Lollapalooza 2023 rumors and lineup predictions

With another Album of Year win at the Latin Grammy Awards under her belt and her own limited edition Coca-Cola variant, it’s fair to say that Spanish singer-songwriter Rosalía is taking a victory lap this year. That includes headlining sets at no less than four foreign editions of Lollapalooza in Argentina, Chile, Brazil and Paris. With her schedule clear during early August, we’re nearly certain that she’ll add another Lolla to her itinerary and command a headlining slot in Grant Park.

Probability: 90 percent
Past Lollas: 2019

On the heels of the 2022 release of Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers and a subsequent arena tour, Kendrick Lamar is hitting the festival circuit this summer. He’s already snagged headlining spots at Bonnaroo, Governors Ball, and multiple editions of Primavera Sound—not to mention a spot on the Lollapalooza Paris lineup. He’ll be in North America to headline Osheaga in Montreal during Lolla weekend, and we expect that he’ll swing through Chicago, too.

Probability: 85 percent
Past Lollas: 2013

English pop outfit The 1975 used to be Lolla regulars, but their profile has risen significantly since they last played Grant Park in 2016. Matty Healy and company are spending much of 2023 touring abroad, with stops at editions of Lollapalooza in Chile, Argentina, Brazil and Stockholm. The quartet will be back in the U.S. for the Outside Lands festival, which takes place the weekend after Lollapalooza in Chicago. Considering the number of associated fests the band is playing and a clear gap in their schedule from August 3-6, you’ll probably hear the familiar strains of “Oh Caroline” in Grant Park this summer.

Probability: 80 percent
Past Lollas: 2014, 2016

It’s hard to imagine Billie Eilish performing a non-headlining set at Lollapalooza, but that’s exactly what happened back in 2018 when the then-rising singer won over a crowd ahead of sets from Khalid and Travis Scott. The young pop star doesn’t currently have any U.S. festivals on her summer schedule, but she’s headlining editions of Lollapalooza in Chile, Argentina and Brazil. Coupled with her presence at the Osheaga festival in Montreal during Lolla weekend, it seems likely that she’ll make a more prominent appearance in Grant Park this year.

Probability: 75 percent
Past Lollas: 2018

The rapper/singer behind the smash hit single “Old Town Road” was rumored to be on the 2020 Lollapalooza lineup—but we all know what happened to the festival during that fateful year. Since then, Lil Nas X has released his debut album and teased a sophomore record, which might explain his busy touring schedule this summer, with confirmed dates at Hangout, Bonnaroo and Governors Ball. He’s also on the lineup at Lollapalooza in Argentina, Brazil, Chile and Paris. We think that a set in Chicago is likely a part of his multi-fest deal with Lolla’s organizers.

Probability: 70 percent
Past Lollas: None

The young producer behind hits by the likes of George Ezra and Ed Sheeran has quickly established himself as a breakout act, releasing a series of critically-acclaimed records and performing a Boiler Room session that demonstrated his nimble MPC skills. After selling out three impromptu shows at Madison Square Garden with Skrillex and Four Tet, Fred is hitting the festival circuit this summer, with confirmed gigs at Lollapalooza in Argentina, Brazil and Chile. There aren’t any U.S. fests on his schedule (yet), but there’s a decent chance that Lolla in Chicago could be his first.

Probability: 65 percent
Past Lollas: None

After duetting with Jeff Tweedy at last year’s Pitchfork Music Festival, Michelle Zauer is back on the road with Japanese Breakfast this summer, making stops at festivals in Spain, the Netherlands and Sweden. One of those gigs is a spot on the lineup at Lollapalooza in Stockholm, which caps off her current European schedule on July 1. Zauner will join Beck and Phoenix on tour in August, but her schedule appears to be open during the weekend of Lolla—a fest she hasn’t played since 2019. 

Probability: 60 percent
Past Lollas: 2019

Peppy rockers Paramore are embarking on a big North American tour in support of the band’s 2023 release, This Is Why, but there’s currently no Chicago date to be found. Conveniently, Hayley Williams and company finish up their run of shows in Saint Paul, MN on August 2—just a short trip away from Lollapalooza weekend in Grant Park. Of course, it’s entirely possible that Paramore will show up on the Riot Fest lineup instead of making their Lolla debut.

Probability: 55 percent
Past Lollas: None

When Mumford & Sons headlined Lollapalooza a decade ago, they were still wearing suspenders and strumming banjos. Despite the fact that the group hasn’t released a studio album since 2018’s Delta, Marcus Mumford and his band are playing a couple of festivals this summer, including the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival and Lollapalooza Stockholm. It’s a bit of a longshot, but if Mumford & Sons are back on the road (however briefly) this summer, there’s a chance they could end up in Grant Park.

Probability: 50 percent
Past Lollas: 2010, 2013

We’d say that Lizzo is a shoo-in for this year’s Lollapalooza … if it weren’t for the fact that she’s got a nearly sold-out show at the United Center on May 17, less than three months before the fest in Grant Park. Yeah, the truth hurts. Still, exceptions have been made to Lolla’s radius restrictions in the past, and Lizzo’s presence on the Lollapalooza Stockholm lineup could be an indicator that she’ll make a stop at the festival in Chicago, too. Just don’t count on it.

Probability: 40 percent
Past Lollas: 2018

This summer, electronic duo Odesza seems to be the marquee EDM act of choice, with confirmed sets at Bonnaroo, Governors Ball, and Outside Lands. They’d seem like an obvious choice for Lollapalooza if it wasn’t for the fact that they’re headlining nearby fests like Electric Forest in Michigan and SummerFest in Milwaukee this June. There’s a slight chance that Odesza could still command a stage in Grant Park, but it’s more likely that you’ll have to head across state lines to see them at one of their other Midwest dates.

Probability: 30 percent
Past Lollas: 2015, 2018

When Thom Yorke and Johnny Greenwood’s latest Radiohead spin-off announced a summer tour of the U.S. earlier this year, a stop in Chicago was notably absent, in spite of dates in (relatively) nearby cities like Chesterfield, MO and Cleveland, OH. While the tour’s current end date on July 20 nearly lines up with Lollapalooza, it coincides precisely with this year’s Pitchfork Music Festival (July 21-23). Right now, it looks like Yorke will be gyrating in Union Park, instead.

Probability: 20 percent
Past Lollas: None (Radiohead 2008, 2016)

Remember the first time the Postal Service reunited at Lollapalooza all the way back in 2013? Ben Gibbard is pulling double frontman duty on a co-headlining tour celebrating the 20th anniversaries of The Postal Service’s “Give Up” and Death Cab’s “Transatlanticism” later this year. Sadly, the tour doesn’t begin until September, which means that the yet-to-be-announced Chicago date will likely coincide with Riot Fest (there’s a convenient gap in the schedule on September 15 and 16) instead of Lolla at the beginning of August.

Probability: 10 percent
Past Lollas: The Postal Service 2013; Death Cab For Cutie 2005, 2006, 2019