Dressed in a pink and blue wrestler’s costume with dramatic face paint, Chappell Roan came out swinging, literally, to a crowd of over 80,000 people ready to sing along to her most popular hits.
From Roan to Reneé Rapp, Kesha, Sexxy Redd, SZA and more, the women of Lollapalooza put on shows to remember, marking this year’s festival a true “Femininomenon.”
Thursday
Roan’s performance was the highlight of the festival’s first day—and perhaps the entire weekend—with the rising pop star bringing in the biggest crowd for a daytime performer and possibly any performer in Lollapalooza’s history, according to CNN.
Despite blistering heat, tens of thousands of fans flocked to the T-Mobile stage for the 5 p.m. set, singing and dancing along to hits like “HOT TO GO!” and “Red Wine Supernova.” With a custom bedazzled leather look from leather brand Zana Bayne and latex Busted Brand—the company behind Beyoncé’s “Cowboy Carter” look—Roan brought her signature high-energy performance style and powerful vocals.
Roan also proved that she really is “your favorite artist’s favorite artist,” with many artists referencing her throughout the festival and Blink-182 even covering her hit “Pink Pony Club” during their closing show on Sunday.
Roan’s set was immediately followed by a well-attended performance by another female pop star, Kesha, whose throwback hits like “TiK ToK” and “Timber” were as well-received as her newer songs like “JOYRIDE.” The singer later revealed on X that she unknowingly waved around a real butcher’s knife during “Backstabber” after the prop knife apparently went missing.
Tyla, the South African singer came onto the stage with a giant blow-up tiger and put on a performance with several South African dancers captivating the audience during the blazing heat.
On Thursday, Hozier closed out the Bud Light stage with a performance straight from the hills of Ireland. Alternating between throwbacks and newer hits (including the live debut of one song off the singer’s unreleased EP “Unaired”), Hozier delighted audiences with his stellar vocals, but he also allowed his band to shine. After introducing the song “Nina Cried Power” with an impassioned speech about the ongoing war in Gaza and the power of protest, Hozier allowed his backup singer, Melissa McMillan, to steal the spotlight with an impressive solo.
The set’s highlights included an acoustic version of his 2014 ballad “Cherry Wine” and an amped-up performance of “Would That I,” with the crowd dutifully echoing the chorus’s signature belts.
Headliner Megan Thee Stallion also attracted a sizable crowd with songs like “Savage” and “Where Them Girls At,” during which Chicago Sky’s Angel Reese surprised the performer onstage.
Friday
Sexxy Red showed up and showed out with her funky and fun hits. She amassed a large audience for her performance. She even sang “We are Young” by the band fun. which the crowd sang along to.
Laufey performed with the Chicago Philharmonic at the Bud Light stage during the day. The Icelandic singer and musician played jazz-inspired pop music which brought several to tears.
Pop singer Reneé Rapp delivered a lively performance on the T-Mobile stage, with the former Broadway star delivering her signature vocals during heartfelt ballads like “In the Kitchen” and “Snow Angels.”
After shouting out Chicago’s Chance the Rapper as one of her idols and influences, Rapp brought out the star to perform his hit “No Problem” together to the surprise of fans.
During the evening, fans of Zedd were treated to an eye-catching drone show above the Chicago skyline at the Perry’s stage. While K-pop group Stray Kids attracted a sizable crowd, rival headliner SZA boasted what appeared to be the day’s biggest crowd at the T-Mobile stage with an extravagant performance complete with a full futuristic set, life-sized insects and energetic backup dancers.
SZA opened with the web exclusive “PSA”, followed by several songs off her debut album, “Ctrl.” The set’s highlights included a heartfelt rendition of “Broken Clocks” while seated on a giant ant prop, a seductive performance of “Snooze” with a dismembered robot and “Nobody Gets Me,” which she belted from a tree trunk-staircase which dropped from the ceiling mid-performance. The packed crowd also enthusiastically sang along to hit singles “Saturn,” “I Hate U” and “All the Stars.”
With a lengthy 28-song setlist, SZA unapologetically disregarded the festival’s curfew with her encore after taking the stage about 10 minutes late.
Saturday
Hippo Campus performed at the festival on Saturday for the first time since 2015 — just a few years after the Minnesota-based group started releasing their funky indie rock music. Fans were delighted to hear the band’s old hits as well as new releases from their upcoming fourth album “Flood.”
Metro Boomin and Future let the crowd wait about 30 minutes before taking the stage. The performance was a mix of both rap artists’ collective and separate music.
The Killers closed out the T-Mobile stage and gave the crowd all their favorites and thensome. They even invited a fan onto the stage for a drum solo.
Sunday
The Last Dinner Party, a British indie rock band formed in 2021, gave an exquisitely over-the-top performance with their flowing gowns and feminine energy. The group of five have soared into popularity for the lead singer’s vocals and the crew’s guitar and keyboard riffs. They closed out with their popular song “Nothing Matters” as the crowd sang along.
Conan Gray came onto the Bud Light stage blazin’ hot in a red jumpsuit and a head of beautiful curly locks reminiscent of Freddie Mercury. The former Youtuber turned indie pop singer-songwriter started his music career in 2017 with songs that spoke directly to the feeling of adolescence and growing up in small towns wanting to make it out. Conan Gray has definitely made it out of small towns as he drew a large crowd for his performance.
Blink-182 closed out Sunday at the T-Mobile stage with fireworks, sex jokes and crazy drum solos by Travis Barker. The group drew a large crowd for their punk rock classics.
Across the street at the Perry’s stage EDM group Zedd’s Dead raved into the night with lazers and wild visuals.
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