"I've been replaying this moment over and over for months and it's so much better than I could have imagined," singer-songwriter Lauv proclaimed from the Lollapalooza main stage. It was a sentiment heard over and over again at the music festival's 2021 edition, the first large-scale event to return in Chicago at full capacity in the pandemic era.
For precisely that reason, the festival garnered a level of national attention unseen in recent years. Given the heightened visibility, artists were particularly eager to put their best foot forward for their loyal fans while also seizing the opportunity to reach new ears by embracing the element of surprise.
It was a picture-perfect weekend in Chicago, and between the star-studded lineup, refreshing frozen cocktails from Cupcake, panoramic views of the Chicago skyline, and so much more, fans and artists alike were overcome with an unbridled sense of optimism and treated to the cathartic return they had dreamed of.
New Safety Standards
This year marked Lollapalooza's 30th birthday, and with it came an unexpected opportunity. It all started back in May, when mayor Lori Lightfoot announced the festival was planning to return at "or near-to full capacity." The news was met with much skepticism. At the time, the city's vaccine rollout was relatively new and many were concerned with the festival's ability to implement pandemic safety precautions at scale.