Crowds thickened as thousands made their way through the entrances of Grant Park for the music event of the year—one of the first since COVID-19 shut down the world of live entertainment.

Lollapalooza, a four-day Chicago-based music festival founded by Jane’s Addiction singer Perry Farrell, has been the music event of summer since its establishment in 1991. It has welcomed countless artists and bands representing all genres and styles and has attracted a diverse crowd sharing a common love and appreciation for music, including many Latin School students. However, after COVID-19 disrupted its annual appearance and devastated thousands, Lollapalooza’s 2021 comeback was sure to be bigger and better.

The lineup included Tyler, the Creator, Playboi Carti, Journey, Megan Thee Stallion, Trippie Redd, and Surfaces.

That being said, junior Evan Jones, who attended all four days of the festival, shared a different outlook on the lineup for this year. He said, “[It] was not good in terms of who most people wanted to see, but I wouldn’t say that I was disappointed by it, because that’s generally how it has been with Lollapalooza. The festival’s main issue with their lineup is that they’re trying to appeal to too many audiences—rock, alternative, rap/hip-hop, etc.”

One of the highly anticipated artists in this year’s lineup was rapper DaBaby, who was removed from his headlining spot following his homophobic comments at a previous music festival. Lollapalooza released a statement on their Instagram the day of his scheduled performance, stating that “Lollapalooza was founded on diversity, inclusivity, respect, and love.” DaBaby has continued to face consequences as several other festivals dropped him from their lineups.

Lollapalooza still featured icons such as Miley Cyrus, Post Malone, Marshmello, and the Foo Fighters. “My favorite performance was by Post Malone,” said Evan. “He is a really talented musician and performer, and that was definitely clear after his headlining set.” Senior Sam Gibson said Miley Cyrus was his favorite, saying, “She played a lot of songs that everybody knows.”

After a year of isolation, Lollapalooza provided the social and artistic relief that was sorely missed over the past year. Junior Alice Mihas said, “Being back in person with live music and a crowd, it felt like the world was back to normal again. Normally I would be so unhappy to be camped in a hot sweaty crowd with the sun beating down on us, but I was just so happy to be back out again that I didn’t care.”