A rollercoaster of raves, rebellion, and raw feeling!
If Day 1 of Lollapalooza 2025 was a moody burst of cloudy euphoria, Day 2 was a full-on sunbeam to the soul. Grant Park woke up golden and buzzing — a skyline backdrop for a wild, genre-hopping journey that ping-ponged between glitchy EDM, experimental pop, country swagger, and full-blown nu-metal meltdown. The crowd? Charged. Sunscreened. Styled out in mesh, boots, cowboy hats, and glitter — the people were the color between the sets, radiating love, joy, and just enough chaos to keep things interesting.
Friday unfolded like a mixtape with a skip-proof flow. Isabel LaRosa wrapped early crowds in her moody aura. Murda Beatz, Foster The People, and Amaarae drew cross-genre worshippers, while Djo and Ravyn Lenae offered introspective cool, and Olivia Rodrigo lit the night with a headliner’s poise and full-hearted singalongs.
What made it magic? The way the music and people met in the middle — bold, brave, and beautifully unbothered.
ISABEL LAROSA
Isabel LaRosa walked onto the Lakeshore stage like a whisper carried on the summer breeze, then proceeded to own the sunny afternoon with pure, dark-pop magnetism. Her signature brand of sultry vocals and brooding melodies somehow translated perfectly under the clear Chicago sky. Launching a performance with her unique style, she locked the crowd into her hazy orbit, moving with hypnotic precision as each note dripped with soft menace. Fans closest to the barricade were spellbound, mouthing every lyric of her songs like a secret.
She kicked off her performance with “Good Girl” and “Muse,” which set up the mood for what was coming! Mid-set highlight “Praying” transformed the field into a cinematic daydream, a mix of melancholy and sweetness wrapped in a glittering synth shell. Between songs, she flashed shy smiles and genuine gratitude, her quiet charm contrasting beautifully with the pulse of her moody tracks. By the time she closed with the awesome song “Favorite”, the Lolla audience had melted into her world, sunlit but shadowed, proof that Isabel LaRosa thrives in any light.
MURDA BEATZ
By the time Murda Beatz stormed Perry’s Stage, Grant Park had fully morphed into a sun-soaked block party. Known for producing bangers for Drake, Migos, and Nicki Minaj, Murda didn’t waste a single beat, he turned the festival field into a living, breathing speaker. Opening with a mashup of classic tracks, he summoned an instant eruption of jumping, fist-pumping, and phone cameras in the air.
Murda’s set was a masterclass in festival energy management, swerving from hip-hop heat to EDM-level drops that made the ground shake. Between bursts of pyro and CO₂ cannons, he hyped the crowd with classic DJ swagger: “Chicago, are you alive or WHAT?” By the time he dropped the last beats, it felt like the whole park levitated. Murda Beatz proved he’s more than a hitmaker, he’s a daytime party architect, and Lolla danced to his blueprint.
GIGI PEREZ
Gigi Perez brought a simmering, late-night-in-the-city energy to the sunny Lolla afternoon at the T-Mobile stage, proof that her velvet-smooth vocals and raw lyricism can shine in any setting. Stepping onto the stage in sleek black and shades, she opened with “Please Be Rude”, her voice gliding over minimalist beats like smoke curling into the sky. Her mix of R&B, indie pop, and streetwise attitude drew the crowd in slowly, then held them tight.
Mid-set standout “Fable” turned the front row into a choir, fans swaying and singing as if confessing secrets to a best friend. Gigi’s stage presence was magnetic yet understated — she didn’t need flashy tricks, just pure connection and that hypnotic tone. By the final notes of “Sailor Song”, the sun hit golden hour and her voice felt like it belonged there, shimmering and soulful. Gigi Perez gave Lolla a perfect slice of city-night intimacy under open skies.
ALLEYCVT
If you wandered anywhere near Perry’s Stage during Alleycvt’s set, you probably felt it before you heard it — bass that rattled ribcages and sent sunglasses flying.
Known for her dark, hybrid blend of dubstep, trap, and experimental EDM, Alleycvt turned the sunny afternoon into an underground rave in broad daylight. She kicked off killer beats and sounds, and within seconds the field transformed into a jumping, headbanging sea of chaos. Her drops were surgical yet savage, each one hitting with the precision of a wrecking ball, punctuated by glitchy vocal samples and neon-lit visuals.
What really made her set pop was her presence: confident, fierce, and fully in control as she hyped the crowd between drops. Alleycvt’s Lolla set was proof that the future of bass music has a fearless face — and she owns it.
RAVYN LENAE
For a brief, blissful stretch, Ravyn Lenae turned Lollapalooza into her living room — smooth, soulful, and glowing from within. Taking the stage in her hometown, she radiated confidence and warmth, her signature falsetto gliding over dreamy R&B beats like silk in the summer wind.
Including some great tracks like “Satellites,” “Dream Girl,” and “Skin Tight,” she drew the crowd into a soft sway, transforming the buzzing field into an intimate groove session. Her band, tight but unhurried, wrapped every song in subtle funk and jazzy undertones, letting Ravyn’s voice float like a beam of sunlight cutting through the skyline. Mid-set highlights “Sticky” and “One Wish” hit like a euphoric spell, fans mouthing every lyric while soaking in the hometown magic. Between songs, she laughed and shared stories, grounding her ethereal sound in real connection. In a festival packed with chaos and bass drops, Ravyn Lenae offered a tender pause — a soulful, sunlit exhale.
BUNT
If Day 2 of Lolla had a “feel good” button, Bunt (Levi Wijk) smashed it repeatedly. The German DJ/producer brought a wave of tropical house, folk-inspired beats, and unstoppable positivity to the mid-afternoon slot, turning Grant Park into a sunlit street festival.
From the first notes of his setlist, the crowd started bouncing, waving arms like kites in the breeze. His signature use of live instruments layered over festival-ready drops gave each track a warmth that felt handcrafted — harmonicas, guitar loops, and sunny synths all blending into one irresistible groove. Fans who came to chill ended up dancing, and strangers were linking arms by the time “Best Day Of My Life” hit. It had the entire lawn smiling and swaying like a single, happy organism. In a lineup that often leans heavy, Bunt’s set was pure serotonin, bottled and blasted through speakers.
FOSTER THE PEOPLE
When Foster The People took the T-Mobile stage, it felt like the return of festival royalty. Mark Foster, in his usual effortlessly cool form, led the band through a hit-stacked, sun-drenched performance that reminded everyone why their sound defined a generation of indie pop. They opened with “Feed Me,” and instantly, the crowd erupted into a singalong that could rival a stadium chorus.
The band wove through shimmering grooves and pulsing beats, layering guitars and synths into a kaleidoscope of feel-good nostalgia. Mid-set highlight “Don’t Stop (Color on the Walls)” had fans dancing like it was 2011 all over again, but it was “Pumped Up Kicks” at the end that turned the park into a living choir — thousands of voices floating under the bright Chicago sun. Foster The People didn’t just perform; they curated a collective memory, equal parts wistful and celebratory, proving that true indie icons never lose their shine.
AMAARAE
As the afternoon light turned molten over Grant Park, Ama Serwah Genfi, known professionally as Amaarae, delivered a set that felt like liquid gold for the soul.
Draped in luminous colors and armed with her airy, otherworldly voice, she wove together Afrofusion, R&B, and alt-pop textures into a hypnotic, genre-bending experience. Opening with “Angels In Tibet,” she immediately drew the crowd into a sway, her playful stage presence flickering between soft intimacy and radiant command. Tracks like “Sad Girlz Luv Money” and “Come Home To God” for the end, hit with infectious groove, sending waves of dancing rippling across the lawn, while her falsetto floated as light as the summer wind. Between songs, Amaarae shared knowing smiles and little bursts of gratitude, creating a space that felt inclusive, vibrant, and joyful. By the time she closed her set, the sun had dipped just enough to paint the sky pink, and her sound seemed to linger there — ethereal, shimmering, and unforgettable.
DJO
When Djo — the musical alter ego of actor and musician Joe Keery — took the stage, Lollapalooza slipped into a retro-futuristic dream. Draped in his signature vintage flair, he dove into synth-heavy, psychedelic pop that felt like wandering through a neon-colored time warp. Opening with “Runner”, his buttery falsetto and shimmering keys cast a spell, drawing fans closer into his immersive sonic world. Visuals of spinning galaxies and glitchy VHS effects danced behind him, making the set feel cinematic and slightly surreal.
By the time song “End of Beginning” started, it turned the lawn into a mass singalong, voices echoing with nostalgic warmth. What set Djo apart was his ability to balance introspection with festival-sized energy — even his grooviest tracks carried an undercurrent of dreamy melancholy. By the finale, the sun had fully slipped toward evening, and Djo left us suspended in his vivid, analog-meets-digital cosmos.
WALLOWS
As the evening settled into that perfect golden-to-indigo glow, Wallows, the Indie Sweethearts, took the stage and instantly wrapped Grant Park in warm, indie nostalgia. Frontman Dylan Minnette, with a guitar slung casually low, led the trio through a set that felt like the soundtrack to a coming-of-age summer. They took the stage and the crowd erupted into a full-field choir, voices soaring with every lyric of their setlist.
The band’s tight interplay of jangly guitars, driving bass, and breezy synths created an effortless, feel-good flow, like windows down on a highway at sunset. The bank kicked off with “Your Apartment” and “Anytime, Always,” setting up a beautiful atmosphere.
Mid-set, “Coffin Change” sparked playful jumping and dancing in the grass, while “Calling After Me” brought a fun, soft, collective sway. Wallows’ charm lies in their genuine ease — no overblown production, just three friends making music that sticks to your ribs and your heart. Their Lolla set felt like a shared diary entry, written in real time under Chicago’s wide-open sky.
OLIVIA RODRIGO
Olivia Rodrigo closed Day 2 of Lollapalooza like a shooting star with teeth — sparkling, raw, and impossible to ignore. Striding onto the stage to “Obsessed,” she fused pop polish with riot-grrrl edge, instantly commanding the sea of screaming fans.
Her set was a rollercoaster of heartbreak and euphoria, leaping from the tender ache of “Traitor” to the feral release of “Love Is Embarrassing.”
Olivia’s voice, live and unfiltered, carried every crack of vulnerability and every growl of defiance, proving she’s as much rock star as she is pop princess.
The real highlight of the night was the surprise special appearance by Weezer performing “Buddy Holly” and “Say It Ain’t So.”
Another highlight of the night came with “Vampire”, where the crowd’s massive singalong swelled against the night sky, lit by thousands of phone lights like a constellation built just for her.
Between songs, Olivia’s mix of gratitude and playful sass made the massive festival feel intimate. By the explosive closer “Get Him Back!”, she had delivered a headliner’s coronation, leaving Grant Park buzzing with young love, catharsis, and glittering energy.
Day 2 of Lollapalooza 2025 was a love letter to musical diversity and Chicago’s unstoppable spirit. From Isabel Larosa’s dark-pop magnetism to Olivia Rodrigo’s moonlit roar, the day unfolded like a perfectly sequenced playlist — one that knew when to make you dance, when to make you scream, and when to let you simply stand still and feel. The sun-drenched afternoon gave way to an electric night, the skyline glowing behind waves of fans coated in glitter, sweat, and wide-eyed joy. Genres collided in a beautiful, unbothered mess — country next to bass, nu-metal melting into neo-soul — and the crowd never flinched.
If Lollapalooza’s magic lies in its ability to unite strangers under the spell of live music, Day 2 nailed it. Fans left the park carrying the pulse of the festival in their chests, knowing they’d witnessed a living mixtape of the now — bold, messy, and unforgettable.
