City Of Chicago Cancels Lollapalooza, Other Cultural Events

Lollapalooza – Lollapalooza

In the latest blow to the live entertainment industry the flagship Lollapalooza event in Chicago and a number of other cultural events were canceled by the City of Chicago due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Other canceled events include the Chicago Jazz Festival in Millennium Park, Chicago SummerDance, and the Chicago Air and Water Show.

Lollapalooza never went on sale and never announced a lineup, so the news that the event is not happening is hardly a surprise, but it is nonetheless heartbreaking for Chicago locals and those who from around the country who normally frequent the weekend.

“We wish we could bring Lollapalooza to Grant Park again this year, but we understand why things can’t move forward as planned,” festival organizers wrote in a statement. “The health and safety of our fans, artists, partners, staff and community is always our highest priority.”

“It’s difficult to imagine summer without our annual weekend together, sharing the undeniable energy generated when live music and our incredible community of fans unite.”

Festival organizers also said July 30 through Aug. 2 will still feature a weekend-long virtual event including performances from past editions from Chicago and the festival’s other international locations.

The announcement of the cancellation came today as the city of Chicago is moving from Phase 2 of the reopening process to Phase 3 in early June after the business came to a worldwide shutdown in March.

Unfortunately, as is becoming apparent across the country, even as some businesses are able to resume operations with restrictions, it appears large-scale live entertainment events may be the last business to come back. As such, many in the industry are pushing for modification of the SBA’s PPP loan program to extend the window businesses can continue to keep employees on payroll while the industry is shut down.

The City of Chicago and the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events both support the Arts for Illinois Relief Fund, which provides relief to local workers and organizations in the arts who have been impacted by the COVID-19 shutdown.

Lollapalooza Berlin was canceled in April and the South American Lollapalooza editions were moved to November and December. 

Lollapalooza is put on by C3 Presents and, during a regular year, is one of North America’s highest-grossing festivals.