24 Hours at Lollapalooza With Our Social Strategy Lead

If you know me, you know I love pop music. And if you really know me, you know my top artists last year were Lorde, Charli XCX, and Tate McRae. So you can only imagine when I saw this year’s Lollapalooza lineup, I practically jumped at the opportunity to head to the Windy City to see them all IRL. 

Every summer, hundreds of thousands of music lovers make their way to Chicago for four days of iconic performances. And unlike other festivals, Lollapalooza has perfected the balance of bringing together every kind of music listener, all while taking over the heart of the city. This year, Neutrogena invited me to join the fun and celebrate their brand ambassador Tate McRae, who closed out the festival with her headline set. From recharging at the Hydro Boost Juicy Lab to catching some of my favorite artists live, keep scrolling for a look inside my final day at the festival.

It’s a beautiful, sunny day in Chicago, and the vibes are already high. After a few cloudy (and slightly chaotic) festival days, the sunshine feels like the perfect way to close out the weekend. I fuel up with breakfast at the hotel before inevitably turning my entire suitcase upside down trying to decide what to wear.

Outfit finally secured, I hop on the Neutrogena shuttle and make my way to the festival. The excitement starts building the closer we get to Grant Park, and I already have a feeling it's going to be a good one.

I started my day off by heading to the press tent for a quick ki with MUNA. They answered all our questions about their festival style, dream festival lineup, and tour rider (which includes, wait for it, vegan cheese puffs, dried mango, and chocolate milk).

I sprint from the press media tent to the T-Mobile stage to catch Adéla, my most anticipated set of the day. I slink in through the side and pick a spot that seems roomy enough to bop alongside Adélarinas. The energy is off the wall, and everyone agrees that this was the best way to kick the festival off (and that the festival should have slotted her later in the day.) I caught her just in time to hear her drop “KGB,” which was peak! 

Before heading to Chicago, I made myself a little Lollapalooza bucket list—and hearing MUNA perform “Silk Chiffon” live was at the very top. The rest of the list (including getting on the jumbotron and trying a boozy coke slushie and live to tell the tale) will have to wait for another year, but on the “Silk Chiffon” front, I’m happy to report it was indeed, everything. I snag a quick video for the gram, and then depart.

By this point, the sun was starting to take its toll, but a little heat wasn’t going to slow me down. I took refuge at Neutrogena’s Hydro Boost Juicy Lab for a much-needed festival refresh. As this year’s skincare sponsor, Neutrogena transformed the space into the ultimate hydration station, complete with Liquid I.V. on tap, Hydro Boost samples, spin-the-wheel giveaways, and plenty of photo-worthy moments.

Real festival insiders know the true MVP of Lollapalooza is the golf cart—and, honestly, probably the only reason I was still standing after four days. I caught a ride on one to the main stage that was blasting “It’s ok I’m ok,” which provided the perfect pregame.  

Before diving back into the crowd, I made a very important pit stop for a $12 pizza slice. Was it a festival splurge? Yes. Was it absolutely necessary after hours on my feet? Also yes. And I hate to admit it, but it was actually delicious.

I made my way into the crowd for Tate, and the anticipation was very real. This was only her second-ever headline performance (following Osheaga just one day prior), and fans had been camping out for hours to secure a great spot.

It’s Tate time!! From the second she stepped on stage, you could tell she was taking in every single moment. She brought us through all the songs we came for—from “Sports Car” and “Greedy” to throwback favorites like “You Broke Me First”—and had the entire crowd singing along. After months of touring, Tate has clearly mastered the art of putting on a show, and she pulled out every trick in the book. It was the perfect ending to an already perfect weekend.