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Lollapalooza 2025: Day 2 Recap
- Kamari Crews
- 4 days ago
- 5 min read
When I woke up Friday morning, All of my day 1 nerves had been replaced with excitement. I got ready and made my way to Grant Park as quickly as I could. I fell into the habit of visiting the press lounge first thing in the morning to drop off my belongings and stock up on water (STAY HYDRATED) before heading into the festival and beginning my day.
Food & Freebies
One of my favorite parts of Lollapalooza was the amount of brand activations. Friday morning, I met up with a friend and we spent the first couple hours exploring all the festival had to offer. We made a stop at the CocaCola Roller Ring -- which allowed people to literally roller skate in the middle of the festival -- to grab a free Coke before heading over to Vibe Village and waiting in line for a free Essence lip gloss. With over 30 brand activations across Grant Park, there was always something to do, even if you weren't watching a live performance.
For food that day, I decided to keep it simple with an order of french fries from Chow Town. Not only was the food amazing, but the service was incredibly fast. Before I was able to tap my card, my food was being handed to me. The service was just as quick the entire weekend, making it very easy to order food, despite the long lines.
Performances
On Day 2 of the festival, I saw a total of six performances: Del Water Gap, Foster The People, Amaarae, Djo, Wallows, and Olivia Rodrigo.
First, I saw Del Water Gap (3:30 - 4:40, Tito's Handmade Vodka). I made my way over to the Tito's stage just before 2:30 and caught the end of Atlanta based rapper Kenny Mason, who I heard had a wonderful set. Once the crowd cleared out, I was able to get about three rows away from barricade. While waiting for your favorite performers to get on stage can be restless, it is a wonderful oppurtunity to meet new people. In the crowd for Del Water Gap, I met two people who had travelled from Michigan during the festival, and we spent an hour or so getting to know each other. When Del Water Gap finally came on stage, we watched the performance together before going our separate ways. While we didn't make a lifelong connection, it was still fun to meet someone new.
As for the performance itself, Del Water Gap was incredible. I have been a fan of him for a little over a year, so I was very excited to see him for the first time, and he did not disappoint. During his performance, he expressed his love for Chicago and for Lollapalooza, since it was his first performance after the pandemic. He put on an incredible show for us and I sincerely hope he returns to Lolla again in the future.
After Del Water Gap ended, I began to make my way through the crowd towards the other side of the park. As I was walking, I caught the beginning of T-Pain's set. I was able to hear about five songs as I was walking away, which was enough for me to learn that he knows how to put on a show. I hope I get another chance to see him in the future.
My next stop was Foster The People (4:40 - 5:40, T-Mobile). When I arrived at the T-Mobile stage, I realized just how close it was to the Lakeshore stage. By pure luck, I found the perfect spot to sit down and watch Foster The People; it was a large grassy area right in the middle of the T-Mobile stage and the stairs leading to Buckingham Fountain. Their performance was, of course, amazing. I have also been a fan of them for a few years, so seeing them live was a dream come true.
After Foster The People, Amaarae went on at Lakeshore. All I had to do was turn to the left and I had a perfect view of her stage. Luckily, I have had the pleasure of seeing Amaarae before when she opened for Sabrina Carpenter on the Short 'N Sweet tour, but I was just as excited to see her again. She puts on a wonderful performance, and I wish more people knew of her music. It made me incredibly happy to see that she had such a large crowd, and I hope it continues to grow as her career advances.
After Amaarae, I turned back to the right to watch Djo, one of my most anticipated performances of the weekend. He did not disappoint. Not only am I a fan of Djo's music, but I am a huge fan of Joe Keery as a person, so seeing him perform was kind of surreal. I will never forget what it felt like to hear "End of Beginning" live in downtown Chicago, with hundreds of people singing along. It was one of the highlights of my weekend.
After Djo, I turned to my left again to watch Wallows. I occasionally listen to their music but I wouldn't necessarily consider myself a big fan. However, they put on a great performance and it is clear to me why they have such a large and loyal fanbase.
Once Wallows ended, it was time for the final performance of the night: Olivia Rodrigo. I have tried and failed for years to get tickets to see her live, so saying I was excited is an understatement. Despite how large her crowd was, there was actually plenty of room around me, making my concert experience immediately better. Olivia put on a magnificent show. It became clear to me now more than ever that she was made to be on a stage. I guarantee people will be talking about her Lollapalooza headlining show for months to come. I know I will be.
After the show ended, I made my way to the L as quickly as I could to make it to Thalia Hall for the ROLE MODEL Official Aftershow. Despite telling myself that I wasn't going to spend anymore money that day, I spontaneously bought a GA ticket and was inside right before he came on stage. Olivia Rodrigo even made a guest appearance as Sally, making it money well spent.
Final Thoughts
By the time I left Thalia Hall, my feet were aching, I had a slight sunburn, and I had completely lost my voice. I was in pain, but also incredibly satisfied with the day I had. Day 2 was easily my favorite day of the entire weekend, and when I got home, I couldn't wait for Day 3 to begin.
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