The crowd sings, “Hey Jude” in harmony as the old Beatles classic fills the air with beautiful rhythms and intricate memories. Paul McCartney strums his guitar and leads the crowd of thousands in song. Paul McCartney gathered one of the largest crowds for a headliner at Lollapalooza in the summer of 2015, further enhancing the unique Lolla experience that so many have come to enjoy. Paul is only one of the many great artists recruited to perform at the annual Lollapalooza music festival in Chicago, Illinois, making it a must-go festival. This memory of Paul's legendary performance is only a taste of all that Lollapalooza has to offer.
Lollapalooza takes place in Grant Park in the city of Chicago and hosts around 160,000 people each year. The festival contains 8 stages accompanied with a broad and diverse array of bands and artists. Discovering its humble beginnings back in 1991,when singer Perry Farrell of Jane’s Addiction founded the event as a farewell tour for his band, Lollapalooza is celebrating a landmark anniversary of 25 years this summer. 25 years of great music, food, memories and atmosphere calls for quite the celebration.
What’s the only thing better than 3 whole days of live music and taking in the aura of Chicago? 4 days! In order to adequately celebrate their 25th anniversary, Lollapalooza is extending the festival an extra day. The celebration will take place July 28-31, which means more talented headliners and artists to see. In addition to popular artists such as RadioHead, The Red Hot Chili Peppers, and Ellie Goulding, Lollapalooza will be holding a “Battle of the Beats” competition. To commemorate all types of music and to further the celebratory activities,this battle opens up two extra slots at the Perry Stage, the stage dedicated to DJ’s and electronic music, for aspiring DJs to showcase their skills to the crowd. In addition to the beats provided by DJs both old and new, a diverse selection of music will be broadcasted as more than 170 bands will be in attendance over the span of the 4 days. It is the festival’s first time offering 4 days of musical performances, expanding on the previous tradition. Hype around the extra day and the anniversary of the festival is evident and growing. Tickets for the 4-day passes sold out in only an hour, while single day tickets sold out in roughly the same amount of time.
Since its start in 1991, Lollapalooza has hosted such artists as Jane’s Addiction, Ice Cube, Alice in Chains, The Beastie Boys, The Killers and even Snoop Dogg. Lollapalooza was not always located in Grant Park, but rather it was an event that toured throughout North America. It was not until 2005 that Lollapalooza took on the form we know and love today. Although Lollapalooza is a festival that the people of Chicago have come to take as a unique tradition, in recent years the festival has spanned international borders. The event has been offered in places such as Chile and Brazil as well, making Lollapalooza an event that people from all over the world can experience. Celebrating music is a theme exercised worldwide and one that has the ability to bring people by the masses together.
Festival coordinators decided to extend the duration of the festival in order to offer the fans something special and unique to celebrate the anniversary alongside them. The abundance of musical groups and talent is too much for only 3 short days, so Thursday was tacked on to allow for a wholesome musical experience.
Lollapalooza has never disappointed in the past, and there is no doubt that the 25th anniversary and extra day will be one for the books. All we have to do now is sit back, relax and count down the days until July 28.
