Lollapalooza 2026, the PAPER Version

If you ever tried to gather every pop girl who's currently having a moment into one place and throw a four day long party, you'd probably end up with something called Lollapalooza. Except instead of a house party, you're in Chicago in the middle of Grant Park, surrounded by eight stages, roughly 100,000 people a day, and a pair of shoes you’ll probably never wear again.

This past weekend, the Chicago native festival took over Grant Park for four days that felt like a fever dream specifically curated for the girls and the gays. The 2026 lineup leaned very pop girl heavy, featuring names such as the queen of summer herself Zara Larsson, Tate McRae, Charli XCX, Lorde, Adéla, Olivia Dean, Slayyyter, Audrey Hobert, Jennie, Sienna Spiro, MUNA, and K-pop powerhouses i-dle and aespa. Beyond the pop girls, the weekend also delivered nostalgic moments with a performance by 5 Seconds of Summer, a main stage debut from Leon Thomas, a headlining set from John Summit, a U.S. festival debut from CORTIS, and a show from The Chainsmokers that brought the crowd back to the summer of 2016.

Although this year’s weather wasn’t exactly on the festival’s side, the rain and mud did little to bring down the vibes. I dropped my bags off at the Loews Chicago Hotel and thanked my friends at Choose Chicago for the recommendations before grabbing my backstage wristband and taking a short uber ride down to the festival. I spent the next four days running from stage to stage, weaving through the crowds, and knocking on some artist’s trailer doors to capture every unforgettable moment Lollapallooza had to offer.

Day 1 - Opening Act

Day one of a festival always carries a special kind of energy. The crowds are fresh, everyone is getting to know the layout of the grounds and planning out their schedule for the weekend. While a myriad of fans lined up early in the morning to get a barricade spot for Lorde’s headlining set, I started my day a little later in the afternoon.

My first stop of the day was actually backstage in the artist lounge to meet one of UK’s up and coming singer-songwriters Asha Banks. Mixing introspective indie-pop with folk influences, plus dreamy vocals and intimate songwriting is what has quickly earned Banks a growing fanbase and an opening spot on the Lollapalooza main stage where she debuted a live performance of her single “I’m Your Biggest Fan”.

After a couple refreshments in the artist lounge I ran over to Audrey Hobert’s set where she brought her signature wit and energy to the stage, delivering a charming set that left no doubt she’s an artist to watch.

Back at the artist lounge I snagged some portraits of boyband 5 Seconds of Summer, who made me shed a few tears with their nostalgic performance of “She Looks So Perfect” as they reminded everyone why they’ve remained festival favorites for over a decade; Haute and Freddy who threw an early afternoon theatrical dance party; and Empire of the Sun who performed their hit song “Walking on a dream”.

I then quickly ran to the opposite side of the park to go meet John Summit backstage where he was surrounded by friends and family ahead of his headlining set.

As I hopped on a golf cart back to the mainstage, I braced myself for Lorde’s set. As a longtime fan who’s never gotten to see her live before I was beyond excited for what turned out to be one of my favorite performances from the whole weekend. Lorde’s set balanced vulnerability and euphoria pairing her unique vocals with her power in connecting with her audience that made even the largest festival crowd feel intimate. While I got to live out my fantasy of being in a Lorde crowd dancing and screaming to “Ribs” (yes it’s a thing), what really set the crowd off was when Charli XCX made a surprise appearance for “Girl, so confusing”. Between the beautiful use of lighting, striking visuals, and cinematic stage design, Lorde’s performance really set the tone for the rest of the weekend.

While day one may have been coming to a close, there was still one more stop on my itinerary and so I made my way to the Vic Theatre for Zara Larsson’s official Lollapalooza after show where fans got an intimate preview of what she had in store for her festival set the next day. Before the show, I made my way backstage where Zara, without missing a beat, complimented my spray tan right before posing for a few exclusive portraits in her green room.

Day 2 - Summer Isn’t Over Yet

After a long first day and some much needed rest, I had brunch at the Loews and packed my camera bag to head back to the festival grounds for another day of shows. Although my schedule for day two was much more tame, the rain wasn’t - and if there’s two things that don’t go well together it’s festivals and rain. But as we know, summer isn't over yet until Zara says so herself.

I started off the day at Slayyyter’s afternoon set which was pure pop chaos in the best way possible. The rain didn’t stop the crowd from flooding her side of the park amassing one of her biggest audiences yet. She performed tracks like "CRANK," "I’M ACTUALLY KINDA FAMOUS," and "DANCE…"; It was one of those performances where all you could do was dance, even in the rain.

If there was one set I was looking forward to most on day two, it had to be Zara Larsson’s. Even though I had just seen her the night before at the Vic Theatre, it was time for Zara again because I simply can’t get enough. Having followed her journey since before Midnight Sun’s release, watching her step onto the main stage at Lollapalooza and perform in front of her largest US crowd was unreal. Zara’s set was what many festivalgoers considered a headliner-worthy performance, complete with a thoughtfully designed stage, a full live band, backup dancers, powerful vocals, clean choreo and she even brought the Eurosummer vibes straight to the heart of Chicago. She powered through tracks from Midnight Sun as well as fan favorites like "Never Forget You," "Symphony," and of course, she invited a fan onstage for the now-iconic "Lush Life" dance. She ended the set to an emotional reprise of "Midnight Sun" leaving many wondering why she wasn't headlining in the first place.

Back in the artist lounge I shot some portraits of k-pop group i-dle, who had just performed their new single “Gimme Dat Love”; Skye Newman with her commanding South East London accent; and Suki Waterhouse.

As the day went on, the rain did little to stop the crowd from packing the main stage for Charli XCX’s headlining set following the release of her latest album Music, Fashion, Film. Charli didn’t just perform, she threw a party that turned Grant Park into the biggest “underground” club in Chicago. As someone who hadn’t seen her perform live since pre-BRAT era, witnessing her evolution into the powerhouse she is today was transcendent. Watching this set felt more like experiencing a cultural moment we will talk about for decades to come. Charli XCX probably had the most ambitious production value of the entire weekend; with a wide cast of dancers, every song felt like its own choreographed music video. Every single piece of the show felt curated with the purpose of pulling the audience into her world; Charli’s world. She performed many tracks from BRAT alongside newer titles from Music, Fashion, Film and as the rain poured down, I found myself dancing to Charli XCX alongside Adéla and Zara Larsson in VIP. This was truly next level Charli.

Day 3 - Mudapalooza

If day two proved that the rain couldn’t kill the vibe, day three proved that neither could the mud. Heavy overnight rain showers transformed Grant Park into what’s been affectionately dubbed “Mudapalooza” complete with mud pits, cancelled sets, lesbian mud wrestling, and shoes that would never be the same again (including my white sneakers).

As the festival gates finally opened around 3PM, I made my way backstage to go meet an artist I’ve had my eye on all year: Sienna Spiro. The British singer-songwriter has had a phenomenal year amassing millions of fans through viral TikTok performances of her hit single “Die On This Hill” and becoming the face of Gap’s holiday campaign with her stunning cover of "The Climb”. Although the stage wasn’t adequate to accommodate all the fans that showed up, Spiro didn’t let the production limitations get in the way of her performance and had the massive daytime audience singing along echoing across Grant Park.

While backstage I also caught up with k-pop boy group CORTIS following their US festival debut performance on the Lollapalooza main stage. Less than a year after debuting as a group they have already become one of K-pop's fastest rising acts, earning praise for their hands-on creative approach to their music and visuals. Their performance showcased the confidence of a much more seasoned group but the biggest surprise came when they brought out Juicy J as a special guest for a performance of their collaboration “Motion”.

Sometimes the most memorable festival sets are the ones that don't take themselves too seriously, and bbno$ proved exactly that. Leaning into internet humor and fun vibes, he had the entire crowd bouncing from start to finish as hits like "edamame", “itboy” and "lalala" turned Grant Park into one massive party. His set featured hilarious crowd interactions, nonstop dancing, and surprise appearances from Yung Gravy and Lolla Bunny.

Although day three had a chaotic muddy start, Olivia Dean’s headlining set brought a sense of warmth and calmness to end the day on. Fresh off winning the 2026 Grammy for Best New Artist, Olivia Dean shined like a true star on the Lollapalooza main stage wearing a mesmerizing custom Atelier Versace gown. Her stage design featured multiple petal like set pieces in the background which set a magical scene for a stripped back and chic set. Backed by a live band, Dean performed beautiful renditions of some of her heart-wrenching hits such as “The Hardest Part”, “Okay Love You Bye”, and “Dive”. Although tears were shed, the performance still managed to bring so much joy to the crowd reminding me that sometimes the simplest performances are the most impactful.

Day 4 - The Encore

There's something bittersweet about the last day of a music festival. The fun and excitement of Day One has turned into exhaustion, wristbands are clinging on for dear life, and phones are fighting for the last few percent of battery. As the reality of the festival coming to an end starts to sink in, that final day somehow manages to feel more special than the others; you’re soaking in As I geared up for the last few sets in Grant Park, I packed my camera bag one last time, and hopped in an uber down to the festival soaking in Chicago’s best views on the way.

Day Four’s headliner and final closing act for the festival was none other than Tate McRae. Fans lined up for barricade early in the morning and sprinted across the park the second the gates opened, camped out all day in front of the main stage for a front row view. McRae was the talk of Day Four. But first, we had a few other people to check out.

I kicked off my day backstage in the artist lounge where I touched base with indie-pop trio MUNA. The trio transformed their afternoon set into a celebration of community and their chemistry created an atmosphere where everyone from long-time fans to first time listeners felt welcomed.

If there was one standout daytime performance on Day Four, it had to be Adéla’s. The Slovak-born pop artist has rapidly become one of the most talked about names in pop. Adéla brought a sense of stardom that felt well beyond that of a newcomer. Rather than relying solely on traditional pop choreography, she drew from her years of classical ballet training and incorporated balletic movements into high-energy routines which set her apart from any other choreography from the entire weekend. She performed tracks like "Supercar," "Boys," "SexOnTheBeat," and "KGB" as well as her newly released single “Ain’t in LA”. The vision was there, the choreo was there, the vocals were there; it’s certain we’ll be seeing much more of Adéla in our future.

Back at the artist village I caught up with some other performers of the day including The Chainsmokers who were ready for a nostalgia filled set; aespa who had just brought out Ty Dolla $ign for “Switchblade”; Cruz Beckham, who performed his first U.S. festival show with his band The Breakers; former Little Mix member JADE, who stepped confidently into her own spotlight; Justine Skye, who had a high-energy R&B set; and Cameron Whitcomb who lost his shirt mid set.

As the sun began to set over Grant Park, thousands of fans poured toward the main stage ahead of the festival’s closing act. The excitement had been building all day and there was only one artist left to bring Lollapalooza 2026 to a close: Tate McRae.

It wasn't long ago that Tate had performed on this very stage as a daytime act in 2024 and as a longtime Tater Tot who’s been lucky enough to see her perform live through each one of her eras, watching her return to headline the very festival where so many fans first discovered her, felt like a true full-circle moment.

Tate’s performance was a statement built around the theme of “The Anatomy Of A Popstar” which expanded on the visual language she’s been cultivating in the past year or so. From her 2025 MTV VMA’s performance where she embodied Medusa, to her gold 2026 Met Gala look inspired by the statues of La Rèale, Tate has consistently drawn from classical imagery to explore the themes of power and transformation. Those references tied heavily into her Lollapalooza stage design which featured towered Greco-Roman inspired columns that framed the stage as an ancient temple, reinforcing the show’s overarching narrative. Led by creative director Parker Genoway, with Sergio Reis serving as lead choreographer, and fashion direction from Ludovic de Saint Serning, every creative choice felt intentional in telling her story.

She performed a one and a half hour set diving deep into her discography leading up to a showstopping finale that felt almost symbolic. During “Sports Car”, Tate emerged from a bath of liquid gold, transforming herself into an untouchable, gilded figure as fireworks erupted above the Chicago skyline. The scene represented years of growth into one solidifying her as one our generation’s defining performers. After all, the show itself was about Tate McRae becoming a popstar and that’s exactly what we walked away witnessing.

Story and Photography by Vincenzo Dimino

Production by Cancel Creative