Lollapalooza, the largest music festival in Chicago, is days away.
Chicagoans and visitors from across the county are set to gather at full capacity at the city's Grant Park to enjoy live music for four days starting Thursday.
Lollapalooza begins on July 29 and will run through Aug. 1. The music festival will be held at Grant Park, located at 337 E. Randolph St.
The main entrance for Lollapalooza is located on Michigan Avenue, with a second entrance on Monroe Avenue.
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So how do you get there?
The Chicago Transit Authority provided ways to travel to and from the music festival with more ease.
“Metra is thrilled to welcome back Lollapalooza fans from around the world as they fill our City with music and much-needed joy after the difficult year we’ve all had,” said Metra CEO Jim Derwinski in a statement. “Our added service and All-Day passes mean your transportation to and from downtown will never be more than $10. Public transit is clearly the most convenient and economic way to get to the festival.”
Local
Traveling by Metra train:
Throughout the four-day festival, Metra will be providing extra trains, expanding passenger capacity and adjusting schedules on the majority of the lines in anticipation of a ridership increase, Metra said.
Metra is offering a $10 unlimited All-Day Pass on weekdays on all Metra lines. During the weekend, riders can either purchase a $7 Saturday or Sunday pass for unlimited travel or a $10 Weekend Pass for unlimited travel on both Saturday and Sunday.
All riders are encouraged to buy their tickets through the Ventra app before boarding the train. They are also asked not to bring backpacks or water bottles during this four-day event. Alcohol will be banned on Metra trains throughout the event.
Traveling by bus:
For Metra riders arriving at Union Station and Ogilvie Transportation Center, CTA buses will provide trips to and from the festival.
CTA and Metra will place signboards directing riders to the appropriate CTA bus route, the company said. Buses themselves will also have signs on their windows indicating they serve routes to Lollapalooza.
CTA and Metra gave recommendations on which buses to board.
From Ogilvie Transportation Center (serving Metra Union Pacific/North, Union Pacific/Northwest and Union Pacific/West Lines):
- Exit at the Washington side of the station and board an eastbound #J14 bus for direct service to Grant Park
- The #20 and #56 buses are also options, with Lollapalooza’s north gate a five-block walk southeast from each routes’ last stop
- The #130 bus, which boards on Clinton Avenue along the west side of the station at Washington or Madison Streets will also be available
From Chicago Union Station (serving Metra BNSF, Milwaukee District/West, Milwaukee District/North, North Central Service, SouthWest Service and Heritage Corridor, as well as Amtrak lines):
- Exit Union Station through the Jackson Boulevard exit and board an eastbound #126 bus on Jackson at the Chicago River for direct service to Grant Park
- Another option is to take the #130 bus from the Jackson/Riverside stop, with the Lollapalooza West Gate a two-block walk east from the State/Harrison stop
Traveling by CTA train:
During the festival, additional and/or longer trains will be operating on the Red, Blue, Brown, Green, Orange and Yellow lines, CTA said. The Yellow line will also include extended hours until 1 a.m.
According to CTA, the best way to travel the train lines to get to Grant park is:
- From the Brown, Orange, Pink and Green lines, exit at Adams/Wabash or Harold Washington Library-State/Van Buren
- From the Blue Line, exit at Monroe, Jackson or LaSalle
- From the Red Line, exit at Monroe, Jackson or Harrison
Each station is near an entrance to Lollapalooza.
CTA is offering a “More Fun, Less Fare” summer promotion. The company dropped the prices down to $5 for a single-day pass, $15 for a three-day pass and $20 for a seven-day pass. Riders can also pay as they go for $2.25 for the bus and $2.50 for the train using Apple Pay, Android Pay, Samsung Pay or other contactless methods.
CTA and Metra are expecting larger crowds and socially distancing may not be possible, they said. However, masking up is still required for both.
Traveling by driving, walking, biking, Uber/Lyft:
Driving is also an option for attendees. However, there is no official parking at the festival, so visitors will need to find somewhere park near Grant Park.
Street closures have also begun due to the festival.
Balbo Drive and Jackson Drive from Columbus Drive to Jean Baptiste Point du Sable Lake Shore Drive will be closed, according to the Chicago Office of Emergency Management and Communications.
Balbo Drive and Jackson Drive from Michigan Avenue to Columbus Drive will also be closed starting Monday at 8 p.m. through Aug. 2, Chicago OEMC said in a tweet.
OEMC also noted that Columbus Drive from Monroe Street to Roosevelt Road will be closed starting Monday at 8 p.m. through Aug. 2.
Walking and biking is available to the festival. Ogilvie Transportation Center is 1.1 miles away from Grant Park and would be about a 24-minute walk. The Chicago Union Station is 0.9 miles away from Grant Park and would be about an 18-minute walk.
Divvy Bikes are available on a first-come-first-serve basis with multiple bike stations around both Metra stations and Grant Park.
Uber and Lyft will be available, but likely with higher demand.
