Photo Gallery: Lollapalooza 2025

With sunny 70-degree weather, packed crowds and the glow of stage lights, Lollapalooza 2025 lit up the heart of Chicago with unforgettable performances. From chart-topping headliners to emerging artists, for four days Grant Park became a living canvas of sound. This year’s festival drew about 115,000 people each day and featured more than 170 live performances across eight stages.

The lineup included stars like Sabrina Carpenter, Luke Combs and Olivia Rodrigo who drew massive crowds and had fans camping out at stages from the first rays of sunlight. Beyond the big-name headliners, Lollapalooza hosted some of Chicago’s homegrown artists, celebrating the city’s local roots. From the soulful R&B sounds of Ravyn Lenae to the indie-rock grooves of Ratboys and a special Chicago Made showcase curated by the city’s Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events, the festival honored the artists shaping the city’s sonic identity.

With record-breaking crowds, surprise guest appearances and historic firsts, Lollapalooza 2025 didn’t just live up to the hype. It raised the bar. 

Day One: Thursday, July 31

Lollapalooza kicked off strong with a genre-blurring lineup that set the tone for the weekend. The inaugural day featured artists like 2hollis, Alex Warren, Mark Ambor, Royal Otis and Dom Dolla.

Day Two: Friday, August 1

Friday belonged to Olivia Rodrigo. It seemed as though the entirety of Lollapalooza packed into the T-Mobile stage area to scream every lyric back to her. She shared that her first ever concert was Weezer, then brought out the band itself for surprise performances of “Buddy Holly” and “Say It Ain’t So.” On the other end of the park, Korn took fans on a nostalgic ride, sparking large mosh pits and defining Lolla as a festival with generational crossover appeal.

Olivia Rodrigo struts down the T-Mobile stage as she enters her performance Friday night. Holly Burkhart/DAILY. Buy this photo. Olivia Rodrigo commands the T-Mobile stage, igniting the crowd during her headlining set Friday night. Georgia McKay/DAILY. Buy this photo.

The rest of the day packed its own punch. Djo was “back in Chicago” for his set at T-Mobile, while Bleachers gave the indie crowd their fix across the park at Bud Light.

Earlier in the day, Doechii delivered one of the most visually-rich sets of the weekend, a fiery homage to ’90s hip-hop, and ended her performance by announcing her upcoming tour for Alligator Bites Never Heal.

At Perry’s stage, Two Friends kept the energy high all the way through their grand finale, where they used a 500-drone show to announce that the album release party for Big Bootie Mix vol. 27 will be Chicago in 2026, because what’s a music festival without a little cheeky branding?

Other notable performances of the day included Max McNown, Marina, JPEGMAFIA, Damiano David, BossMan Dlow, Montell Fish, Wasia Project and Naomi Scott, each leaving their mark on a packed Saturday lineup.

Day Four: Sunday, August 3

Sunday’s lineup offered emotional peaks and playful energy. After cancelling last year’s performance, Dominic Fike reflected on his nerves about returning to the stage after time away. He ended by singing to his son, who joined him onstage, with a toy microphone. The Marías specialized in jazzy percussion, pulling their setlist from their debut, CINEMA, and their latest album, Submarine, as well as a magical cover of “Lovefool” by the The Cardigans. Throughout the day KATSEYE, Still Woozy, FINNEAS, Remi Wolf and Ian each brought distinct sounds to the park.

Remi Wolf delivers a headbanging performance on Bud Light Sunday evening, matching the crowd’s electric energy. Georgia McKay/DAILY. Buy this photo. Dominic Fike performs on the T-Mobile stage Sunday evening, backed by a display of swimming goldfish on the screen behind him. Georgia McKay/DAILY. Buy this photo.

At Perry’s, Martin Garrix closed out the stage with a rare U.S. appearance, his first in Chicago since 2016, delivering a massive electronic dance music finale. 

Martin Garrix closes out Perry’s stage with an electric set Sunday night. Georgia McKay/DAILY. Buy this photo. Fans rave as lasers flash at Perry’s stage during Martin Garrix’s set Sunday night.Georgia McKay/DAILY. Buy this photo.

To close the weekend, headliners A$AP Rocky and Sabrina Carpenter delivered vastly different but equally magnetic performances. Carpenter struck her now-iconic “Juno” pose by tossing a miniature version of The Bean into the crowd. She surprised fans by bringing out guests Earth, Wind & Fire to join her set for two songs, giving the set a retro flourish to get the crowd grooving even more.

A$AP made a grand entrance to the stage in a helicopter, arriving late, which forced his set to end abruptly at 10 p.m. due to the city’s curfew. Despite the shortened set, his energy was undeniable as he strutted across the stage through a metal detector and directed Lollapalooza’s videographer to point the camera to the crowd, rather than himself.

Microphone in hand, A$AP Rocky raps his third song of the night, “A$AP Forever,” on Bud Light stage Sunday evening. Holly Burkhart/DAILY. Buy this photo. A$AP Rocky raises his foot as he struts across the edge of Bud Light stage Sunday evening. Holly Burkhart/DAILY. Buy this photo.

Lollapalooza 2025 was one for the books. From die-hard fans camping out hours before the gates opened to catch their favorite artists to those who swung by after their 9-to-5 to discover new bands, all festival-goers enjoyed a weekend of once-in-a-lifetime surprises and diverse talent. A tapestry of sounds and people, this year’s festival wove together more genres and artists than ever before. Though the festival grows older each year, its tradition of pushing boundaries while honoring its roots remains strong. 

Managing Photo Editors Georgia McKay and Holly Burkhart can be reached at gmckay@umich.edu and hollybur@umich.edu.

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