Celebrating 25 Years of Lollapalooza

It’s hard to believe that 25 years ago Perry Farrell, lead singer of Jane’s Addiction, created Lollapalooza as a farewell tour for his funk-metal rock band. Little did he know that this farewell tour would form a massive festival and be extended for years to come. The 1991 inaugural year featured bands like Living Colour, Ice T & Body Count, Nine Inch Nails, and of course, Jane’s Addiction.

Since its heavy metal beginnings, Lollapalooza has catered to innumerable genres of music over its life span. Whether it was Rage Against The Machine in ’92 and ’96, or Snoop Dogg and Trippy in ’97 before Lollapalooza would be put on hold for 5 years. This world renowned festival has adapted with the music and the fans’ taste in music. Hundreds of thousands flock to Grand Park each year to experience the music, camaraderie, and memories.

However, Lollapalooza was not always based in the Chicago area. Up until 2004, Lollapalooza would go on tour and touch down in different parts of the country over the span of about two months. The festival reached a stand still after 1997 and would not be revived until 2003. Perry Farrell and Jane’s Addiction would come back together in 2003 and Lollapalooza would again go on tour to feature artists like Thirty Seconds To Mars, The Distillers, and Kings of Leon. The tour scheduled for 2004 would be cancelled due to low ticket sales across the country.

2005 would catapult Lollapalooza back into the festival scene and let the world know it was here to stay. Farrell and his team partnered up with C3 Presents to restructure the festival and land it in its permanent home, Grant Park, Chicago. The newly formed two day festival would attract nearly 70,000 attendees despite temperatures reaching 104 degrees Fahrenheit on Sunday. Since its two day inaugural year in 2005, Lollapalooza has only been on the rise. Following ‘killer’ performances by The Killers, Arcade Fire, and M83, Lollapalooza extended its festival to three days in 2006.

Once a small touring festival, Lollapalooza has now become a landmark event for those based in the Chicago area. The festival has a colossal $140 million dollar economic impact on the city of Chicago. In 2008 a deal was signed keeping Lollapalooza in Chicago until 2018, guaranteeing the city $13 million. Attracting artists like Lady Gaga, Green Day, Kanye West, Eminem, and even Daft Punk, there is no artist too big to perform at Lollapalooza.

Daft Punk @ Lollapalooza 2007

In 2010 Lollapalooza debuted in South America, making its first appearance in Chile. Not long after the festival would expand to Brazil, Argentina, and Germany. For the first time ever Lollapalooza will be extended to four days in Chicago to celebrate its 25th anniversary. Only weeks ago Lollapalooza stunned the world by releasing one of their most diverse and extensive lineups to date. Featuring a blend of electronic, rap, hip-hop, rock, and pop; Lollapalooza has it all. This four day party contains an incredible mix of electronic with artists like Hardwell, Major Lazer, Martin Garrix, Marshmello, Seven Lions, and Discloure. However, the festival would not be complete without a performance for one of the most famous bands, Jane’s Addiction. Perry and his bandmates will rocking out Lollapalooza for hundreds of thousands of fans. General admission tickets have sold out, VIP, Platinum, and Hotel Packages (which include tickets) can still be purchased here. Check out the full extensive lineup below!

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