chicago, you might think that Perry, Etty Farrell, and the folks over at C3 Presents might be content by only bringing great musical acts each year. But you’d be wrong.
Etty Farrell stated, “Environmental causes are something very dear to my heart. For example, I recently purchased a portable water filter for everyone in our crew on tour to try to minimize use of plastic. I encourage people to look within themselves to see what can be done at the individual level to minimize carbon footprint on the world. Our goal should be to leave the world a better place than when we found it.“
This year, history was made by being the first major U.S. festival to power one of the main stages through a partnership with Live Nation’s Green Nation Touring Program, T-Mobile, and CES Power.
All audio, lighting, video, and stage productions were powered by this new hybrid battery system. Everything appeared to run just as smoothly as in previous years.
“We have set a goal to build a more sustainable future for music festivals, which requires taking bold steps to find solutions that can reinvent how we operate and in turn, build industry trust in new technology so that major live events can see a path towards becoming more energy efficient,” said Jake Perry, Director of Operations and Sustainability at C3 Presents. “Lollapalooza is a leader in sustainable solutions, and we are proud to have aligned ourselves with partners that have the same passion and experience to execute this mission.”
Earlier this year, the conservation organization Re:wild became a new global partner and spoke with music fans at the festival, educated them on ways they can ‘rewild’ their daily lives, and encouraged plant-based diets. To that end, Lollapalooza expanded the plant-based food selections at the festival to bring healthier lifestyle changes.
Back again this year were the reusable TURN cups that use smart technology to rid the planet of single-use plastics and Reverb which rewards fans with exclusive swag for picking up around the festival.
Lollapalooza wants you to have a great time seeing your favorite artists, but your safety is (and always will be) foremost in their minds. That is why they also partnered with This Must Be The Place, an overdose prevention non-profit. They educated fans on the dangers of fentanyl and provided free naloxone to help should anyone in the crowd need it.
Heat is always a concern at Lollapalooza, but Thursday’s heat coupled with the heavy humidity and unprecedented crowd that Chappell Roan brought, saw many people suffering from heat stroke. It was a dangerous situation indeed but, everyone in the audience looked out for each other. If a person fainted near them, people crossed their arms in the shape of an X to alert the festival staff to get them the help they needed as quickly as possible.
While you cannot always anticipate how quickly an artist’s rise to super-stardom might be, keeping fans in large crowds cool and hydrated might be an area that can be worked on in the future. For now, it is imperative, that fans remember to stay hydrated at the many hydration stations provided throughout Grant Park.
Despite the heat, though, this year was another one for the record books; always bringing something new, exciting, and ground-breaking, like the Chicago Philharmonic performing with Laufey.
We love it when Lollapalooza pushes expectations and opens doors to new opportunities for fans and artists. It will always keep us looking forward to Lollapalooza’s promises kept, equality, sustainability, and peace, and love through music.
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