At Lollapalooza, Everyone Had a Plan. Nobody Stuck to It.
Authored by Russell Wallach, Global President, Live Nation Media & Sponsorship
Nearly 400,000 fans came to Chicago for Lollapalooza with a plan. They had studied the lineup, decided which artists they couldn’t miss, figured out where to meet friends and mapped out the weekend.
Once the gates opened, those plans started changing. The day quickly looked nothing like anyone expected. Smashing Pumpkins brought out Olivia Rodrigo, surprise moments reshaped the weekend, and as I walked the festival, one thing stood out.
The busiest experiences weren’t always the biggest. They were the best programmed.
You could stop by Hacienda PATRÓN for tacos and tequila in the afternoon, then find yourself back there later for a surprise vinyl set. Liquid I.V. mixed hydration with new DJ sets throughout the weekend, and T-Mobile surprised members with real-time giveaways and side-stage access.
Fans started their day at Ulta Beauty Beat Suite and returned for touch-ups before the headline sets, while Hollister and L.O.L. Surprise! leaned into day-of drops giving fans new reasons to come back each day.
One thing I noticed was how many brand experiences evolved as the day unfolded. Fans wanted something different at one o’clock than they did at eight, and brands kept delivering.
We had 45+ brands show up with some of the most amazing experiences I’ve ever seen at Lollapalooza. Thank you to everyone who joined us in Chicago, and to our partners and teams around the world who continue to raise the bar for live every day.
P.S. Last week, Live Nation shared another historic quarter. As live continues to grow around the world, so do the opportunities for brands. Looking forward to shaping what’s next together.
