As Lollapalooza prepares to open its gates to Chicago Thursday, there are some new policies this year to remember before heading to Grant Park.
From new COVID-19 guidelines to changes in the music festival's bag policy, here's what you should know heading into the four-day event:
Do
- Provide a printed copy of your COVID vaccination card, vaccine record or negative coronavirus test within 72 hours of entering
- Wear your activated Lollapalooza wristband
- Carry an acceptable bag: small clutch purses and fanny packs smaller than 4.5 by 5.5 inches, clear small bags or hydration packs
- Empty all liquid from reservoirs in hydration packs before entering
- Only bring in permitted items, including baby strollers, frisbees, binoculars, blankets, towels, cameras, empty reusable water bottles, sunscreen in non-aerosol containers, hand sanitizer, prescription medicine
- Contact Lollapalooza organizers if you test positive for COVID-19 before the festival by sending your order number and ticket details to info@lollapalooza.com
- Wear a mask, if not vaccinated
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Don't
- Bring an illegal fake vaccination card, the Federal Bureau of Investigation warned
- Carry an unacceptable bag: non-clear bags larger than 12 by 12 by 6 inches or any small purses and fanny packs with more than one pocket
- Bring any nonpermitted items, including sunscreen in aerosol containers, coolers, professional camera equipment, drones, selfie sticks, hammocks, glass containers, outside beverages, umbrellas, pets, skateboards, scooters, bicycles, wagons, tends, weapons, fireworks, large chains, spiked jewelry, chairs, vaping devices
- Attend the music festival if you have tested positive for the coronavirus within the last 14 days
Similar to past years, Lollapalooza will have a No Bag Express Lane, which is meant to speed up the entry process for those without bags to check.
U.S. & World
Chicago's largest music festival will be held at full capacity from Thursday to Sunday, organizers announced.
“Lollapalooza will be enforcing the health measures we have put in place at the direction of the City of Chicago and Chicago Department of Public Health. We will have staff at the entry gates checking for printed vaccination and negative test documents as fans enter the festival. We would advise our fans to build in extra time to allow for this additional entry requirement. If fans arrive without this documentation, they will be turned away," said C3 Presents Partner Charlie Walker.
Some health care providers across Chicago fear the festival could become a "spreader" event, like Executive Medical Director for Infection Prevention and Control at the University of Chicago Medical Center Dr. Emily Landon, who said that she fears individuals who become infected with COVID, vaccinated or not, could start “wildfires of infection” across the U.S.
“I think a lot of people are going to get COVID at Lollapalooza,” she said. “The real problem is not so much that a bunch of young people who come into Chicago getting COVID at this event. The real problem is them taking it back to places that have very low vaccination rates.
Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot disagreed with Landon’s assessment of the situation, calling the physician a “critic standing on the sideline” and saying that she trusts the medical team put together by the city and festival organizers.
“God bless the critics standing on the sidelines, but I feel confident that the Lolla folks have a good, solid plan in place, and we’re obviously going to hold them accountable to make sure that the plan is enforced,” she said.
Lollapalooza's lineup for the 2021 festival in Chicago's Grant Park this summer includes headliners like the Foo Fighters, Post Malone, Tyler the Creator and Miley Cyrus.
Other artists scheduled to perform include DaBaby, Marshmello, Illenium, Journey, Megan Thee Stallion and Roddy Ricch.
Here's a look at the full lineup:
