26 Artists to See at Lollapalooza 2026

Lollapalooza 2026 marks the festivals’ 35th anniversary, and the ten-year anniversary of it transitioning from a three day to a four day festival. It feels like much longer than 10 years ago that I hit Grant Park to experience the festival for an entire four days, which, back then, felt exciting as an insatiable 21-year-old: but now, you’re just hoping you can survive four days of being in the sun and heat for 10-12 hours a day.

But there’s something so magical about Lollapalooza as a festival and the only one that I don’t ever see myself not attending in some capacity: a few years ago I was convinced that my days as a die-hard four day attendee were behind me, but I keep chugging along! The atmosphere, the city as its backdrop, and the food is, in my opinion, on par to no other North American festival I’ve attended (and yes, I’ve been to Coachella). Maybe it’s just because I’m an Illinoisan or that I have so many memories attached to this festival, but it’s always one of the best weekends of my year.

The team at Staged Haze has been compiling these extensive posts for years now (the very first post I EVER wrote was for the 2015 iteration), and helping attendees discover new artists is so much fun. So even if you’re not going to Lollapalooza this year and simply want to find your next favorite artist, I hope you find something new to enjoy! PSA: It’s extremely hard to narrow down our list of acts we’re excited to see to a mere 26, and there’s plenty of amazing music outside of the acts we chose to highlight. Check out Lolla’s official playlist to get more inspo!

In chronological order:

The Braymores | 1-1:40pm | BMI

The Braymores feels like the type of band that I’d think fills the Australian surf rock quota that is present every year at Lolla, but they’re actually part of a different group: they’re one of the local bands, and one of the most exciting ones at that. Still just beginning their music journey, the folk-rock quartet shows its Chicago roots through the touches of folk-rock they incorporate in their music, making them one of the acts that brings an energy that is maybe the most aligned with the festival and the city’s music scene. With a couple years of releases up their sleeve, The Braymores have more than enough to show up with an inviting set that can show those who don’t know them yet what they’re really made of. I’m so excited to see where they go from here, and am so unbearably jealous of those who will get to see them at their hometown festival for the first time. – Javi

Haute & Freddy | 2:30-3:30pm | T-Mobile

I am embarrassed to admit that I was a little late to the Haute & Freddy party (that is considering my standards as a pretentious “I knew them before they were big” supreme), but whatever, I found them now, and I am so happy that I did! Having just released their debut album Big Disgrace, this past March, this is the perfect time for the pop duo to go on a festival run, where I’m sure they’ll win over the hearts of anyone in the crowd that doesn’t know them yet.

Big Disgrace is already a project that touches on the concept of performing on putting on a big, beautiful show, so I can’t think of a better way to hear it for the first time than hearing it live, at one of the most fun and iconic events in the world. – Javi

Between Friends | 2:45-3:45pm | Bud Light

I’ve been pushing the BETWEEN FRIENDS agenda for years now, and I am so happy to finally see them on so many festival lineups for this summer after guessing they might and then being disappointed several times. With an extensive discography of hyper-pop with touches of indie rock, the sibling duo put on such a lively and fun show that I hope Grant Park can’t help but match. They have found amazing ways to transfer their music from the studio to the stage, with synthesizers and electric guitars that add a nice little element to their performances, and I wish I could see them rock the Lolla stage. – Javi

Paris Paloma | 3:45-4:45pm | Tito’s

Paris Paloma has been on my list of artists to see for awhile, and her booking at Lollapalooza coincides perfectly with her current run of touring: she just finished an impressive run opening up for Florence + The Machine across Europe and The UK. If you’re not familiar with Paloma, the 26-year-old went viral back in 2024 with her song “Labour,” which hit a million streams on Spotify within its first 24 hours of being released: and presently has nearly half a billion streams on the platform. The success of the single and her debut album, Cacophony, catapulted Paloma into success, garnering a fan base who admires the complex topics that she tackles in her music, including feminism, gender roles, AI, and more. Paloma’s next album drops on Sept. 4, which means it’s highly likely she’ll be performing new music during her set on Thursday afternoon. – Kristin

Bella Kay | 4:30-5:10pm | BMI

20-year-old Bella Kay got booked on the smallest stage of the festival before she had a massive breakout: I can almost guarantee that first-time attendees or those who may be less familiar with the stages are going to be quite shocked to see once it’s time for her to perform. Her music has nearly one BILLION streams on Spotify alone—and I am currently typing this before her debut album drops, so it’s definitely going to hit one billion before the gates of Grant Park open in just a couple weeks. Bella’s set to open for Gracie Abrams next year on a select number of dates: so here’s your chance to catch a star on-the-rise before she inevitably starts playing arena shows. – Kristin

5 Seconds of Summer | 4:30-5:30pm | T-Mobile

The first time that I had ever heard of 5 Seconds of Summer, they were opening for One Direction on their “Where We Are” tour in 2014. I was so impressed with the band that I drove three hours from Chicago to Indianapolis to see them the following year on the band’s first worldwide headlining tour. Things have changed a lot for 5 Seconds of Summer (or 5SOS) in the past 11 years—their sound, their lives, and their careers. Like One Direction before them, each of the band members have released their own solo music over the past five years, but have always used their solo projects as a way to expand their own creative work, not as a break from the other members of 5SOS. They recently released their sixth studio album, Everyone’s A Star!, which is a sort of return to their earlier pop-punk inspired work. – Erin

Audrey Hobert | 5:30-6:30pm | Allianz

Originally a songwriter best known for working on Gracie Abrams’ hit album The Secret Of Us, 27-year-old Audrey Hobert made the wonderful decision to release her own music, and it’s the kind that pop girlies (like almost everyone at Staged Haze) can’t help but love. Her debut album Who’s The Clown is a vulnerable and catchy testament on girlhood, and given that her first headline tour is pretty much sold out everywhere, Lollapalooza-goers are ridiculously lucky to be able to see her at this point in her career. Also on her first festival run, Audrey has the potential to become a pop powerhouse, and getting to see her as her journey just begins will be something that I know a lot of people will cherish for years. – Javi

Day We Ran | 12:50-1:30pm | Air BnB

Even on Day 2, Lollapalooza can be a lot. You’re tired, you’re probably hungry, and you’re surrounded by thousands and thousands of people. That’s why it’s nice to have mellow, chilled-out performers like Day We Ran, an alternative band that’s bursting with addictive harmonies that hails from Australia. Another perk of seeing the band? They’re currently on their first-ever North American tour while promoting their debut EP, Naked At Your Door. If you love them after the band’s Lollapalooza set, you can be one of the people to say you saw them first. – Erin

Julia Wolf | 1:45-2:30pm | Tito’s

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ve more than likely heard Julia Wolf’s 2024 single “In My Room.” The song, which became popular on TikTok, showcases how the singer is able to meld indie pop with harder rock music. She’s only continued to grow her career from there, releasing her 2025 album Pressure, which showcases Wolf’s constantly-evolving sound. Wolf’s been selling out shows for years, and we interviewed her during her first headlining tour in 2023. It will be interesting to see the singer take the stage at Chicago’s largest music festival following her appearance at Riot Fest last year, and fun for the crowd, as Wolf plays her fusion of hard rock, r&b and bedroom pop—there’s a little something for everyone in her set. – Erin

Balu Brigada | 2:30-3:30pm | Bud Light

There used to be a time where Lollapalooza was basically just me trying to determine how many indie bands I’d get to see over the course of a weekend: the first year I attended (2013), I saw The Neighbourhood, Local Natives, Vampire Weekend, Phoenix, Two Door Cinema club, and a few others across three days (!!!). While that iteration of the festival is over, and we’ve fully transitioned to a pop-heavy lineup year over year (I’m not complaining), it’s nice to find a solid indie band to check out, and Balu Brigada scratched that itch for me this year. Their 2025 debut album, Portal, has produced a few viral singles, including “So Cold” and “Backseat,” and their extensive run of touring the project has definitely garnered them a new fanbase. Their set is also a part of the Bud Light’s day-long run of rock bands, starting with High Vis, then Balu, The Story So Far, Yungblud, and concluding with The Smashing Pumpkins. Not a bad place to be! – Kristin

Finn Wolfhard | 4-4:40pm | AirBnB

Finn Wolfhard isn’t the first “Stranger Things” cast member to play Lollapalooza after Djo performed last year, and with Maya Hawke’s impressive musical offerings, he probably won’t be the last. But if you’re going to the festival just to catch artists from the hit Netflix show, then you’ll be missing out, because with the release of his second album, Fire from the Hip, earlier this year, Wolfhard has shown that he’s a force to be reckoned with in the indie and garage rock universe. Wolfhard, who was previously a member of the Canadian band Calpurnia, has so far released two pretty infectious lo-fi albums over the past two years, and it should be exciting to see how the music is received at a festival as massive as Lollapalooza. – Erin

Zara Larsson | 4:40-5:50pm | T-Mobile

If there’s one thing to say about this year’s Lollapalooza lineup, it’s that the festival organizers did a fantastic job at booking a TON of breakout pop artists, including Zara Larsson. She’s been around for awhile, even performing at the festival back in 2017 (where, to me, she looks like she hasn’t aged a day), and this time around, she gets the chance to perform on the main stage. With huge songs including “Midnight Sun,” “Stateside,” “Pretty Ugly,” and of course, “Lush Life,” Zara is guaranteed to pull a HUGE crowd on Friday afternoon: she actually has several million more monthly listeners than ALL of the headliners. With glittery, ethereal outfits and makeup, choreographed dance breaks from several dancers, and a voice that truly holds up in a live setting, Zara’s set is one that pop fans are not going to miss. – Kristin

Slayyyter | 6:45-7:30pm | AirBnb

Slayyyter’s set at Lollapalooza is certainly going to be a must-see for many attendees, and I’m super curious—and slightly concerned—to see the pull she’ll get on The AirBnb Stage—which is considerably smaller than the main stages. Performing up against several heavy hitters including Yungblud, Lil Uzi Vert, and Mustard, Slayyyter’s performance will provide an alternative to rock and hip-hop for festival attendees, especially for those who will be headed to the South End of the park following her set to catch Charli xcx. It’s also her first performance since Governor’s Ball, where she performed to a massively large crowd for a 2 P.M. set. This is a big performance for Slayyyter, and I’m looking forward to seeing her live during her breakout year. – Kristin

Sunday (1994) | 12:25-1:10pm | Allianz

I saw Sunday (1994) last year at All Things Go DC for the first time, and I only heard of them and their music a few weeks before that, so I had an introduction to them just like the one a lot of people might have at Lolla this year, and hopefully it will have the same effect on them that it had on me. Their soft pop carried by beautiful melodies feels out of a movie, the kind of songs you listen to while driving somewhere new and rethinking your life choices (complimentary). The trio have also crafted an amazing and aligned visual world to their music that I’m hoping will be showcased at the festival too, giving new fans full artistic experience to see how special Sunday (1994) really is. – Javi

Die Spitz | 1:50-2:30pm | AirBnB

While grunge and heavy metal aren’t my go-to genres, I can respect it, especially when a band of all women decides to infiltrate it. Which is why I’m writing about Die Spitz, who have been making a name for themselves in the Austin music scene for several years now, performing at DIY shows and making several appearances at SXSW. They’re also opening for Olivia Rodrigo on her UK and Europe leg of tour in 2027, giving them the opportunity to make an even bigger name for themselves in a more commercial space. An early-afternoon set before 3pm can be tough in terms of crowd size, but I have a positive inkling that Die Spitz will pull an impressive number of fans looking to catch rock’s next best thing before their big break. – Kristin

Wolf Alice | 3:15-4:15pm | Bud Light

Wolf Alice is a type of band that I’d like to call reliable: always releasing good music, and always putting on a fantastic live show. Ironically, I haven’t had the chance to seen them in YEARS, but the couple times I have seen them, I’ve had the best time. And I think a lot of Wolf Alice fans feel the same: they’ve been making music and touring successfully since 2015, and coming out on the other side of the indie sleaze era that overtook popular culture in the 2010s (not all bands can say the same). Touring with artists like The 1975, Alt-J, Harry Styles, and soon Olivia Rodrigo, has given Wolf Alice the experience to continuously hone their craft as a live band, and their return to Lollapalooza for the first time in TEN years, this time on the main stage, will be a treat for rock fans. – Kristin

Momma | 4:15-5:15pm | Tito’s

One of my favorite discoveries of the past few years has been Momma, an indie band from Calabasas that reminds me of the best that ’90s alternative rock had to offer. The band formed in 2015, and last year released its fourth album, Welcome to My Blue Sky, one of my favorite albums of the year and ranked #21 on Staged Haze’s best of the year. The album is a sort of tour diary, written about the band’s 2022 tour in support of its album Household Name. It’s equal parts joyful and heartbreaking, and all-around a solid listen.  Lollapalooza began as a farewell tour for the band Jane’s Addiction in 1991, and showcased some of the best of modern alternative rock of the time, and while it’s strayed from its alt-rock origins over the past several years, this year’s lineup is stacked with some truly phenomenal rock bands, and Momma is definitely one to not be missed. – Erin

Sienna Spiro | 5:15-6pm | AirBnB

20-year-old English singer-songwriter Sienna Spiro has had a year that artists dream about. Her first single dropped back in 2024, and since then, she’s gone viral with multiple tracks, including the huge hit “Die On This Hill,” “You Stole The Show,” and others, plus, the song “Material Lover” was featured on The Devil Wears Prada 2 soundtrack, a movie that is currently the 4th biggest box office success of the year. Her soulful voice fits in nicely with some of the biggest names in pop: including Adele, Olivia Dean, and RAYE. Though I know that the number of monthly listeners doesn’t necessarily directly correct with someone’s pull in a live setting, it does provide context that’s often helpful. With that being said, Sienna Spiro’s currently sitting at 28 million monthly listeners, making her set at The Grove on Friday afternoon one guaranteed to be absolutely overflowed with attendees. Make sure you get there early! – Kristin

Spacey Jane | 5:30-6:30pm | Tito’s

The Aussie indie rock band is one of the bands that I will recommend forever and always. Last time I saw them at Lollapalooza was in 2023, which was also the third time I was seeing them that year, and it was still one of my favorite sets of the weekend. The four-piece transmit their love for music so strongly through their music already, and do it even better live, truly showing how much fun they have playing the songs that they worked so hard on. After releasing their third album If That Makes Sense last year (one of my favorites from 2025, shocking to nobody) they have even more new music to include in their performance, with their EP Exit Wounds that they dropped last month. I love Spacey Jane so much!! And I hope any bystanders that catch their set leave loving them too. – Javi

Stella Lefty | 12:30-1:15pm | Allianz

23-year-old Stella Lefty is another artist playing Lollapalooza who has had a breakout year months after she was booked on this lineup (though I will say it’s important to note that she is the daughter of a billioniare CEO). She’s also from Chicago, which gives her the opportunity to perform a homecoming set of sorts, which is cool to witness for an artist who’s so early on in her career. Known for her big songs like “Thinking ’bout You,” “Boston,” and more recently, “Something to Lose” with Vincent Mason, Stella Lefty certainly scratches the itch for country fans looking for something a bit more twangy on the lineup. Lollapalooza has certainly had their fair share of country/folk representation over the last years, most recently with Luke Combs headlining in 2025, and I think those who are energized enough to hit Grant Park on day four for an early performance will be happy that they decided to show up. – Kristin

After | 1:50-2:30pm | AirBnB

As a 31-year-old who very much feels like I identify with being a millennial, I am the perfect audience for anything that makes me feel nostalgic for a simpler time. Which is exactly why I’ve come to love the indie pop duo After so much: their 2000s-inspired music is giving 10-year-old Kristin obsessively watching the DCOM Pixel Perfect or discovering Michelle Branch’s music for the first time. Band members Justine Dorsey and Graham Epstein fittingly discovered each other on the Hinge dating app back in 2022 and decided to start making music together. The two’s chemistry is palpable—they even share a birthday—and their love for the early aughts and their ability to make it their own is what I find so appealing about their music and accompanying visuals. After’s debut album is dropping in September, and I’m hoping to hear a bit of that too when they hit the stage on Sunday afternoon. – Kristin

Adéla | 3-3:45pm | T-Mobile

22-year-old Slovak singer, songwriter, and dancer Adéla may not be a household name yet, but she’s certainly no newbie to the industry. She first rose to fame during her time as a contestant on the 2023 reality show Dream Academy, which concluded in the formation of Katseye. Since then, she’s signed with Capitol and Polydor Records, and collaborated with the likes of Grimes, Dylan Brady, and Julia Michaels, plus supported Demi Lovato on tour this past spring. She doesn’t have a ton of released music up ’til this point, so it seems like Lolla organizers are betting that she can deliver a high-level performance on the biggest stage of the entire festival. I’ll be curious to see what unfolds! – Kristin

INJI | 4-4:45pm | AirBnB

When I talk to friends about the Turkish artist INJI, whose real name is İnci Gürün, I love talking about her origin story and her claim to fame. The 25-year-old student went viral back in 2022 for her song “Gaslight,” which she made in her dorm room at UPenn with a friend and classmate (she was studying finance at the time, and creating music was often a means of escapism for her). Since then, she’s not put her finance degree to use, but instead, has released a TON of music, including a debut album last year, and has been touring pretty extensively. I knew it would only be a matter of time until she landed on the Lollapalooza lineup, and I’m pretty amped to see her set. Her music is fun, often silly, and upbeat pop music infused with multicultural influences and I love her unique take on a genre that can be difficult to stand out in. – Kristin

Muna | 4:45-5:45pm | T-Mobile

After being a casual MUNA listener for years, I have officially become a devotee, and their brand new album Dancing On The Wall is partly responsible for this personal improvement. Bringing in the best of energies even when singing about devastating stories and relationships, the LA trio seem to have found a sound that works better than ever, and anyone seeing them at Lollapalooza will be seeing them at a new high that I wish I could witness. I have actually never seen them perform in concert (I’ve only seen front woman Katie Gavin before and that was already such a memorable experience too) but I know that it would be life changing in several ways. They are also hot and funny, so just show up honestly, because they will not disappoint. – Javi

Porch Light | 5:40-6:20pm | BMI

Minneapolis-born indie rock band Porch Light have only released two EPs and a handful of singles so far, but their DIY, garage band aesthetic and natural origin story of a bunch of friends and musicians wanting to form a band has branded them as an accessible, relatable group. Lead singer Jackie Uhas was approached by the rest of the band while doing karaoke in a bar, and the rest is history. Her vocals are a powerful force, and the band’s sound is a natural fit for her tone and style that is reminiscent of Hayley Williams herself: a compliment with weight that is not lost on me. If you’re looking to scratch the itch of an indie band with punk influences like Paramore and Jimmy Eat World, catching Porch Light’s early evening set on the BMI stage (right before Turnstile performs nearby) may be perfect for you. – Kristin

Turnstile | 7-8pm | Bud Light

I sort of grew up in a hardcore music scene. As a teenager in the Chicago suburbs, where a lot of the local bands were playing hardcore music, and the local show attendees were a lot of big guys more than willing to shove and punch teenage girls in the face, I still went, even though I wasn’t super into it. So, when I first heard of Turnstile, I didn’t give them much of a chance. But eventually I saw the light, and realized how wrong I was not only on the band itself, but also on what the genre could be. Turnstile showed some of their early brilliance in 2015’s Nonstop Feeling, the band’s debut album, but really started to shine on 2021’s Glow On, a dynamic and innovative project that showcases how fluid the genre could be. Now, they’ve released Never Enough, the band’s fourth album, which came out last year. Not only is Turnstile an extremely well-received band through their recordings, but the band’s live shows are renowned as well, so if you’re missing Turnstile at Lollapalooza, you’re missing out. – Erin

See you in Grant Park!

Check out all of our previous festival coverage HERE.