I know this is extremely early this time around, but I’ve already started compiling my list of predictions for next year’s festival!
With my own insight as well as help from the Lollapalooza thread on Reddit, here are a few of my early predictions.
I’ve linked each artist’s three most popular songs on a Spotify playlist at the bottom.
I will continue to update this as I did for my 2016 predictions.
Updated on 3/7/17.
Headliners:
(In alphabetical order)
CONFIRMED:
Muse. Muse’s lead singer posted to Twitter that the band “thinks” they’ll be headlining Lolla 2017. Muse has been rumored for the past couple years or so, so this is probably legitimate.
HIGHLY LIKELY:
Arcade Fire: The same Reddit user is also claiming that Arcade Fire is another headliner at Lollapalooza this year, and I can say that it’s pretty likely based on a couple other factors. 1) They haven’t played the fest since 2010 (I’m fairly positive that’s accurate), and 2) They have no other dates scheduled during Lolla weekend.
Blink-182 – Blink-182 has announced a spring tour that mysteriously skips Chicago – and they are also touring with The Naked and Famous – another band that I think is going to be at Lolla. I think this is a toss up between Riot Fest and Lollapalooza.
The Chainsmokers: Considering that they have blown up over the last year, I’m sure that they are going to be headline a TON of festivals this summer. The last time they played Lollapalooza was in 2015 at Perry’s and smack in the middle of the day. They would draw a big enough crowd on the Bud Light stage against a rock artist headlining across the park. I can totally see them opening the weekend up on a Thursday night.
Chance the Rapper: While this may seem like an obvious choice, I still think that it would be smart of Lollapalooza to book him as a rap headliner next year. He’s performed at Lolla at least two times before (maybe more, I can be wrong) and made a variety of appearances on different sets in 2016. Rap musicians have been on the rise at Lolla in the past years (Eminem in 2014, J.Cole in 2016, Future in 2016, etc).
Update: Chance the Rapper has been announced on a crap ton of other lineups (Governor’s Ball, Bonnaroo and Hangout Fest, to name a few), so I’m almost certain we’re getting him as well.
Lorde: With a number of tweets hinting at a new album to follow her 2013 debut success “Pure Heroine,” it would be amazing if she wasn’t at Lolla next year. UPDATE: The Coachella lineup has been announced with her on the lineup as well as a spot on Governor’s Ball’s lineup. While I first figured she’d have a pre-headline slot, I think she might end up being a headliner.
Update: You can all yell at me in the comments if Lorde isn’t there. That’s how certain I am.
The xx: A Reddit user who has continued to accurately predict headliners has added The xx to his “confirmed” list, so I’m also adding them to my highly likely section.
SOMEWHAT LIKELY:
Bon Iver: I am definitely a little skeptical about Bon Iver being a headliner, more so because he has his own festival in Wisconsin that (I’m assuming) will return next summer and it was very close to Lollapalooza last year. But I’ve heard a number of rumors that he will definitely be a headliner, so it’ll be interesting to see what happens.
Update: The internet mill has been saying that Bon Iver hates Live Nation so I’ll be shocked if he gets on the lineup.
Frank Ocean: I’m adding this because his name has definitely been thrown around recently about a contender to a variety of festivals this summer, but it’s my personal opinion that I don’t think Lolla would be able to get Frank AND Chance. But who really knows. I’m not necessarily predicting he will show up, but it’s definitely possible, and he hasn’t played Lolla since 2012.
Green Day: This is definitely a toss up because Riot Fest can EASILY snatch them up and I feel like that’s what is going to happen, but Lolla would probably want another rock act as a headliner. It’ll be interesting to see how this plays out. Side-note: They have a show in Champaign, IL towards the end of March, which makes them fairly eligible to play another show in Chicago later in 2017.
Update: Green Day will be playing their own show at Wrigley Field this summer. A relief if there ever was one to me.
Vampire Weekend: Rumors have been flying around for the past couple months that Vampire Weekend’s fourth album is set to release this year, and they’ve been Lollapalooza performers for awhile now (2009 and 2013) and have played the international festivals a few times, too. While this is definitely a toss-up, I’m crossing my fingers.
Undercards:
(In alphabetical order)
Alt-J: I wasn’t expecting this until I saw that Consequence of Sound’s article about it being very logical because the band is performing at a festival in Iowa during August 4 and 5.
Anderson .Paak: Talk about a strong 2016. Paak played Pitchfork last year and is on a handful of other festival lineups this year. I’d absolutely love to see him!
Animal Collective: Just announced that they are supporting Fleet Foxes on a tour, which is not stopping in Chicago whatsoever. They also are playing Toronto on August 4 (Friday) and Detroit on August 6 (Sunday). Pretty much solidifying that this stop, along with Beach House, will be playing Lolla on Thursday or Saturday (my guess is Saturday).
A R I Z O N A: These three musicians came together at Berklee College of Music after sharing a love for “far left, obscure” pop music and recently was signed to Atlantic Records, and are in the process of releasing their debut album. Their Spotify streams are nearly at 100 million and the band has a strong internet fan base. I would definitely predict to see them performing at a smaller stage at Lollapalooza next year.
Bad Suns: With their new album out now, I’m sure that they are going to be touring for a lot of 2017, and it also doesn’t hurt that they have never played Lollapalooza, ever. They are from California, also, so it’ll be interesting to see if they secure a slot at Coachella, which will also hint to other festival performances.
Barns Courtney: No Chicago show on his tour.
Beach House: Just announced that they are supporting Fleet Foxes on a tour, which is not stopping in Chicago whatsoever. They also are playing Toronto on August 4 (Friday) and Detroit on August 6 (Sunday). Pretty much solidifying that this stop, along with Animal Collective, will be playing Lolla on Thursday or Saturday (my guess is Saturday).
Bishop Briggs: With a pretty successful 2016 under her belt, I think she’s easily going to be on the Lolla lineup. She opened up for Coldplay this fall for about 9 tour dates and her five songs on Spotify have a total of 40 million streams. She’s on Hangout Festival’s lineup as well.
Bleachers: This is definitely my own wish because Jack Antonoff hasn’t released any music under Bleachers since their debut album in the summer of 2014, nearly two and a half years ago. Like Lorde, he’s been hinting at new music for quite some time now, and it would be a perfect opportunity for the band to hit the festival circuit next summer to promote the new release.
Cage the Elephant: A Lolla favorite, Cage the Elephant haven’t been back since 2014 and have been touring during 2016 to promote their 2015 release of “Tell Me I’m Pretty.” I think that this act is more of a wildcard in regards to whether or not they’ll actually play, but it does make sense. Their tour dates show that they’ll be doing other festival dates over the summer and they are also playing Lollapalooza Argentina and Chile, which presents the question of whether or not they’d play Chicago’s, too.
Coin: I think that Coin really grew in popularity this year and think that they would play the BMI stage at Lolla next year. They’ve been touring a lot, with Bad Suns and are now playing a few festivals with the likes of The 1975 and Empire of the Sun.
Cold War Kids: Like Joywave, CWK is touring with Young the Giant during the second leg of their “Home of the Strange” tour. Cold War Kids was last at Lolla in 2015.
Dawes: Dawes is going to be touring from January to May with no Chicago show…with stops in Wisconsin, Michigan and Indiana, but none in Illinois…seem fishy? It’s because they’re most likely playing Lollapalooza. See the dates here. Update: Dawes announced a show in Chicago on March 1, but that doesn’t necessarily rule them out of Lolla. To be continued…
Declan Mckenna: After finding success in the states while opening for The Head and the Heart over their fall tour, Declan has released more music and is now playing Coachella. Oh yeah, he JUST turned 18 in December. I would absolutely love to see him on the lineup and with Lollapalooza always getting solid up and coming acts for their undercard, I think that it’s really likely.
Father John Misty: Has a show at the Chicago Theater in May, but many other artists have had shows in May and still played Lollapalooza in the past. He last played in 2015 so who knows if he’d return that soon.
Fleet Foxes: The band just announced their first performance in five years, which must mean that new music is coming. I have loved FF since I was in high school and would love to finally see them live next year. They also have hinted that they are wrapping up on their newest album: the first release since 2011. The last time they were at Lollapalooza was in 2009.
Foster the People: This is a shocker to me but they’re on Osheaga’s lineup with the same weekend and we always share a HUGE amount of artists. They haven’t played since 2014 so it could make sense.
Gallant: Gallant was supposedly going to be playing Lolla last year but something fell through (he ended up playing Mamby on the Beach). Please, Lolla gods, GET ME GALLANT!!!!!!! (Side note: He’s playing Bonnaroo).
Glass Animals: They’re going to be on a variety of summer festivals this year, it just depends on whether or not C3 decides to book them again after just playing Lolla 2015. They’re also playing Lolla Brazil, Chilé and Argentina this year.
The Head and the Heart: This group (one of my favorites) hasn’t played Lollapalooza since 2014 and are already on a couple festival dates this summer. I can imagine that they will play around 6pm on the Lakeshore Stage. As of right now, their schedule is open after May and they’ll be playing Hangout Festival in Gulf Shores, Alabama – which is likely to be sharing a number of undercards with Lolla.
Hippo Campus: With their debut album just being released, Hippo Campus has just started their North American headlining tour. They are hitting the Metro in April (and it just sold out) but that gives them plenty of time to return to Grant Park in August. The last time they played was in 2015 and they are also playing Bonnaroo in June.
The Hunna: This British band has been slowing seeping onto America’s radar, currently performing with Alt Nation’s Advanced Placement Tour with The Shelters and Night Riots. They spent the majority of the fall opening for Jimmy Eat World. Think Catfish and the Bottlemen meets The 1975: two bands that have also played Lolla.
Jacob Banks – Quite a toss up, but this Brit is touring with Léon on her current tour and his popularity on Spotify is only continuing to rise (he has nearly 12 million streams on his songs). I’ll be seeing their show on Thursday, Feb 9.
The Japanese House: 21 year old Amber Bain has had quite the 2016 – gaining fans like The 1975 – who co-produced some of her Imogen Heap sounding music. She will also embark on a North American tour in 2017, which a Chicago date in February: plenty of time to return for Lollapalooza. The tour extends through March with no dates announced after that as of yet.
Joseph: I love these three sisters more than anything, and they’ve been popping up on festival lineups all over the place (Coachella, Hangout Fest, and now Bonnaroo). I was concerned that they wouldn’t be on Lolla’s lineup because they are very folk-pop but Lolla’s genres have been so varied over the years that anything is possible.
Joywave: The band was just announced as a supporting act on Young The Giant’s extended “Home of the Strange Tour” with dates in Louisville and Kansas City during Lollapalooza weekend. It’s pretty certain that Joywave will also be at Lollapalooza.
Knox Hamilton: This band is currently touring w/ Colony House and they are not hitting Chicago at all within the next couple months during the tour. Seems fishy? Because it is. I think that both bands have the potential to show up on the lineup.
Lany: Although this band just appeared at Lolla in 2015, they have released more music since then and I believe are working on new music right now. I also think that they’re going to blow up in 2017 so it’s a perfect time for them to be hitting the festival circuit this summer.
Léon: If you’ve followed my blog at any point before this, you know how much I love Léon and that I am seeing her in February later this year. Although this is one of those artists on my wish list, I do think it’s possible at this time in her career, and she’s also playing Bonnaroo.
Lil Yachty: He posted a snapchat of a list of gigs he had going on (with “LOLLAPALOOZA: DO NOT ANNOUNCE”) but the internet grabbed it and ran with it. You can barely read it, but it’s there. Click his name for the evidence.
Lucius: Lucius hasn’t performed at Lolla since 2014 and has also been touring the release of their 2016 album, “Good Grief,” which can make them a contender for this year’s festival. I’m really not sure if they have touring plans for the summer, I just really want to see them!
The Lumineers: After having a successful comeback in 2016, I would be surprised if The Lumineers are left off of this lineup. I’m predicting that they’ll be doing a few festival dates this summer and their winter tour has a Chicago date in January (plenty of time to come back in July), and they haven’t played Lollapalooza since 2013.
Update: The Lumineers are opening up for U2 this summer so I don’t see them at Lollapalooza this year, unfortunately.
Mac DeMarco: As far as I know, Mac has never played Lollapalooza and played Pitchfork in 2015. I suppose it’s possible that they’ll get him again, but I don’t think that Pitchfork tends to do repeats in their lineups that often. I would really love to see him! He’s also playing Primavera Sound 2017 in Barcelona, a hint that he’ll be doing others this summer, also.
Maggie Rogers: With my faith in Lollapalooza for always getting amazing undercards, I will absolutely be SHOCKED if they don’t get Maggie Rogers. I don’t have any other **PROOF** she’ll be there but I just have a gut feeling. Her tour is also nearly sold out at every single venue across North America, also.
The Naked and Famous: Let’s see: TNAF haven’t played Lolla since 2011, have a new album, and are playing festivals like Bottlerock and Firefly.
Noname: She’s from Chicago, just sold out two nights at the Metro (and is quietly selling out the rest of her tour), and has never played Lollapalooza. Need I say more?
Phantogram: A Reddit veteran who continues to accurately confirm artists for Lolla says Phantogram will be there. They have new music so it makes sense. Their Chicago date is in March so it gives them plenty of time to come back.
Portugal. The Man: PTM hasn’t played Lollapalooza since 2014, and their random slot at Bonnaroo this year is making me wonder if they have new music in the works. I am a fan in passing so I’m not sure what their album plans are, but this is definitely possible.
Ryan Adams: Another shoe-in based on touring schedules. He will be performing in St. Louis just a few days before Lolla starts on Thursday and performing at Hinterland Festival in Iowa on August 4 (Friday).
Sampha: Has a show in Chicago on May 1. But still very likely considering the year he’s had. Pitchfork is possible, though.
SHAED – This trio has been making waves on Spotify with a few million hits on their EP released last year and will be going on tour with another Lolla rumored act, Bishop Briggs.
Shura: One of my favorite new artists from 2016, Shura has been touring in Europe and is currently opening for M83 on their North American tour. I don’t see how she wouldn’t be on the lineup. Her debut album came out in July, so far too late to be considered on Lolla 2016’s bill.
Spoon: The band just announced a tour to promote their new album and have 0 shows in Chicago. Their schedule is completely open during Lolla weekend.
Sylvan Esso: ANOTHER guess based on touring schedules. Sylvan Esso just announced a headlining tour with no stop in Chicago, a gap from July 16 to August 7, and August 7 is a show in Minneapolis. It’s also a Monday. They WILL be at Lolla on one of those days, mark my words!
Tove Lo: Her second album just came out, and she hasn’t been to Lolla since 2015. A good chance that she may be moved up to a bigger stage later in the day.
Whitney: Whitney is a band from Chicago who played Pitchfork last year. It’s likely they’ll play Lolla this year. They are currently on tour w/ The Head and the Heart.
Young the Giant: YTG hasn’t been at Lolla since 2014 and will most likely continue to tour their August release “Home of the Strange” well into next summer, considering they just announce the second leg of their headlining tour that will continue into March.
Zara Larrson: Again, has a show in May but still possible.
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