My 4-day experience of Lollapalooza music festival

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Lollapalooza Festival – Getting Tickets and Flights

After attending Coachella earlier in the year, I decided to explore another major U.S. music festival: Lollapalooza 2024. Held annually over four days in Grant Park, downtown Chicago, the festival hosts a range of musical genres including pop, hip-hop, rock, and more. Similar to Coachella, Lollapalooza features multiple stages with simultaneous performances, making it necessary to plan effectively to navigate the schedule.

a crowd of people in a park with a fountain in the background

Lollapalooza – Grant Park

The official festival schedule is typically released in mid-March, followed closely by ticket sales. While some artists overlap between Coachella and Lollapalooza, the lineups are essentially distinct. My experience at Coachella led me to opt for General Admission Plus (GA+) tickets this time, a step up from General Admission but not a VIP option. GA+ tickets promised quicker entry lines, access to exclusive food vendors, lounges, and air-conditioned restrooms. This turned out to be a wise choice for managing comfort and stamina over the course of four whole days.

Flying from Toronto Pearson (YYZ) to Chicago O’Hare (ORD), I decided to use 35,000 RBC Avion points plus ~ $200 in taxes for a round-trip flight on Air Canada. The outbound was in business class, and the return was in economy. With a sub-two-hour flight time, the business class service was functional, with chicken tenders, coleslaw, and a solid beverage selection.

a man standing in front of a sign

Lollapalooza Festival: My 4-day Experience

Being located in downtown Chicago makes the festival highly accessible via public transit or a short walk if you stay nearby. I stayed at the Cambria Hotel Chicago Loop – Theatre District (Review).

Lollapalooza features seven official stages:

T-Mobile and Bud Light Stage – Located on opposite ends of Grant Park, they host the headliners.
T-Mobile Stage: Lollapalooza

Bud Light Backyard Stage – Lollapalooza
IHG Hotels & Resorts and Tito’s Vodka Stage – Near the two main stages and programmed to avoid audio overlap.
IHG Stage – Lollapalooza
Bacardi, Perry’s, and BMI Stage – Additional performance zones, with Perry’s focused on EDM. There’s also the Bud Light Backyard, an informal area with DJs but not considered a formal stage.
Bacardi Stage – Lollapalooza

Day 1

The forecast warned of thunderstorms, and sure enough, it rained during the headliner. Thankfully, I had packed a poncho. The crowd was massive, and network congestion made data access unreliable. I recommend downloading your schedule and any maps in advance.

Lollapalooza 2024 Map

The GA+ entry lane saved at least 15 minutes compared to the GA line. It’s essential to review the restricted items list—no full water bottles or aerosol sprays are allowed. Bag sizes are limited, and although the rules require clear bags, enforcement has been inconsistent.

After entry, I headed to the GA+ lounge near the T-Mobile stage. It featured shaded seating, food vendors, a private bar, and clean, air-conditioned restrooms—a significant upgrade from the general portable toilets.

a group of people standing in front of a gate

Lollapalooza GA+ Lounge Entrance

For anyone with a Chase Sapphire Reserve Card, a dedicated lounge was available last year for cardmembers, who could bring one guest with them.

Chase Sapphire Lounge – Lollapalooza

Highlights of Day 1 included Tyla, Kesha, and Megan Thee Stallion. I also explored brand acts, such as Dunkin’s by Dunkin’ Donuts, Coca-Cola, and M&M’s. Chase Sapphire Reserve cardholders had access to an exclusive lounge.

Day 2

Today was about a deeper exploration of Grant Park. I returned to the M&M tent for freebies and visited the GP water fountain area, where many sponsor tents were located.

Desert Island—dedicated to dessert vendors—was worth a stop. The food was plentiful and diverse, although expensive.

a sign with a city in the background

My final three performers were at the T-Mobile stage, making the nearby GA+ lounge an excellent spot to recharge. SZA closed the night with a memorable performance.

Day 3

Saturday brought an unexpected but reassuring moment: a fan fainted nearby, and the crowd responded swiftly and calmly. Fans raised their arms in an ‘X’ to signal for help, and medical staff arrived within a minute. Some guys put their girlfriends on their shoulders so their ‘X’ could be seen more easily by festival security. Within under a minute (if that), medical attention was on site. The same incident happened a few feet in front of me, half the band’s set, and again, the same thing happened, and a medical team made it into the middle of the crowd in under a minute.

Crowds with X Signs for Medical Emergency

Free Water provided at Lollapalooza

I also checked out the Kidzapalooza area, a family-friendly area with activities and giveaways.

Kizapalooza

My main acts today were Tate McRae (Canada) and The Killers. One fan even got called on stage by The Killers to play drums—an actual live-show moment.

Day 4

Last day and still standing – I gave the band Briscoe from Austin, Texas, a shot. I met the parents of a band member in Chicago, and on their recommendation, attended the show. Their set was bluegrass-folk, with instruments like banjos and harmonicas—a nice change of pace.

I also saw ‘Sir’, another artist I had not heard of, and he put on a great show. Had one chorus from his song “D’Evils” in my head for the rest of the day…. “One Splif a day’ll keep the evil away”.

a group of people on stage with a stage with a stage and a crowd of people

Sir Performance – Lollapalooza

Perry’s was another stage I checked out that focuses on dance and techno music. Not really my vibe, but the visuals of a few bands on the screen behind were amazing !!

Post-show, the walk back to my hotel took over 45 minutes due to street closures, but I was glad not to rely on packed public transit.

Crowds waiting for Public Transit

Alternative Things to Do

Lollapalooza gates open at 11 am with performances starting around noon. On slower mornings, I explored some UNESCO-listed Frank Lloyd Wright sites:

Robie House at the University of Chicago
Unity Temple in Oak Park

Other notable spots include The Rookery, which Wright renovated post-construction. Guided tours offer rich insights into his 70-year career and architectural influence. Highly recommended if you appreciate cultural excursions.

Takeaway

This was my first Lollapalooza festival, and it was a rewarding experience. Besides a rain shower on night one, the weather held up well. The festival offers an urban setting, is walkable and benefits from the dense hotel network and easier access in Chicago. The GA+ ticket was a worthwhile upgrade. Shorter lines, air-conditioned lounges, easy access to washrooms and hydration stations made a big difference.

For future planning, I recommend:

Booking a refundable hotel when sales open
Holding refundable Latitude fares via Aeroplan
Using RBC Avion points for economical U.S. redemptions (35K return)

All in all, the Lollapalooza festival holds its own among major US music events. With proper preparation and a points strategy, you can allocate more budget to the festival this year. 2024 headliners included Tyler the Creator, Olivia Rodrigo, and Sabrina Carpenter. Lollapalooza 2025 will kick off on July 31st, and limited 1-day tickets are still available!

Party of Wayne. Party of Garth. 🤘🏾