Lolla2020 Might Be the Best Lineup the Festival Has Had in Years

With basically every single concert and live event being canceled this summer due to the COVID-19 global pandemic, some festivals have had to get creative with their plans to still keep fans excited. Arguably the most popular summer music festival, Coachella announced it was taking a break from the two-weekend festival for 2020 and pushed dates into October.

But organizers of the Lollapalooza festival had a little something different in mind. While the festival that takes place in Chicago’s Grant Park is definitely canceled this year, they will present Lolla2020, a four-night livestream broadcast set for the same dates as this year’s event. The event is also free to watch. So, who will be featured on the virtual lineup?

Lolla2020 will include a mix of archival videos from festivals in the past, original performances, after-show sets, and more starting on Thursday, July 30, 2020 and running through Sunday, August 2, 2020. 

“The 4-night event will include more than 150 performances and appearances, featuring fan-favorite sets from previous festivals, including international editions, original performances from artists all over the world, classic archival sets from some of the festival’s most popular headliners and a series of special late-night performances,” the Lollapalooza team announced. “In between the music, Lolla2020 will highlight causes important to the festival’s history, community and home of Chicago.”

The virtual lineup for this year’s Lollapalooza is a combination of some of the most famous and memorable performances over the past 20 years. Fans will be able to see sets from LCD Soundsystem, Metallica, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Ellie Goulding, Run The Jewels, Lorde, Alabama Shakes, and Tove Lo. Not to mention previous headliners Paul McCartney, Chance The Rapper, OutKast, and Arcade Fire.

Lolla2020 will also feature brand-new original live performances from incredible artists including Alison Wonderland (Live Set), Carnage, H.E.R., Kali Uchis, Kaskade, Louis the Child, NGHTMRE, Pink Sweat$, SAYMYNAME, Tank and the Bangas, The Neighbourhood, Vic Mensa, Yungblud, ZHU and many more.  

Chicago Mayor, Lori E. Lightfoot is planned to appear here and there throughout the weekend to host conversations with Lolla co-founder Perry Farrell and rapper LL Cool J. Lollapalooza founder and Jane’s Addiction frontman Perry Farrell is also set to “host candid conversations with iconic friends and tastemakers” including Metallica’s Lars Ulrich, Chuck D, Matt Pinfield and more. .

He’ll also lead a special Kind Heaven Orchestra performance featuring Taylor Hawkins, a David Bowie tribute with pianist Mike Garson, the first Porno for Pyros reunion in 24 years.

Lolla2020 is also teaming with a number of organizations to raise awareness for a variety of important causes, including Arts for Illinois Relief Fund, Equal Justice Initiative, and When We All Vote, a non-profit, nonpartisan organization launched by Co-Chair Michelle Obama in 2018 to increase participation in every election.