Lollapalooza Unleashed: A Sensory Adventure for all!
By: Jina Kelly – Photo by Taylor Regulski for Lollapalooza 2024
Every summer in Chicago, music fans get hyped for all the great festivals Chicago offers. But for as great as they all are, none compare to the four days of sensory overload that Lollapalooza can bring.
Lollapalooza speaks to every person and every background, no matter their age. Kidzapalooza! Presented by Lifeway Kefir is always phenomenal in keeping children engaged, educated, and entertained, this year was no exception. There is also something here to stimulate every one of the senses, sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and even the touch. Live music fills every corner of Grant Park, smells and tastes of great (and now more healthy) foods from Chow Town, and even many activities to interact with.
The lineup of artists offered by Lollapalooza each year is enough to overload the senses with over 170 bands over 4 days for at least 10 hours each day. And for those hardcore music lovers who still can’t get enough, let’s not forget the official aftershows which started as early as Tuesday with D4VD and ended late Sunday night. These aftershows are held at music venues outside of Grant Park, 27 of them, in fact. And give even more opportunities to see your favorite artists.
My music sensory overload moment happened early during Chappell Roan‘s set. I had managed to get up close to the stage, but off to the side and she did not disappoint. Between the excitement of being so close, her performance and music, and yes, unfortunately, the heat, things got intense. There were people around me who fainted, but the Lollapalooza staff was quick to provide assistance and water to those who needed it. What a set though! My favorite song of the set was “Hot To Go!“
Another magical moment happened on Friday during Laufey‘s set where she performed with the Chicago Philharmonic, the highlight being that she performed a duet with Raye for her cover of “It Can Happen To You.”
So many gifted and talented artists surrounded me this weekend, like Cults, BoyWithUke, Willis, and Nico Vega, all of which we interviewed. (click the links to listen to/watch them)
I like going to Lollapalooza early to visit the many attractions that are part of the overall Lollapalooza experience before large lines form.
Each day started by having some delicious coffee House Of Dunkin’ offers. My favorite was their S’mores Cold Brew with s’mores flavored syrup and frothy marshmallow on top. Yum!
Tree Hut’s Self Care Studio was a new company this year that has come to the festival. They offered a variety of skincare products such as aromatic scrubs, soaps, and lotions. Visitors were able to take a picture with a microphone and a disco ball. They gave out complimentary aromatic soap, and they also offered custom arm marbling.
One staple for the festival is the Toyota Music Den and I got my annual Lollapalooza bandana to add to my collection. One of the new items offered this year included Corolla Cross Custom Camp Socks with four different decals to choose from to personalize them. Some of the artists that performed on their stage this year were, 19-year old, Adan Diaz, McKenna Grace, Will Linley, and Willis.
Sugar Bliss is a Chicago-based, woman-minority-owned company whose CEO & Founder, Teresa Ging launched as a catering and delivery business in 2007 and officially opened its retail location in 2009. They offered festivalgoers baked goods ranging from French macarons, to gluten-free, and vegan options. I sampled their Sea Salt Chocolate Chunk cookie, delicious!
With all these sweet options, it’s great to know that Lollapalooza expanded its plant-based/vegan food choices.
For those who craved something spicy to singe their senses, Stella Artois X Hot Ones tested festivalgoers’ tolerances by sampling spice-infused chicken by playing a game called ‘plunk-it’ for a chance to win seats to Hot Ones Live.
After a nice, healthy dinner, it was nice to top it off with some Hendrick’s Gin in the (21+) Hendrick’s Grand Garden Bar. Its second year available to general audiences, but they have been at Lollapalooza for 10 years before that in the VIP and Platinum areas of the festival. This year, they presented fans with their new, limited release, Hendrick’s Grand Cabaret, but I sampled the Cucumber Lemonade which was very refreshing, especially in the beautiful area of Grant Park that they were located in; tall shady trees and a great lake view, so perfect.
The Bonus Tracks area was beautifully set in the shade as well, offering people opportunities for photo ops to create more special memories with loved ones. There were many comfortable places to sit and chill in the shade or interact with nearby tents featuring local Chicago artists, Postal Doooooodle, Little Saints, Molly Balloons, Astrology Nails, and more.
Other places I stopped at were the M&M Sweet Tour, Tic-Tac Experience, Liquid I.V. which offered great swag, samples, and more photo opportunities to look back on fondly for years to come.
As if that wasn’t enough, the Coke Studio near Buckingham Fountain, next to the inflatable Lollapalooza sign gave people opportunities to roller skate. There was never a dull moment!
There was so much more available for people at Lollapalooza than I even listed here, but even within four days, it was sometimes a challenge to accomplish everything.
The bottom line is, Lollapalooza is for you and it is up to you on what makes you the happiest. If you love swimming in crowds enjoying high-energy EDM music, Perry’s had you covered. Or the BMI stage is also an amazing place to relax in the shade and experience the freshest music Lollapalooza has to offer.
Lollapalooza’s promise to fans is the freedom to choose the type of Lollapalooza experience fans want, the freedom to express themselves and enjoy the music that speaks to them the most.
No specific dates for 2025 are available just yet, but rest assured, they’re cooking up some more great ways to unleash more ways to make it better than ever before!
Read more reviews here!
Links:
Official: http://www.lollapalooza.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lollapalooza
X: https://x.com/lollapalooza
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/lollapalooza/
