The History of Lollapalooza

The internet couldn't stop buzzing after the legendary music festival Lollapalooza announced their next venue for 2022. Not only will they be coming to Asia for the first time, it is the city of Mumbai that will be hosting this unique celebration of music, and more. But what separates Lollapalooza from other music festivals? Why is there such a hype?

Well, here is everything you need to know about the Lollapalooza.

 What is a Lollapalooza?

Talking about the event itself, it is a music festival for artists from multiple genres over the course of three days. For the first time, Lollapalooza will be held in Asia, and thankfully, Mumbai will be hosting this legendary music festival.

The word itself  meaning "an extraordinary or unusual thing, person, or event", Lollapalooza weirdly also meant a big Lollipop in the 1800s, something that organizers often use as a gimmick in the venue now.

 How did it start?

Lollapalooza started as a farewell tour by Perry Farrell, lead singer of the group "Jane's Addiction" in 1991. With a diverse collection of bands and a huge twenty city tour, first ever Lollapalooza was a huge success.

It featured bands like Siouxsie, The Banshees, Nine Inch Nails and Ice-T. Inclusion of rappers amongst the long list of rock bands remained a feature of Lollapalooza set-lists ever since.

Why did Lollapalooza become so popular?

Lollapalooza instantly became a festival for the anti-mainstream! Grunge Rock was slowly gripping the American ears with their different aesthetic and soundscapes than what was popular.

They banked on it, Lollapalooza became a haven for Grunge Rock bands to perform in front of a passionate crowd eager to have a different experience.  The event also hosted freakshows, and virtual reality games too, something unheard of in the 90s. The tour was a huge success!

The early years:

Lollapalooza came back even stronger the following year!

Following the explosion of alternative rock in early 90s, Lollapalooza got Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Ministry, Jesus & Mary Chain, along with Ice Cube in what is considered to be the best Lollapalooza lineup ever!

Another concept of Lollapalooza was inclusion of non-musical acts, from Shaolin monks, art displays, to political tables for political and environment activists, Lollapalooza managed to promote counter-culture beyond music.

 The downfall:

The years that followed, Lollapalooza continued to host their festival in different cities, drawing huge crowds.

Unfortunately, with the change in music trends, Lollapalooza couldn't find sponsors in 1997. In 1998, Lollapalooza failed to find a headline artist, resulting in cancellation of the festival. It reflected the steep decline of alternative rock during that time.

Lollapalooza was left for dead in the subsequent years.

The Comeback: 

Perry Farrell's reunion with "Jane's Addiction" brought back Lollapalooza in 2003. Two years later, with new found corporate backing Lollapalooza was hosted as a two-day summer event in Chicago. After that grand success, they have regularly organized an annual event there, ever since!

 What it is today:

Lollapalooza has expanded to pop, reggae, electronic, rap, and more, in addition to alternative rock. The festival always brings out the biggest names in the music industry. In recent years, the event has gone truly "global", covering Sao Paulo, Berlin, Stockholm, Paris, and now, Mumbai. The hype is unreal, and rightly so, Lollapalooza represents more than just a music festival.

Read more: Rang Bhavan: The Venue That Shaped The Music Scene In India