Lollapalooza Kicks Off With Heat, John Summit, Lorde And A Ferris Wheel

DOWNTOWN — “Lollapalooza, it is hot in here!” Between Friends front woman Savannah Hudson exclaimed into the microphone to a packed crowd at the Bud Light stage on Thursday afternoon.

The sun blazed down on the growing Grant Park crowd with hot and humid temperatures continuing throughout the day as sweaty guests explored performances, new festival activations, sponsored pop-ups and more, awaiting headliners like Lorde and Chicago-area native John Summit.

Grant Park saw a steady surge of fans as the day went on and the sun finally set, bringing much needed relief from the heat for the massive crowds that began forming hours before the slated start times for Lorde at the T-Mobile stage and Summit at the Bud Light Stage.

Naperville native Summit made his Lolla headlining debut, breaking up the particularly pop-centric lineup with a 90-minute set of high energy EDM for his highly anticipated homecoming performance, getting the crowd particularly hyped up with songs from his new album “Ctrl Escape”.

“Chicago, let’s f—— go!” Summit screamed before launching into popular tracks like “Shiver” and his EDM homage to his home city, “In Chicago.”

Lorde, whose last Lollapalooza appearance in 2017 got cut short after three songs due to severe rain, captivated the massive crowd with classic hits like “Team” and a special appearance by Charli xcx to perform “Girl, So Confusing” — confirming social media rumors that the slated Friday headliner would surprise the crowd.

“I’ve been so nervous all day,” Lorde said to a sea of thousands. “I really care about Chicago, I really care.” The pop star from New Zealand made her Lollapalooza debut at 17 in 2014, saying the return to Grant Park in 2026 was “completing the circle.”

Lorde had to pause her headlining set after multiple fans throughout the packed crowd needed medical attention. The singer passed time while EMTs and security made their way through the crowd by sharing the story of her Lolla journey, her love for Chicago and encouraging fans to keep dancing through tough times. She also kept urging the crowd to stay hydrated.

Long Lines And A Broken Ferris Wheel

The festival offered plenty new attractions for festival-goers to explore in between sets or to find respite from the unrelenting sun.

For the first time, a Ferris wheel, carnival games and food like funnel cake and corn dogs transformed the north entrance of the festival into the ultimate fairground experience. Festivalgoers can purchase game tickets to play classic fair games to win Lollapalooza merch like T-shirts, hats and more.

The Ferris wheel, which is free with admission and offers aerial views of Grant Park, Lake Michigan and the skyline, ran into some issues on Thursday afternoon. The Motorola-branded “Razr Wheel” needed maintenance for about an hour, with many festivalgoers opting to leave the long line to explore other attractions.

Sponsored activations from Hollister to Dunkin’ and beyond saw long lines wrapping around festival grounds all day with festivalgoers looking to score free swag, iced coffee or makeup touch-ups at the Ulta tent.

Gangnam Market, the River West Asian supermarket and food court, returned to the festival this year with a pop-up inside the ground’s Vibe Village. Chicago classics also made their return to the festival’s food court, with Lou Malnati’s, Cafe Tola, Taco Maya and buckets of Chicago dogs all on the menu.

Local Acts

Other festival-goers — many adorned in flowy ponchos, statement belts and sparkly hair accessories like star barrettes, butterfly clips and bedazzled crochet skull caps — opted to jam out in the shade. Lake Michigan provided a stunning backdrop for local band the Braymores as they made their Lollapalooza debut at the BMI stage.

“So this is the best day of our lives,” lead singer Matt Tilles told the crowd. “We love you so much.”

The group, hailing from suburban Barrington, said they grew up going to Lollapalooza every summer, adding an extra element of excitement to the alternative rock band’s Lolla debut.

Fresh off a new album release, the band performed songs like “Where Did My Baby Go” and covered Dr. Dog’s hit, “Where’d All The Time Go?”

The pop-heavy Lolla lineup also brought performers like Audrey Hobert and CMAT to Grant Park Thursday, with Hobert delighting the crowd with her hit “Sue Me” — which she performed twice.

Headliners And Surprise Guests

As the sun began to set over the first day of the festival, alt-pop singer Sombr, born Shane Michael Boose, took to the T-Mobile stage, performing hits like “undressed” and “12 to 12.”

The 21-year-old singer stunned fans with a surprise appearance by Australian boy band Five Seconds of Summer, who performed earlier in the day at the same stage. The unexpected collab had Sombr performing the band’s 2014 hit “She Looks So Perfect.”

SB-19 made Lollapalooza history at the Allianz stage being the first all-Filipino group to perform at the festival. Adorned in full-leather outfits, the five-member band performed for a large crowd and even danced with Chicago Bulls mascot Benny the Bull.

Blood Orange, born Devonté Hynes, captivated the large crowd at the Bud Light stage during his afternoon set. Joined by singers Eva Tolkin and Ian Isiah, the alternative R&B and synth-funk artist performed songs like social-media viral “Champagne Coast,” plus some older hits for die-hard fans like “Bad Girls,” which was originally released in 2012.
Even though many in the crowd told Block Club they were awaiting John Summitt, they still grooved to Blood Orange’s signature synth sound for the whole hour-long set.

Australia’s Empire of the Sun then took the Bud Light stage, with lead singer Luke Steele leading an enraptured crowd through hits like “High and Low” and “Alive,” augmented by elaborate costuming — including fantastical headpieces and futuristic robes — as well as background dancers.

Wet Leg closed out their set at Allianz Stage minutes with tunes like “Pokemon” and “Pillow Talk.” Then headliner Lorde took to the T-Mobile stage across the grounds with an intricate performance featuring interpretive dancing, costume changes, light effects and even a working water fountain on stage.

Summit also had a surprise guest: British singer-songwriter Absolutely, who came out to perform “DON’T BELIEVE IT.”

Per unofficial Lollapalooza tradition, fireworks lit up Grant Park at the T-Mobile and Bud Light stages to mark the end of day one of the festival, as Lorde closed out with “Ribs” and Summit with “Go Back”.

Lollapalooza continues in Grant Park through Sunday. Block Club will post dispatches daily.

See more photos from day one of Lollapalooza: