'Foggy' but fun Lollapalooza wraps up after four days at Grant Park
Despite a lingering haze and poor air quality from Canadian wildfire smoke, Lollapalooza's 21st year in Grant Park went off more or less without a hitch, at least according to many fans who braved the conditions and crowds to hear some of pop music's biggest stars.
As chart toppers started to take the stage on the first day of the fest, Chicago topped the list for the worst air quality in the world for a few hours, and the air remained unhealthy or moderate for the duration of the festival that routinely brings hundreds of thousands of fans to Grant Park.
“It was just kind of foggy,” said 22-year-old Kristen Axtman, who attended the festival Friday and Saturday with friend Naomi Kurzweg of Pittsburgh. “Honestly, I didn’t mind. I just knew it’s bad for your health. But I wasn’t upset, it wasn’t too noticeable. I already had it in my mind that the festival was dusty.”
Both said they were worried about the air quality putting a damper on their time at the festival, but they said the haze didn't get in the way of their having fun and they appreciated the mild weather, with temperatures in the mid- to upper 70s over the weekend.
"It’s been a blast,” said Rob Gruen, 28, of Covington, Kentucky, who also attended in 2023. “The weather was perfect this year. It was pretty dang hot [in 2023] compared to this. My girlfriend has [a heart condition], so the heat is a big factor for her, whether or not she can go out. So the weather just happened to work this year, and she was able to do it.”
Gruen said they didn't have any trouble navigating the poor air quality: “I just assume whenever I go to a big city like this, it’s probably going to be more pollution than I’m used to.”
His only complaint was the long lines for artist merchandise.
“It’s crazy to be in a line that long," Gruen said. "It was like an hour and 45 minutes. It was absurd.”
Axtman and Kurzweg said they enjoyed hopping around the stages to see artists like Marina and Olivia Rodrigo, who brought out surprise guest Weezer during her set.
They both said the energy of the crowds seemed to be better at performances at the larger stages, like the T-Mobile stage.
Last year, Chappell Roan’s debut packed the T-Mobile stage after she switched to it from another as she exploded onto the airwaves. Fans could be seen from the fencing on the east side of the T-Mobile stage all the way west to Columbus Drive and as far north as the IHG Hotels & Resorts Stage for Chappell Roan's debut performance at the famed fest.
This year it was Doechii's time to shine on the most popular stage, drawing a comparable crowd during her classroom stage-set performance after she released several major hits this year.
“Sometimes it doesn't matter how close you are to the artist, but it matters who the crowd is around you,” Kurzweg, 22, said.
Though some still want to get closer, and got their chance at aftershows.
After their fun at the festival on Friday, Kurzweg and Axtman attended an official Lollapalooza aftershow at the Salt Shed. They saw Cage the Elephant — a performance that was the highlight of their weekend, Axtman said.
“I honestly just thought it was special to see all the artists,” Axtman said. “The afterparty still has the energy of Lollapalooza, but it’s just more intimate.”
Gabrielle Boyer-Baker, a social media influencer who has attended the festival for years, was invited to the festival by Hollister.
“This year is packed, but the weather is nicer," said Boyer-Baker, 21, a Lake View East resident. “The lineup is great. It is every single person that has gone on tour.”