Lollapalooza Favorite Moments 2025
Listen up and get ready to feel some FOMO, because if you didn’t get a chance to experience Lollapalooza 2025, you're about to wish you had. But don’t worry: after reading about some of the best moments from this year’s massive takeover of Grant Park, you just might be able to envision yourself right in the middle of it all next time around.
This year’s Lolla delivered exactly what fans have come to expect, and more. A genre-diverse lineup, rising stars sharing stages with legends, and historic moments that will be talked about for years. Whether you came to catch your longtime faves or to discover your next obsession, this year’s festival had something unforgettable for everyone.
As music lovers, we want to experience it all, and this year’s lineup totally delivered. I mean, where else can you hear Luke Combs sing about the desert, the Joshua tree, and all those pretty-girl stories, dance the night away to TWICE’s glittering K-pop set, get hyped with A$AP Rocky’s purple swagger, and then melt into the dreamy, alt-pop world of The Marías—all in one day? Yes, please.
Something that will forever live rent-free in my mind is Olivia Rodrigo’s record-breaking set. I know I’m not the only one who keeps rewatching those videos. Just imagine, 115,000 people singing the lyrics to your song, and the electric energy of the crowd when they recognize their favorite track the moment those first few chords hit. That’s not just a huge moment for her to tell as an artist, it’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience for everyone who witnessed it. Thousands of strangers, all connected through music, completely in sync for a few unforgettable minutes. If anything, it proves just how powerful music is in bringing people together.
Does anybody remember Lady Gaga’s performance at Lollapalooza in 2007? She had no idea what was ahead of her, and definitely didn’t realize she’d set the standard for what the BMI Stage could become. Indie, R&B, genre mashups, you name it, the BMI Stage is where the next big thing gets its start. Maybe I’m biased, but it’s hands-down the best stage at the festival. It’s where you don’t just discover new artists, you catch a glimpse of what the future of music sounds like. And more than that, you feel the hunger, the passion, the ambition of artists just getting started. There’s something powerful about witnessing that in real time. Who knows, maybe one day they’ll be headlining massive world tours, just like Gaga. And we’ll look back on their BMI Stage set as the moment it all started.
The legends, of course, have their own lane, and they always deliver. One of the most unexpectedly perfect moments this year? Earth, Wind & Fire teaming up with Sabrina Carpenter for a surprise set that had fans of all ages going wild. Funk, disco, and pop came together in a cross-generational jam that somehow felt both nostalgic and brand new. Honestly, it was about time the stage was given to Chicago’s own timeless band. And only a music festival, only Lolla, could make something like that happen. So thank you, Sabrina Carpenter. One minute people were belting out one of her playful pop songs, and the next, they were grooving to disco-funk classics from a band that helped shape Chicago’s sound. That’s what Lolla does best. It’s not just about seeing the artists you already love, it’s about discovering the ones you’re going to love next. Everywhere you turned, someone was either screaming along to a hit or becoming a fan of someone new.
And now, as we start dreaming about Lollapalooza 2026, the speculation (and wish lists) are already flying. Imagine BTS headlining the T-Mobile Stage in a long-awaited reunion. Or Coldplay totally rocking the crowd with those classic anthems that never get old. There’s buzz around Miley Cyrus, Tate McRae, and Morgan Wallen taking over major slots, with rising forces like Ella Langley, Kali Uchis, and Laufey finally getting their shine on one of the big stages. The bar’s been set high, and fans are ready.
