Virtual Lollapalooza Festival Announces Partial Musical Lineup

CHICAGO, IL – Lollapalooza may not be happening in person this weekend in its typical over-crowded, over-heated fashion, but the show will go on. Just like never before.

More than a month after city officials announced that the popular music festival that draws an estimated 100,000 fans to Grant Park daily over a four-day stretch was being canceled along with the rest of Chicago's summer event schedule due to the coronavirus pandemic, the event’s organizers announced a four-night broadcast event on YouTube will replace the live event.

Although ticket sales for an event that typically sells out quickly never got rolling, the musical lineup for the virtual version was also never announced after plans to take the festival virtual were announced. That changed on Monday when a partial list of artists set to appear on the nightly YouTube streaming broadcasts was introduces on Lollapalooza's social media channels.

Lollapalooza's virtual platform will begin Thursday night and will include weekend performances by Chance the Rapper, Paul McCartney, Arcade Fire, Outkast and several of other artists. The YouTube channel will also include popular performances from years gone by, event organizers announced..

The complete lineup will be announced on Wednesday, but event organizers said that more than 150 performances will be streamed onto YouTube beginning at 5 p.m. on Thursday. The virtual festival will run through Sunday.

Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot is also scheduled to appear throughout the weekend on the YouTube channel with Lollapalooza officials, rapper LL Cool J. The Chicago Tribune also reported that the festival will take on a social justice angle as well and it partnering with Michelle Obama’s When We All Vote initiative as well as the Equal Justice Initiative and the Arts for Illinois Relief Fund.