As festivals across the globe continue to be postponed or cancelled, Chicago’s Lollapalooza remains on-the-rocks.
Originally, the lineup was supposed to be released by the end of March, however, organizers decided to hold-off on the announcement amid the festival’s uncertainty. Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzer noted that people should “think seriously about cancelling” large festivals and events this summer in the city until a vaccine is available. Organizers said they were remaining in constant contact with local officials and would have a decision by the end of May.
In an email to fans Tuesday, organizers said that they are reamaining in touch with their partners, as well as the City of Chicago, to decide the festival’s fate.
“As the festival is still several months away, we are taking careful consideration to work through our options,” the email read. “We are confident that we will have enough information to make a definitive decision about the path forward by the end of May. Chicago is our home, and we will continue to remain optimistic about Lollapalooza 2020. In the meantime, we encourage everyone to listen closely to government and public health leaders and stay safe.”
Right now, the festival is slated to run from July 30 to August 2 in Chicago’s Grant Park. Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfood said the city will provide an update on the festival “shortly.” While organizers continue to mull over a decision, the festival has been releasing “Lolla From the Vault,” which features previous concert footage via livestream.
If Lollapalooza did cancel this year’s festival, fans would not be surprised. Already, Pitchfork Music Festival, which was set to take place in Chicago from July 17 to 19, called-off its 2020 event.
Dozens of large-scale festivals across the country – like Bonnaroo, Coachella, and Stagecoach – have been postponed to the fall, while others, including Essence, Firefly, and Inkcarceration, have been outright cancelled. See our full, updating list of festivals effected due to coronavirus here.