Lolla 2026
The singer returned to the annual Chicago fest after her set was cut short in 2017
“You look hot from up here,” Lorde quipped as she surveyed the sea of people who packed her headlining set on Thursday at Lollapalooza in Chicago. The observation was seemingly about both the temperature (she asked security to check on folks in the audience who appeared to be struggling from the heat a few times) and the vibe, as the New Zealand musician peeled back layers, both metaphorically and literally, during her visceral set.
It’s been more than a decade since Lorde last fully graced a stage at Lollapalooza in Chicago. Back in 2014, the then-17-year-old was riding high on her megahit “Royals,” a rising star who looked every bit the comfortably chill teen backstage before her performance. And while she casually talked about being tapped curate The Hunger Games: Mockingjay — Part 1 soundtrack and had set a record on the alternative chart with her breakthrough song, she already appeared headliner-ready, with her charisma and command of the stage.
She was set for the top of the bill in 2017, but torrential rains brought the fest to an early end and, after only a couple of songs, her show was cut short as the fest was evacuated.
