Lollapalooza 2025; A Guide

Another year, another Lollapalooza in Chicago! In March, the lineup for this year's festival was announced, with many people noting it as one of the best lineups in recent years. When tickets went on sale, there was an unprecedented number of people on the ticketing website trying to buy their 4-day pass to the festival. Within the hour, all of the 4-day GA passes were completely sold out. I was lucky enough to get my pass before they sold out, and now I can barely wait for August to come. While we wait for the festival to take off, I thought it would be a good idea to share some tips and tricks so you can have the best possible experience if you plan on going!

Image from Lollapalooza website

>> Getting to Lolla <<

Map from Lollapalooza website

Let's start with some pretty basic information. The festival takes place near the loop in Grant Park from July 31st - August 3rd. If you've never been, Grant Park is only a block or two south of Millennium Park, right off Michigan Avenue. I've attached an image of the map to better visualize the area, but note that this is the map for 2024 and not 2025 (though they rarely change the layout of the festival each year). There are a few entrances, but some of them are restricted to certain ticket-holders, so make sure you are using the right entrance for your pass. When it comes to actually arriving at Grant Park, you have a few options. You can park your own car at a nearby parking garage and walk, use a ride-sharing service such as Uber, Lyft, or a taxi, or use the CTA. There are pros and cons to each option, so I'll list them out here:

• Parking Garage:

  • Pros:

    • You can be self-reliant; no wait times or time constraints

    • Full access to drive around the city throughout the day, whether that's to get food or stock up on necessities

    • Likely the safest option out of the three

  • Cons:

    • Depending on where you park, there may be a lot of traffic (which is NOT fun after being all tuckered out)

    • Probably the most expensive option, as you have to pay for gas for transportation, and parking garages will likely be expensive that weekend because of the festival

    • You need to have a designated driver if your group plans on drinking

• Ride Sharing Service:

  • Pros:

    • You don't have to navigate traffic

    • Less time walking to and from the festival

    • Don't need to worry about having a designated driver

  • Cons:

    • Can be expensive, as drivers tend to raise their prices

    • Sometimes it can be hard to track down a driver, as it can get chaotic when everyone is leaving the festival

    • You have to trust that your driver can safely get you or your group out of traffic

    • Less access to the rest of the city once you arrive at the festival

• CTA:

  • Pros:

    • Definitely the cheapest option, an unlimited day pass is only $5 per person

    • Access to both the CTA trains and buses, which can get you around the entire city

    • No need to worry about navigating traffic

  • Cons:

    • Can be hard to navigate if you are very unfamiliar with the CTA (though you can use an app like Transit to get directions)

    • Likely the least-safe option (especially at night). During Lolla weekend, there's actually a lot of other people taking the CTA as well, so it's actually safer than usual. But safety is still important to keep in mind.

    • Delays and long wait times are possible

There's a lot to keep in mind when it comes to figuring out a transportation method, but keep in mind what you're willing to sacrifice, the total cost, and your safety.

>> Outfits <<

Photo from Amazon

Photo from eBay, edited by me

While of course everyone wants to be well-dressed, it's best to be practical rather than fashionable at a festival. ESPECIALLY if you are going all 4 days. Don't get it twisted, there is a middle ground between having a good-looking outfit and a comfortable outfit, but it's gonna take some good planning to get there. When it comes to a top, you don't need anything more than a t-shirt or tank top. I promise, wearing long sleeves (even if it's breathable) is gonna be a huge mistake. Same thing goes for pants, I really don't recommend wearing sweatpants or jeans. The only time you should really wear jeans is if they have a lot of holes, but even then, I really don't think it's worth it. If you wanna find a way to spruce up your outfit, then you can try wearing some form of fishnets or another kind of easily breathable fabric. Just try and keep it nice and cute. When it comes to shoes, I recommend wearing something durable but also comfortable. Trust me, I know the cowboy boots or Doc Martens are cute, but those things are gonna feel like mini torture chambers after standing for a few hours. Wear a pair of sneakers or tennis shoes that you like and call it a day. For the love of god, don't wear heels. If you are going to buy new shoes to wear to the festival, make sure to break them in beforehand.

>> What To Bring <<

Photo from Chicago Tribune

Unlike other events, Lollapalooza is actually quite lenient when it comes to what you can bring into the festival.

Here are some items that I recommend bringing:

• Reusable Water Bottle / Water Pack

  • Note: Bottles must be empty in order to bring them in. There are free refill stations inside the festival.

  • Water packs are easier to manage and can hold more water

• High SPF Sunscreen

  • Standing in the sun for hours at a time in the middle of summertime can be very dangerous without sunscreen. Make sure you or someone in your group has a bottle.

• Hand Sanitizer

  • Your hands are bound to get dirty at any festival. You want to make sure to clean your hands before eating or touching your face to avoid getting sick.

• Fan / Misting Fan

  • While this one isn't as necessary as the others on this list, I think it's a good investment and can help prevent overheating or passing out, especially when you are packed against others in the heat.

• Liquid IV / Hydration Packs

  • Again, this one isn't as required as the others, but I think it's really handy to have some packs. This will help keep you more hydrated than just drinking water alone. This means fewer bathroom breaks and less time spent at water stations. Really recommend it if you are going for multiple days.

• Lip Balm / Chapstick

  • In the event you end up being dehydrated, it's really nice to have something to prevent your lips from chapping, which can get painful really quickly if not taken care of.

• Portable Charger

  • To my knowledge, you are able to bring a portable charger in. This is obviously just useful, so you don't have to worry about your phone dying. Especially if you are by yourself and aren't familiar with the area. This way, you can also take more photos and videos without worrying.

There are other things you can bring, like makeup or whatever other items you need, but note that not everything is allowed into the festival. You can find a list of prohibited items on Lollapalooza's website. Most bags are permitted to be brought into the festival, but it really depends on the size. Things get iffy if you are bringing a larger-sized bag, so make sure to check their bag policy as well.

>> General Tips and Advice <<

Here I'm just going to quick-fire some tips that aren't specific enough for their own category:

• Food

  • You are not allowed to bring outside food or drink into Lollapalooza. There are food vendors inside the festival, but as you can imagine, it can be quite expensive.

  • I would recommend eating before going to the festival in order to save money. And maybe choose something that isn't going to hurt your stomach.

• Make A Plan

  • Lollapalooza will share the schedule for all the performances for each day in the coming months. Make sure you know who you want to see and what stage you need to be at. Take note of the time it takes to get from each set.

  • If you are really serious about being on time, you can visit Grant Park before the festival kicks off in order to get an idea of how long it takes to get from each performance.

• Re-Entering The Festival

  • Keep in mind you are allowed to re-enter the festival 2 times after you initially check in. This means that you can actually leave the festival to get food elsewhere if you prefer, or you can get more supplies if necessary.

  • This also means that if there is a large gap between two performances you want to see, you can simply just leave and come back after a few hours. While most see this as an opportunity to discover new artists, remember your limits and don't push it if you don't have to. Especially if you are going multiple days, a little break can make the difference sometimes.

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That's all I have for now! I hope you found this mini-guide somewhat useful in planning your time at Lolla! I'm really excited to go this year, and hopefully, all the preparation makes it a good experience. Thanks for reading!

Earworm ~-~-~o

Thanks for reading!

-Joey :)