Many festival-goers are finally attending their highly anticipated first fest back, and for me, that fest was Lollapalooza 2021. With Lollapalooza being unlike most of the previous festivals I’ve attended, I was excited to experience another festival in the city of Chicago with such a unique and diverse lineup! Gates opened daily at 11 am and music started at noon, packing every day with 10 hours of non-stop music.
Day 1 – Gates Are Open!
On Thursday, attendees entered the festival grounds with proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test. Everyone was eager to see artists they haven’t seen in quite some time! Day 1 brought a stacked lineup including All Time Low (10/10 exciting after their recent revival on TikTok), Blossom, SayMyName, Cash Cash, and the worst headliner conflict I had ever seen – a three-way duel between Miley Cyrus, Steve Aoki, and ILLENIUM. ILLENIUM, of course, ultimately won that battle for me. Delivering an emotional set with the Chicago skyline as the backdrop, ILLENIUM performed many edits from his newest album, Fallen Embers, and gave us the first hint at his upcoming tour, which has now been announced! Nick Miller even brought out a few special guests including Said The Sky, Dabin, and Ian Diorr to end the first night perfectly.
Day 2 – Solana x Perry’s All Day
Friday had our feet planted firmly in the dirt at Solana x Perry’s stage from the second we walked in, only leaving for food, drinks, and the Brownies & Lemonade All-Star’s takeover. Level Up and Chomppa kicked the day off with high-energy sets that set the vibe for day 2. By mid-afternoon, Wooli delivered one of the heaviest sets we’ve seen from him to this day! Riot Ten, Subtronics, and Jauz all brought the heat to the stage and were followed by $uicideboy$ to wrap the day up. Friday was full of outstanding sets and more pyro along the Chicago skyline than we’d seen all weekend.
Day 3 – Megan Thee Stallion Stole The Show
Day 3 felt exactly how day 3 feels at any festival- like you’re absolutely freaking dying but still have to go hard. It was a real rally knowing we still had one more day to attend after this. Saturday was a little less heavy on the EDM side; we were excited to enjoy acts like Trippie Redd and Megan Thee Stallion, who performed all the hits we had hoped for. Saturday night, we found ourselves closing it out at Perry’s with Slander, who brought The Eye production. Absolutely mindblowing and, in my opinion, one of the best sets of the weekend!
Day 4 & 70,000+ steps later…
On Sunday, we were revived as Moore Kismet made history as the youngest artist to perform at Lolla. They served us an absolutely iconic set to kick off the day at Perry’s after crushing the Brownies & Lemonade afterparty the previous night. Sunday made for another stacked day of not leaving that stage as we watched Dr. Fresch, Sullivan King, Peekaboo, Yellow Claw, and finally, Alison Wonderland’s first set in America in over 1.5 years to close out the entire fest. We got all the classics, IDs, and a “Good 4 U” remix to top it all off!
With Lollapalooza being an all-ages festival in the middle of the city, it was the absolute opposite of what I’m used to. It was an unforgettable experience, and I can’t wait to hopefully return in the future. Having the chance to experience the diversity in artists, production, and the Chicago skyline every night makes Lolla a truly unique experience!
Keep up with Lollapalooza updates for next year!
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