This year for the first time ever I attended Lollapalooza! It was nothing short of amazing from the awe-inspiring music sets simultaneously rocking Grant Park to the endless sea of food options in Chow Town and the myriad of creative, well-organized shops and events scattered in between.

Peter and I were only able to attend the first day of the festival, Thursday August 2nd. As much as we would have loved to experience the entire weekend, even just the one day blew us away and exceeded all of my expectations on what Lollapalooza really was.

And so, I am making this post not only to share my adventure with you, but also in the hopes of helping others like myself not too long ago who had not yet attended a music festival and didn’t know what to expect. I want to confide what I learned from this experience and the tips I picked up along the way.

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What is Lollapalooza?

For those who don’t know, Lollapalooza is the world-renowned music festival held each year in Grant Park, in the heart of downtown Chicago. The festival lasts four days, from Thursday to Sunday, and each day is jam-packed with concerts across the park from 11am to 10pm. It began in 1991 and has continued to grow bigger each year since. Well known, hit record artists and smaller, up-and-coming groups alike share the park in a weekend of inspiring performances in genres from electronic to pop and rock. To learn more about the festival, check out the official Lollapalooza website.

Day One: Thursday, August 2nd

Coming into Chicago from Grand Rapids, Michigan, Peter and I arrived on the train at around 9:00am with all of our things. First stop was breakfast. After googling “breakfast restaurant with mimosas downtown” we ate at a little place called Beef and Brandy. We both ate until we were near bursting. We knew that it would be a long day on our feet walking around and a good breakfast would be important.

Next stop, our hotel. We stayed at the Warwick Allerton Hotel a short walk from Grant Park. Luckily, our room was ready for an early check-in. We changed into our carefully composed festival outfits and applied the glitter. Yes, we low-key matched and we looked fabulous. It was now past 11am and we made our way to Grant Park.

It wasn’t hard to tell where the festival was with the sea of eccentrically dressed people all milling towards the city center in unison. The front entrance bore a massive Lollapalooza banner and decorations. Getting in was easy enough as the guards checked and scanned our bracelets, looked over the contents of Peter’s Camelback, and patted us down. You can see the list of prohibited items on the Lolla website.

The first show we wanted to see wasn’t for a couple hours, so we took this time to explore a little. We filled up the Camelback at one of the filling stations, took pictures by the iconic Lollapalooza sign, and looked around some of the shops. At the Toyota booth, we waited in line to get free air-brush tattoos because why not. There were a few different designs to choose from and they even finished it in glitter. Looking back, we weren’t sure if it was worth it since the paint came off very easily with sweat and rain and left streaks on our clothing, but it was fun.

Our first show of the day was Hippo Campus at 1:30pm. It was a relaxed show, but I was still amazed by the size of the crowd as we wove through the people both standing and sitting to get closer to the stage. Further back along the hills surrounding the stage, people had laid out blankets to lounge on. We danced and sang along to the songs we knew. After the show came to end, we decided to check out Chow Town for a snack.

Chow Town was made up of a multitude of little tents each representing a different restaurant. They lined the street seemingly endlessly on both the North and South side of the main road of the park. Having heard about the magic of the Lobster Corndogs, we knew we had to try it. We got a corndog and a couple of warm and squishy bao buns from Wow Bao to share. The lobster corndog lived up to the hype, delicious and battered in all of its glory. We also picked up some drinks from one of the many bars in the nearby vicinity. While we ate, we watched people roller skate at Rock & Rollers and vowed to skate there ourselves before the day was done.

With full stomaches, we wandered over to Perry’s stage to catch the end of Paper Diamond. Since we had aftershow tickets to Paper Diamond later that night, we weren’t too concerned with catching the entire set. Up next was Cheat Codes at 3:30pm, one of the sets we were most anticipating. They put on an excellent show and the energy of the crowd around us was electric as people sang along and danced their hearts out. You could definitely detect a few here who had overindulged in either alcohol or other substances, mindlessly pushing into others and stepping on feet, but I didn’t let that get me down. We jumped along to the beat and enjoyed the impressive show of lights and colors displayed on the huge screens that made up the Perry’s stage. It was a blast.

After the show, we crossed the street to catch the beginning of Liam Gallagher, then attempted to catch some of Migos before hearing the news that he was running late. We continued on to the Mix’d Up Cocktail Bar where we enjoyed a restful moment of sitting down and relaxing. I had a Tito’s Vodka and lemonade that was most satisfying. The cocktail bar was decorated with flamingos that inspired some people to take pictures of Peter in his natural habitat.

From there, we walked past the artist market and stopped at one of the Lollapalooza merch shops. I purchased a cute tie-up halter top – $35 is a lot for a top, but I knew I’d wear it. Back to Chow Town for dinner, we got pizza from Lou Malnati’s and a beer from one of the bars. Near the Pepsi stage, we sat on the outskirts to enjoy the rest of (what must have been) CRX while we ate our food. Then we walked down to the Rock & Rollers to try some roller skating. I was absolutely terrible, but it was still a lot of fun. Peter tried to show me the ropes but after a lap of me almost falling on my face repeatedly we decided to move on.

Cage the Elephant and Muse were coming up, so we took our final opportunity to use the restrooms again (which were impressively clean and didn’t stink like most portapotties, by the way) and fill the Camelback with more water. Then it was off to the Grant Park stage.

Cage the Elephant was phenomenal. The show itself and the energy of the crowd singing in a chorus along to each song was inspiring. Throughout the set, the crowd behind us continued to grow and we continued to nudge our way closer to the front as different parties came and left for whatever reason. The sky behind the stage was pink as it began to grow cloudy and lightly sprinkled rain. I sang along and soaked in every magical moment. And then all too soon it was over. As many people then left, we continued to make our way forward as much as we could, planning to camp out as close as we could to see Muse in an hour. We weren’t the only ones with this plan though and it was tightly crowded. In our time waiting for Muse, it rained off and on and the people around us speculated if they would cancel the show. It slowly grew dark outside between the setting sun and growing clouds.

For the big finale, the moment we had waited an hour for shoulder to shoulder with strangers in a field of wet grass and dirt, Muse. It was raining and streaks of lightning could be seen flashing above the nearby buildings. They began with their new song, Dig Down. The music seemed to shake through my core and the surrounding landscape, made even more powerful by the falling rain. From my position I could see them all in the flesh, the band I had loved for a decade. Next, Psycho. In the night with the flashing lightning and now pouring rain the song felt cult-like as the crowded recited the lyrics with fervor. We were all absorbing every moment, trying to capture every precious second since we knew it could be cut short at any moment with the growing intensity of the rain. And so it was, after playing 3 songs, the city called for the end of the show. Albeit sad, I was truly glad I got to see as much as I did.

The announcement blared for everyone to evacuate the park. I was freezing and sopping wet, but I continued to sing Muse as we followed the crowds in the direction of the park exit. In parts the water had grown so deep already that my foot was fully submerged, in others the dirt had become a thick clay-like mud. As tired as we were, when we reached the street outside the park along with the hordes of other soaked festival goers we knew there was no hope at catching an uber. Our shoes sloshed as we trudged down the road towards the hotel.

Upon reached the hotel and changing into warm, dry clothes and assessing our tired and aching selves, we knew there wasn’t any way we’d be making it to the originally planned-for aftershow. Sorry, Paper Diamond. We were starving though. After trying a couple nearby bars for food and coming up empty, we found ourselves at a McDonalds. And that is how we ended the long day before heading back and turning in for the night. Despite the rain, I had an absolutely amazing day at Lollapalooza and wouldn’t change a thing.

Packing List

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Camelback. This was a life-saver. Between the all-day heat and humidity and not to mention the day drinking, this was essential in keeping us both hydrated. And who wants to carry around a water bottle? Plus, there were convenient “Camelback Fill-up Stations” all around the park so that we could quickly and easily keep it filled all day long. BONUS: This can also act as your backpack to carry your things so you don’t need to bring a purse. Peter wore the Camelback and it had more than enough room for both of our things even when the water pouch was filled. Link: CamelBak on Amazon

Sunscreen. You will be outside for nearly 12 hours and regardless of whether it’s cloudy or not, you will want sunscreen. The last thing you want is to have a sunburn ruining your day. We just grabbed a little bottle from the travel-size area of the grocery store. My Favorite Sunscreen: COSRX Aloe Soothing Sun Cream

Sunglasses. Again, you don’t want the hot summer sun to ruin your time at Lolla. Squinting all day sucks – and some cool sunglasses can be an important part of your awesome festival outfit. My favorite sunglasses: Ray-Bans

External battery pack. Unless you print everything out ahead of time, you’ll be using your phone a lot to check the lineup schedule, look at the festival map, maybe even use the Lolla app to order beer, and definitely to take some pictures and videos! Not to mention getting an uber home after the fest or checking your Google Maps to get to an afterparty. So if you have an external battery to keep your phone charged throughout the day, you won’t have to worry. Alternatively, there are some charging stations around the park. Link: Anker External Battery

Chapstick. If you’re anything like me, this is just a no brainer.

Rain poncho. If you have it you won’t need it, if you don’t have one it will rain (or it will just rain either way). We had actually purchased some at a Dollar Store ahead of time and then forgot to bring them to the festival. And if you hadn’t heard, it poured Thursday evening. Link: Clear Rain Ponchos on Amazon

Ziplock bags. Speaking of the pouring rain… Ziplock bags were key in protecting our phones and important electronics from the rain. It rained so hard on Thursday that the Camelback backpack was soaked through and everything inside was sopping wet. Without the ziplocks, our electronics would have been too. Link: Quart Ziploc bags (a perfect phone-size)

Credit Cards / I.D. You shouldn’t need your credit cards if you sign up to Lolla Cashless through your wristband, but it doesn’t hurt to bring them and keep them safely tucked away in your bag just in case. If you plan to drink alcohol obviously you will need your I.D. You’ll only need to get it out once though, since after your first time getting a drink your cashier will give you a plastic wristband proving you’re of age for the rest of the fest.

Phone / Camera. This is obvious but completes the packing list. Along with these, maybe chargers, maybe an extra battery, maybe an extra memory card. It’s up to you. Your camera can’t be a DSLR though – point and shoots only. And don’t bring a selfie stick because they aren’t allowed either. My point and shoot camera: Canon Powershot G7X Mark II or you can never go wrong with a GoPro, especially if it rains.

General Tips

Buy your Lollapalooza tickets as soon as they go on sale.

For those who don’t know, tickets for Lollapalooza sell out within like an hour. Know what ticket tier and what day(s) you want ahead of time. Decide it with your group if you have one. Mark the on-sale date on your calendar. If they go on sale at 12pm, it doesn’t hurt to be on the website 15 or 30 minutes ahead of time. When you get into the “waiting room”, don’t refresh your page or you’ll lose your spot in line. As soon as you get in, get the tickets you decided on immediately and checkout ASAP. It wouldn’t hurt to have your credit card out and ready beforehand to make this part quicker. BUT if you aren’t prepared and miss out on the official ticket sale, fear not. You can easily buy tickets from the Lolla ticket resale page or other sites like Stubhub. But these will likely be more expensive, can have steep fees, and can get annoying with shipping / meet-ups. Since the Lolla ticket is a physical wristband, unless the person you are buying it from chose UPS shipping (which allows them to login and change the shipping address), you will have to wait for them to receive the bracelet in the mail so they can then ship it to you. OR you have to meetup in person to exchange. And bracelets don’t usually ship until a couple weeks before the festival.

Wait to buy aftershow tickets until closer to the festival dates.

This is just personal opinion, but there were a lot of shows that were announced only days before the festival. Having bought aftershow tickets sometime in May when the first ones were announced, I was a little bummed that I didn’t know all of my options before investing. However, some shows sold out so if an artist is announced that is a must-see for you, then I would just go ahead and buy them. Some shows that had been “sold out” released more tickets closer to the festival date though.

Sign up for Lolla Cashless through your wristband.

This was a really helpful feature that I recommend participating in. It was easy to register our wristbands online ahead of time and link them to my credit card information. At the festival, everything that you can purchase works with the Cashless wristbands so there is no need to constantly take off your backpack and dig for your credit card. This made the speed of lines at Lolla very noticeably faster than your average lines. So on that note – don’t be intimidated by long lines (like the ones waiting for Lobster corndogs) because they move quickly.

Download the Lollapalooza app.

It certainly isn’t perfect, but the Lolla app was a handy little app that proved helpful throughout our festival experience. Specifically, we used it to check the lineup schedule to keep on track and see how much time we had between sets, and to check the map for nearby water fill-up stations, restrooms, and where each stage was located since we were newbies. The map is even interactive which was a helpful bonus. Another aspect of the app that I thought was cool but we didn’t have the chance to try, was that you could preorder drinks from the bars around the park so that you wouldn’t have to wait in line. Pretty neat.

Have a loose idea of your lineup schedule ahead of time.

Knowing ahead of time what shows you can’t miss and which you wouldn’t mind seeing will help you plan your day. Having this loose plan ahead of time let us decide when we should grab our meals and check out the other activities of the festival without missing any of our must-see sets. But it doesn’t hurt to keep an open mind and be flexible so that you can be spontaneous if something else catches your eye.

Try the Lobster Corndog.

I had never heard of a “lobster corndog” before I started preparing for my day at Lollapalooza, but in all of the forums, sites, and blog posts it was all anyone talked about when it came to food at the festival. I quickly learned that it’s a cult favorite and staple of experiencing Lollapalooza. What’s more is that it really is as delicious as everyone says it is! I also had Lou Malnati’s pizza for the first time and wow that is some amazing ‘za.

Don’t let the rain get you down.

This one definitely comes directly from my personal experience, but I also read about it online beforehand since rain is a pretty common occurrence at Lolla. Just come prepared knowing that it could happen by bringing your rain poncho and ziplock bags and making sure what you’re wearing isn’t something you would be devastated if it got ruined (probably a good tip regardless of rain because you’re at a music festival). And most importantly bring a good attitude! Honestly, watching Muse perform in the pouring rain with thunder cracking overhead was magical and haunting and probably my favorite part of the day.

Wear comfortable, close-toed shoes.

I read this before going, but decided that I would be fine in sandals anyway. My feet got stepped on, jumped on, spilled on… Especially at the Perry’s stage where people were getting rowdy. I was too busy trying to avoid people’s feet that I didn’t get to join in and enjoy myself as much. It wasn’t unbearable by any means, but in the future I will definitely be wearing something more protective just so I can be carefree. I saw people wearing sneakers, Doc Martens, and even rain boots – plenty of people in sandals too though. At the end of the day it depends on what’s more important to you. Other stages were far more “chill” than Perry’s and I was barely ever stepped on.

Dress in fun, festival-wear fashion!

Do what’s comfortable for you, but consider joining in the fun of dressing crazy. Planning our outfits beforehand and flaunting them at the festival was definitely a highlight of the experience. Peter and I kept tally of who got more compliments (he swears he won 5 to 4 but I’m pretty sure we tied). You can find a lot of edgy and interesting things at stores like Forever21 for cheap. This year the big thing was glitter – nearly everyone had some form of glitter or metallic paint on their face and/or bodies. Also, lots of strappy bralettes on the ladies and crazy printed, bright colored shirts on the guys.

Follow the Lollapalooza Reddit.

This subreddit was a huge help for a newbie like me for what to expect out of my first Lollapalooza. It has everything from how to prepare, what to bring, experiences of longtime Lolla-goers, and a eager-to-help group of friendly people to answer any of your questions along the way. Even if you don’t have questions, it’s a great way to get hyped for the show in advance and reminisce about it all after its over and the excitement hasn’t yet worn off.

Are you going to Lollapalooza?

Have you ever been to Lollapalooza, or will this be your first time attending the music festival? Is there anything you’d like to add to my list of tips? Please share your experience in the comments below! I would love to hear about it. If you found this post helpful in planning your own Lollapalooza trip, please save it for later using the Pinterest image below or share it with your festival-going buddy using the social share icons.

Well, there it is. My experience and things that I learned from my first Lollapalooza. I’m sure that there’s a lot more to learn and experience and I truly hope to do so by attending Lolla again in the future. And for the whole weekend if possible! Keep up with my adventures by subscribing to my YouTube channel if you haven’t already, I would really appreciate it. Follow me on Facebook and Instagram for updates. Thank you for stopping by my blog!

Update

Remember when I mentioned just how much fun Peter and I had planning our crazy festival outfits for our day at Lolla? Well me and my eccentric mesh outfit were featured in a Brit + Co article! Yours truly can be found on slide 12 (image below).

Article: 14 Killer Street Style Snaps from Lollapalooza 2017

Hey, that’s me! This is the photo used in the article. Anyway, I thought that it was pretty nifty when my friend found me in this article and sent it my way. All the more inspiration to spend some time crafting a creative outfit and just have some fun! Who knows, your festival wear might get you in an article.