Perry Farrell’s Guide to Lollapalooza: Essentials, Must-See Sets, And More

The countdown to Lollapalooza is on.

With (checks watch) just three days until the famed four-day music festival returns to Chicago’s Grant Park, there’s an energizing buzz in the air making every day this week ooze with excitement. And how could you not be excited knowing that SZA, Tyler The Creator, Blink-182, The Killers, Future & Metro Boomin, Hozier, Stray Kids, Melanie Martinez, Skrillex, among 160 others are slated to take over Chicago this weekend ?

Go ahead, just try. We’ll wait. See — impossible!

Outside of Grant Park, the city of Chicago will be hustlin’ and bustlin’ with a slew of parties and events all week long. Live music fans can look forward to Uproxx and Sparkling Ice’s “Sparkling Sessions” at Tetto on Wednesday; Giolì & Assia at Outset, Don Diablo at Prysm, and Geese at Schubas on Thursday; Eyedress at Bottom Lounge, Cannons at House Of Blues, Briston Maroney at Park West, and Dillon Francis x Valentino Khan at Radius on Friday; Grentperez at Chop Shop, Mersiv at Concord Music Hall, Slow Pulp at Empty Bottle, Forester at Prysm, and Metro Boomin at Tao on Saturday; and Alison Wonderland at Cermak Hall, Friko at Lincoln Hall, Hippo Campus at Metro, Zeds Dead at Radius, and Hol! at Sound-Bar on Saturday. It’s hard to keep track of it all, but that’s part of the fun.

This week will surely be one for the books.

To get the most of Chicago’s most anticipated week of the year, we’ve tapped Lollapalooza founder Perry Farrell for his personalized guide to Lollapalooza 2024.

What are some essentials that you always bring to Lollapalooza?

Lollapalooza is a marathon, not a race. Some essentials I would encourage everyone to bring is a reusable water bottle (bonus points if it’s aluminum!), earplugs, a waterproof poncho in case it rains, a shoulder bag for personal items, sunglasses, and a good hat for personal shade, sunscreen, and a great pair of shoes. The latter includes nothing open-toed!

Who are some under the radar artists you’re most excited to see this year?

The lineup this year is one of the best we’ve had! I’m really really looking forward to Geese, Last Dinner Party Four Tet, Ben Bohmer, Blu Detiger, Labrinth, Nia Archives, Killer Mike, Dominic Fike, and Laufey with the Chicago Philharmonic.

Something that is really exciting to me is seeing so many talented women on the lineup this year. I’m really proud of the team and what they accomplished, and I can’t wait to see some of these acts kick some ass on stage.

Is there any specific programming, workshops, or events happening inside (or outside) the festival that you encourage everyone to check out?

RE:WILD will have 3 activation tents on-site, and this cause is fundamental to me. I would love for everyone to stop by their activation to better understand their mission. They’re tackling climate change seriously by reforesting cities as well as the rainforest. This is bigger than just humans and our existence, it’s about all living creatures and our relationship with the world. We need more awareness around their cause and I’m very excited to welcome them to Lollapalooza this year.

What’s your best advice for arriving and leaving the festival? Are there any initiatives for biking or carpooling to/from the festival?

To start, we recommend good walking shoes. It’s always a good idea to grab public transportation, ride-share or ride your bike to go to and from Grant Park. We love having Lollapalooza in Chicago because it’s so accessible.

Chow Town and the overall food scene is always big at Lollapalooza. What are some standouts to try this year?

Next to the Re:wild activation, we will have a new plant-based food area called Plant Base. This area was inspired by Re:wild, as choosing more plant-based foods is the best thing we can do to help the environment.

What’s one thing you hope all attendees get out of attending Lollapalooza?

Everyone should come and definitely leave with an open mind and have acceptance for all.