The Count
Korn wasn’t one of the headliners during Lollapalooza’s final incarnation as a touring festival in 1997, but the band’s daytime sets quickly became MTV News fodder thanks to raging, dusty mosh pits and a hybrid rock-rap sound that proved several years ahead of its time.
So when Lollapalooza returns to Chicago’s Grant Park from July 31–Aug. 3, Korn will be poised for a victory lap some 28 years in the making. Indeed, its Friday co-headlining performance is expected to draw an overflow crowd during a weekend that features some of the world’s biggest pop stars, further highlighting the event’s ongoing multi-generational, multi-genre appeal after more than three decades.
“I’m really excited about Korn,” says C3 Presents booker Huston Powell, who has overseen the flagship Chicago edition since 2005 as well as Lolla’s six international offshoots in South America, Europe and India. “Some bands from that era have replugged into a younger fan base by recognizing how important it is to not just stay in your lane.”
The same can be said for Lollapalooza, which was co-founded by Jane’s Addiction’s Perry Farrell, manager Ted Gardner and booking agents Marc Geiger and Don Muller in 1991 as a vehicle for the band’s first farewell tour. Gen X quickly signed up in droves, and subsequent editions dramatically raised the profile of future alt-rock staples such as Pearl Jam, Red Hot Chili Peppers and Soundgarden.
In what’s become a brutally competitive festival landscape, Lollapalooza has been able not just to endure but to grow by honoring its grunge-y, ‘90s-era history while leaning into its core 16-to-35 demo. It’s a strategy reflected by a 2025 lineup led by the new class of female A-listers (Sabrina Carpenter, Olivia Rodrigo, Gracie Abrams, Doechii) and top names in hip-hop (Tyler, the Creator, A$AP Rocky), country (Luke Combs), K-pop (TWICE) and EDM (Rüfüs Du Sol).
Clearly, the eclectic mix of acts struck a chord with fans: Four-day passes went clean less than an hour after going on sale.
Red Pony Club: left, Red Hot Chili Peppers at the first Lollapalooza, 1991; right, Chappell Roan in 2024 (Steve Eichner/Getty Images; Pooneh Ghana)
The festival “has so much brand loyalty from a very wide demographic,” says Wasserman Music SVP of Global Festivals Adam Brill. “When the young fan is coming into Lollapalooza, sure, they're leaning into the pop, the indie, the K-pop and hip-hop, but because of streaming, having a Korn or Red Hot Chili Peppers or other OG Lolla acts on the bill also really works.”
Lollapalooza “was quick to recognize that global genres would not only work for the Chicago lineup but become a large part of what the show is known for,” says C3 Presents co-founder Charlie Walker, whose Austin-based company revived the brand with Charles Attal and Charlie Jones with the assistance of Farrell, who retains an ownership stake. (OG Lolla was forced to close shop in 1998 after promoters were unable to secure a headliner.)
The 200-employee strong C3, in which concert giant Live Nation purchased a controlling stake in 2014, also books and produces mega-events such as Austin City Limits, Bonnaroo, Governors Ball and Shaky Knees in Atlanta.
“Above anything else, Lolla stands for what is happening right now in the music world,” says Powell. Between 2009-2011, he points out, the festival booked relatively unknown DJs Deadmau5, Skrillex and Diplo on a small stage. “We ended up seeing that world explode. In 2010, it wasn't an intentional seismic shift to book Lady Gaga—it just felt like such a cultural moment, and it was absolutely massive. Maybe two percent of people were like, I can't believe there's a pop act on this show. We don't really listen to those naysayers. We just keep moving ahead.”
This year’s lineup of 170-plus acts also tells numerous important artist development stories, as both Abrams and Carpenter return triumphant to Grant Park following small-stage sets in 2022 and 2023, while “Ordinary” chart-topper Alex Warren makes his major U.S. festival debut.
“Sabrina’s magnetic performance in 2023 was a symbolic success and it became clear that she was ready to take over,” CAA agents Marlene Tsuchii and Mario Tirado tell HITS. “And what a statement to return two years later and headline the festival. The opportunity aligned perfectly with her vision for new music and visuals.”
“It’s always great to see an artist play an impactful festival slot, but to be able to do that alongside so many other incredible female artists on the bill makes it all the more special,” add Abrams’ CAA agents Shirin Nury and Carole Kinzel, who planned her in-progress The Secret of Us Deluxe Tour around the Lollapalooza booking.
As for Warren, his Wasserman team points to a trajectory similar to that of client Noah Kahan, who broke through as a relative unknown at Lollapalooza two summers ago while supporting his Stick Season album. “You couldn’t even get close to the stage,” recalls Brill. “It’s a bit of a leap of faith to bet on an artist that far in advance, but Lollapalooza has never been afraid to do that. We think it’s going to result in a similar moment for Alex this year.”
Powell knows that divining the stars of tomorrow requires not only good ears and foresight, but a patience that doesn’t come easily to him. “You have to wait for stuff to happen, and I hate having to wait,” he says. “If I go back and look at this point last year, Gracie Abrams was not nearly as big a year ago as she is today. The Doechii ramp-up didn't really start until the fall. Even if I go back two years, Sabrina was just starting her ascent.”
Luckily, Grant Park itself remains one of Lolla Chicago’s calling cards, thanks to its uncommon setting in the middle of a high-rise-dotted skyline and a lush expanse large enough to easily accommodate more than 115k fans per day. It also provides dazzling visual backdrops for instantly viral moments such as Chappell Roan’s 2024 performance, which organizers said was the most-attended daytime set in the fest’s history.
“Grant Park is the best festival location in the world,” says Walker. “Being downtown in one of the largest cities in the country provides a landscape like no other.”
Top, fireworks at Lollapalooza Chile; below, fans showered with confetti at Lollapalooza Berlin
Beyond Chicago, the evolving Lollapalooza story has grown richer as its international presence continues to build, a development Powell and Walker credit equally to fortuitous timing and superlative partners such as Live Nation France, Andre Lieberberg in Berlin and BookMyShow in India.
“Being first to market in some cities has made a big difference,” Walker notes. “We were early in South America and Mumbai. Location is really the biggest difference in the festivals. The fans behave differently in each region, so each Lollapalooza has a slightly different personality that reflects the local music fans and culture.”
That may mean native stars such as Mon Laferte and YSY A in 80k-capacity South American football stadiums or Hanumankind at venues half that size in Mumbai, plus American acts who are popular in those regions but would rarely have a chance to perform in them otherwise. Recent U.S. headliners for foreign editions have included Rodrigo and Justin Timberlake, who topped bills in Argentina, Chile and Brazil in March and in Paris in mid-July.
“C3 thinks carefully about how the lineups speak to the community and to where they're putting on the festival,” says Brill. “It’s incredible for American artists to have the exposure of playing in a place like India, which is not exactly easy to tour.”
Both abroad and in Grant Park, “Lollapalooza pushes the boundaries on multiple genres, and it works because there always seem to be connectivity points between the artists,” he continues. “Not many festivals can do that.”
“Above anything else, Lolla stands for what is happening right now in the music world."
—C3's Huston Powell
Lollapalooza—once revolutionary, then unfashionable, and finally rebooted and reimagined—now stands alongside institutions like Coachella and Glastonbury as one of the world’s premiere festivals. Its success is a testament to C3’s canny decision to plant roots not in New York or Los Angeles, but in the cultural crossroads of Chicago. By betting on a locale with deep musical heritage and designing a destination event around its urban heartbeat, C3 turned Lollapalooza into a global powerhouse with a distinctly Midwestern identity.
“Lolla will take it out of you,” Powell concedes about the Chicago mothership, where temperatures can reach into the triple digits and the crowds stretch as far as the eye can see. “It’s not for the faint of heart. But we make sure that our show caters to a fanbase that really likes the Lollapalooza experience.”