The day had finally arrived.
As expected, the inaugural day of Lollapalooza 2026 was a joy. The weather was good to us, the crowds were polite, and the festivities set a high standard of expectations for what was undoubtedly going to be quite a memorable weekend, a Lollapalooza year that set itself apart especially for the female and ‘rising’ starts in the lineup’s middle card.
We were incredibly fortunate to kick things off with none other than Blood Orange. After a quiet few years, Hynes returned to the festival circuit earlier this year at Coachella, notably performing both Champagne Girls and Bad Girls during his 2-weekend stint. Having performed a sold out show just the day before at Chicago’s House of Blues, we were treated to an otherwise rare spectacle of Hynes reaching deep into his discography and giving new (and especially elder) fans a high bar to reach for the rest of the weekend.
Blood Orange
Wet Leg was next on the docket that evening, with crowds packing the Allianz stage for those who had been unable to catch their aftershow at the Vic. Having returned in 2025 after a short hiatus with their sophomore album Moisturizer, they roared into mainstream consciousness after Mangetout was a featured needledrop on Episode 2 of Heated Rivalry, catapulting their way into the debut of Saturday Night Live UK, where they performed both Mangetout as well as Catch These Fists.
Wet Leg
While unable to catch either Lorde or John Summit, Thursday gave us a great start and certainly far more to look forward to.
Friday
Few years of Lollapalooza have given us such a whirlwind middle card day. While the commute prevented the opportunity to get images of standouts like Julia Wolf or Slayyyter there’s little doubt that both (especially the latter), will find themselves far later in the evening in the coming years. Reminiscent of Chappell Roan’s 2024 afternoon set, it’s always a treat to catch acts right before their watershed festival appearance.
Fortunately, Mother Mother was nearby to treat us to our first mid-afternoon set on the Tito’s Stage.
Mother Mother
Following the crowd of (mostly) teens, it was abundantly clear where everyone was headed at 4. Of Stranger Things fame (as well as a current DePaul University student), it was a delight to catch the man most commonly known as ‘Mike Wheeler’ make his Lollapalooza debut.
Finn Wolfhard
It was shortly after that one of the most highly anticipated appearances of the weekend became a focal point for fans as they pushed their way back towards the T-Mobile Stage, and for good reason. There’s just so much to talk about when it comes to Zara Larsson.
Having started her career in 2008, she became globally synonymous after Lush Life (the lead single of her debut international record So Good), charted top-five in 18 countries and became a best seller in both the U.S. and U.K. Both Lush Life and Symphony (from Clean Bandit), would be critical in drawing in a whole new generation’s worth of fans after both tracks became viral sounds on TikTok in recent years.
Drawing what certainly felt like one of the largest crowds of the weekend, Larsson gave us a performance worthy of a multi-continent arena tour and absolutely cemented herself as one of the best performers of the weekend (and certainly in recent memory).
In a weekend filled with vibrant, high-octane shows and performers, few artists could distinguish themselves as uniquely as María Zardoya does.
It’s a special thing to witness back to back critical acclaim, and Zardoya has done it in a way that few can. Much can be written about The Marías, and it’s been a treat to witness and wax poetically about the band’s cohesiveness and allure, but Not For Radio, somehow, still manages to raise the bar.
Not For Radio
Ethereal would perhaps be the most succinct way to describe Zardoya’s latest project, leaning into a sort of magical realism that’s hard to fully capture. As the sun set, the audience were pulled into into a dreamy, fantastical world filled with longing, desire and deeply intimate motifs that few artists could ever hope to imitate. What a gift to experience it.
While both Charli XCX and Billy Corgan’s Pumpkins had much to write home about (including the latter bringing on Olivia Rodrigo), it seemed only fitting to close the first two days on a sweet, longing note.
Much more to come in the next two days in Grant Park.
