How We Ended Up at lollapalooza:

Well, flashback to 2023— Connor and I had had every intention to go see Travis Scott in Portland, OR. We had the tickets; we were SO excited and then… it got canceled the day before! Just like that, our plans were crushed. Determined to make up for it, we started looking for something even bigger and better. That’s when Lollapalooza 2024 caught our attention, and we knew we had to jump on the opportunity.

For those who don’t know, Lollapalooza is a 4-day music festival that takes place in Grant Park, Chicago, Illinois. On average, Lollapalooza features around 40 artists per day across multiple stages around the park. Each artist has a set ranging from 30min to1.5 hr. depending on the artist (Wowzah that’s a lot of music). And because we don’t do things halfway, we decided to commit to all four days! Crazy? Maybe. But we were determined to make the most out of our experience.

To make the experience even more crazy, we booked a stay at The Palmer House Hotel, one of the most historic and iconic hotels in Chicago to stay at during our trip. Fun fact: The Palmer House is known as the birthplace of the brownie! That alone sold it for us. Not to mention, we were within perfect walking distance of the festival, meaning we could come and go as much as we wanted, it was perfect.

With our tickets secured and our hotel ready, we were ready for the ultimate music-filled 4 days.

Our Full list of Artists We Saw:

Day 1: BigXthaPlug, Tyla, Olivia Dean, Kesha, Don Diablo, Labyrinth, Camden Cox, Benson Boone, Dadi Freyr, Megan Thee Stallion, Hozier
Day 2: Sexyy Red, Lola Young, Loud Luxury, Victoria Monét, Galantis, Megan Moroney, Zedd, SZA
Day 3: Skrillex, Dasha, 2hollis, Dylan Brady, BoyWithUke, Tanner Usrey, Kenny Beats, IVE, Natalie Jane, Tate McRae, Xandra, Future x Metro Boomin, The Killers
Day 4: Nico Vega, Kaitlin Butts, Carmen DeLeon, Teddy Swims, Zeds Dead, Blink-182, Ben Böhmer

Our Lollapalooza 2024 Recap:

As much as we’d love to break down every single artist we saw, we know that would be a bit much. So here are some of the standout performances for us:

Top 3 Artists/Performances

• SZA – Her vocals were unreal, and her stage production was so intricate. (Also, I’m the biggest SZA fan, so I’m beyond happy she lived up to my expectations!)
• Tate McRae – A true performer. Her energy, choreography, and crowd engagement made this one of the most fun sets of the weekend. Not too mention that Connor and I knew quite a few of her songs so it was fun to sing along
• Labyrinth – Labyrinth was just so captivating! He sounded amazing, and his songs were so unique. Even though we didn’t know much of his stuff beforehand, we definitely walked away as fans.

Best Atmosphere

• ZEDD, ZEDS Dead, Skrillex, and Galantis – The EDM sets were where it was at! The energy was next level, the visuals were insane, and the entire crowd was in sync. Every time we walked over to the EDM stage, we knew it was going to be a good time. Plus, there were even fireworks and drone shows. You can’t beat that!

 Least Favorite Performances

Even though we loved most of the artists, there were a couple of performances that didn’t quite hit for us.

• Future x Metro Boomin – This one stung, especially since Connor was so excited for this set. But they were at least 30 minutes late (for a one-hour set), and when they finally showed up, no one could hear what they were saying. There were no dancers, no graphics, and even the screens weren’t on—so for those of us in the back, we could barely see anything. We ended up leaving early to find something better.
• Blink-182 – The crowd for this one was small for the stage it was on, and the people who were there were much older and more “relaxed.” Normally, that wouldn’t be a bad thing, but Blink-182 kept trying to get the crowd to sing along to all the key parts of their songs. It got to the point where it felt like we were just listening to the crowd sing instead of the band. And the crowd wasn’t even really singing! We also decided to head out early from this set.

That said, aside from those two experiences, every other artist we watched was so greatand wildly entertaining.

Final Thoughts: Why We’re Festival People Now

What made Lollapalooza so incredible wasn’t just the performances, it was the variety. If you weren’t feeling an artist, you could just walk to another stage and discover something new. There truly is something for everyone.

So yeah, I don’t think we are going to a one-artist show again any time soon. Festivals are where it’s at! We’re already eyeing our next one. Maybe Coachella? EDC? Who knows—you’ll have to wait to find out.

See you at the Next Festival!

Affiliate Disclaimer: Some of the links on this site are affiliate links, meaning we may earn a small commission if you make a purchase through them—at no extra cost to you. This helps support our travels and allows us to keep sharing our experiences. We only recommend products and services we genuinely use and love. Thank you for your support!