Lollapalooza Lineup Goes Light on Legacy Acts

Conspicuous gaps in touring schedules and Twitter rumors aside, Lollapalooza officially announced its 2023 lineup this morning. Among the biggest names making the pilgrimage to Grant Park are Kendrick Lamar, Billie Eilish, and The Red Hot Chili Peppers.

Joining them are Odesza, Lana Del Rey, Karol G, The 1975, and Tomorrow X Together. The eight headliners have over a quarter of a billion monthly Spotify listeners combined. 

Second-time performers Eilish and Lamar are commemorating their five- and 10-year anniversaries, respectively, from their Lolla debuts. The Red Hot Chili Peppers, veterans from the second-ever Lollapalooza in 1992, are marking their fifth show at the festival.

Other than the Los Angeles rock band, this year’s class is relatively light on legacy acts, especially toward the top (One notable exception is 30 Seconds to Mars, ending their five-year on-stage hiatus. And is Foals old enough to be a legacy act? Discuss…). Instead, the 2023 roster boasts a few firsts, including the first female Latin artist (Karol G) and K-pop group (Tomorrow X Together) to headline. The lineup features more than 170 artists to play across nine stages, both record highs.

Celebrating the 50th anniversary of the genre, hip-hop heads won’t find anyone rivaling Lamar’s popularity, but J.I.D, Pusha T, and A Boogie Wit da Hoodie will be reasonable appetizers for the Compton rapper’s performance. There’s also a surprisingly deep EDM contingent, led by Odesza but supported by Fred again…, Diplo, Subtronics, Meduza, Afrojack, and Sylvan Esso.

Eilish and Del Rey are far from the only pop offerings, with the likes of Maggie Rogers, Carly Rae Jepsen, Rina Sawayama, and Sabrina Carpenter taking the stage as well. If you’ve attended previous years’ festivals, most of the artists will be familiar, but beabadoobee and Noah Kahan are notable first-timers. However, it’s hard not to notice the glaring lack of a second headlining rock group, especially when Green Day and Metallica were atop last year’s posters; attendees might have to settle for Portugal. The Man or Foals.

And it wouldn’t be Lollapalooza without Chicago representation, although this year’s festival seems to have lost some local bands to yesterday’s Pitchfork Music Festival announcement. Ax and the Hatchetmen, Kidd Kenn, and Friday Pilots Club are among those flying the flag for the Windy City.

Lollapalooza 2023 runs from August 3 to 6. Presale for the event opens Thursday at 10 a.m., with four-day general admission starting at $365.