It’ll Be A Soggy Lollapalooza With Storms In Forecast

CHICAGO — Storms are expected to hit Chicago Friday and Saturday — when Lollapalooza will be in full swing.

The music festival will likely see rain after 1 p.m. Friday, according to the National Weather Service. Performances from Friday headliners Charli xcx and the Smashing Pumpkins may be impacted. The day is expected to hit 77 degrees.

There’s more chances for rain Saturday, with thunderstorms possible about 1 p.m. Showers are expected to end Saturday evening, followed by mostly clear skies Sunday and a high of 75 degrees. 

“This has been the craziest storm season that honestly I can remember, and I’ve been doing this for nearly 30 years,” said Bill Snyder, weather producer at WGN-TV.

Chicago has had a particularly stormy summer, with the latest round of heavy rainfall flooding basements and downing trees Monday.

“If there is a bit of good news, this setup Friday is nothing like we went through on Monday,” Snyder said.

The Weather Prediction Center, which measures heavy rainfall, is reporting a “slight” risk that excessive rainfall will exceed flash flood levels Friday morning through Saturday evening.

Sunday is expected to be mostly sunny, with the day warming up to 75 degrees.

Lolla prohibits attendees from bringing umbrellas, but rain ponchos are allowed.

Attendees can bring items of clothing — like socks — to switch into if their original outfits get drenched, and they can be stashed in a locker.

Boots will be helpful if the grounds get muddy, and if you forget your rain poncho, they will be on sale at the Lolla Bodega, according to the fest website.

A waterproof setting spray can offer some protection for festival makeup and glitter.

The National Weather Service put out a hazardous weather outlook just before Lolla weekend in 2024, predicting high temperatures and heavy rain. While it was a hot year, the festival did not see any showers. 

“Lolla kicks off tomorrow, no issues at all, it’s going to be a beautiful day. Some clouds moving in in the afternoon but no rain,” Snyder said.