The Full Lollapalooza 2013 Preview

 Travel Hymns Lollapalooza 2013 Preview

lollapalooza preview 2013

Looking for the full Lollapalooza preview 2013? Let’s get started then.

Lollapalooza is an annual music festival that features a select number of genres including alternative rock, heavy metal, punk rock, hip hop and dance artists. The festival has been active for 15 years, cementing it as an American Staple of the major music festival circuit.

Lollapalooza was originally launched in 1991 by Jane’s Addiction singer, Perry Farrell. The music festival was only intended as a farewell tour for Jane’s Addiction but garnered a following, leading to an annual occurrence through 1997. The festival was then revived in 2003.

Lollapalooza is regularly hosted at Grant Park in Chicago and now tours internationally through Chile, Brazil and Israel. Lollapalooza 2013 is set to take place at the beginning of August, 2nd-4th.

Lollapalooza 2013 Mix

Lollapalooza Ticket Prices

Lollapalooza Ticket Prices

Lollapalooza General Admission Tickets + Passes

All prices reflect final total, no additional service charges!

Lollapalooza 3-Day General Admission Tickets – starting at $75 and scaled upward to $235

Lollapalooza 1 Day General Admission Tickets – $95 per day

Lollapalooza 3-Day VIP Tickets + Lollapalooza 3-Day Platinum Tickets – starting at $1050

Are Lollapalooza VIP Tickets Worth It?

Are Lollapalooza VIP Tickets Worth It?

Curious if Lollapalooza VIP tickets are worth it? We asked Lolla vets for their opinion.

“In my opinion, definitely not worth it. The vip areas are up a huge hill oriented pretty far from the stages. There isn’t a lack of shade at the festival, nor places to get beer.” ~ Shelby, 2010

“There was a ton of free booze and vitamin water. I met the Geico Caveman.” ~ Vanessa, 2009

Our editors believe Lollapalooza has put some serious work into enhancing the benefits associated with VIP and Platinum tickets in recent years, making them entirely worth it. Let’s take a brief overview of what benefits can maximize your Lollapalooza experience.

Lollapalooza VIP tickets allows you a daily wristband for each day of the festival, Friday – Sunday. These VIP wristbands allow you unlimited access to Lolla Lounge North and South. You can also take advantage of access to VIP Golf Cart shuttle transportation. Finally, any music festival attendee can appreciate fully air conditioned bathroom facilities.

Beer, wine and specialty cocktails are served daily. Taking in hours of endless music in the warm summer months can work up an appetite – heaping portions of catered food can solve that, easy.

Conditions at any music festival, even Lollapalooza, require the certain amount of stamina. Recharge with mini-spa treatments throughout the entire weekend. Stay relaxed within exclusive shaded areas and supremely comfortable lounge seating.

But what about the music? VIP tickets for Lollapalooza provide excellent viewing areas, boasting premium viewing platforms with undisrupted sightlines.

Okay, so how about Lollapalooza Platinum tickets? For a little more coin, you can splurge a whole lot more.

Platinum wristbands allow you access to air-conditioned Platinum-exclusive hospitality areas North & South. This hospitality entitles you a full complimentary bar and some professionally catered meals. Depending on how much you spend on food and beverages during Lollapalooza, this justifies a serious portion of the Platinum ticket and allows you to sustain the party.

Unique to Lollapalooza, Platinum users can experience access to the Artist Lounge areas. This puts you up close and personal with some of Lollapalooza’s artists, an experience that begins within the 4 Platinum Viewing Areas close to every major stage.

Finally, Platinum tickets allow you access to on-site Concierge hosts all weekend – every possible need or desire you have throughout your festival stay is essentially accommodated in style. Take home a complimentary Festival Merchandise Gift Bag (we hear these are actually amazing) AND you’ll have the ability to have first access to next year’s Lolla tickets.

Are Lollapalooza Platinum tickets worth it? Oh lord, yes. Some of the best we’ve seen.

Lollapalooza Hotels and Hotel Packages

Scouring for Lollapalooza hotels and hotel packages? Packages include Lollapalooza tickets, VIP and Platinum options are available. Here’s what’s being offered through the official Lollapalooza site…

Lollapalooza InterContinental Chicago Travel Package

Lollapalooza InterContinental Chicago Travel Package

3 Nights at Hotel InterContinental Chicago

3 Night InterContinental Chicago GA Travel Package for 2 people – $1599

3 Night InterContinental Chicago GA Travel Package for 4 people – $2399

Lollapalooza Hotel Palomar Chicago Travel Package

Lollapalooza Hotel Palomar Chicago Travel Package

3 Nights at Hotel Palomar Chicago

3 Night Hotel Palomar Chicago GA Travel Package for 2 people – $1799

3 Night Hotel Palomar Chicago VIP Travel Package for 2 people – $3599

JW Marriott Chicago Travel Packages

JW Marriott Chicago Travel Packages

3 Nights at JW Marriott Chicago

3 Night JW Marriott Chicago GA Travel Package for 2 people – $1699

3 Night JW Marriott Chicago GA Travel Package for 4 people – $2299

3 Night JW Marriott Chicago VIP Travel Package for 2 people – $3499

3 Night JW Marriott Chicago Platinum Travel Package for 2 people – $9099

Lollapalooza The James Chicago Travel Packages

Lollapalooza The James Chicago Travel Packages

3 Nights at The James Chicago

3 Night The James Chicago GA Travel Package for 2 people – $1599

3 Night The James Chicago VIP Travel Package for 2 people – $3399

3 Night The James Chicago Platinum Suite Travel Package for 2 people – $9299

What’s the Lollapalooza Weather Like?

What’s the Lollapalooza Weather Like?

Asking yourself what’s the Lollapalooza weather like? First, let’s check in with Chicago local and Lolla vet.

“Chicago weather is bogus. Expect rain at least once. But expect it to stop raining shortly after, then get incredibly hot. The year I went, it was incredibly rainy and overcast when I left my house, rained for the first two hours, then turned into the sweltering, humid summer we all know and love. I was in cut-offs and a long sleeved oxford shirt. I passed out from the heat. Take a lesson from me. Never wear long sleeves.”

So what can we really take away from that? Chicago weather is incredibly temperamental during the summer months. Because conditions can be so erratic, you’ll want to ensure you dress appropriately – don’t be fooled by cloudy or rainy conditions – and, like virtually any other music festival, stay adequately hydrated.

Water and adaptability can help you survive the elements at Lollapalooza.

Lollapalooza Fashion and Clothes

Lollapalooza Fashion and Clothes

Looking for some Lollapalooza fashion advice? Weather conditions in Chicago can influence standard music festival style selections. Dress to adapt!

“Lolla adheres to your typical festival fashion trends. Tribal patterns and crop tops will not be in short supply. But with all the ex-frats and parents, expect a ton of cargo shorts and band tees. It’s pretty torn down the middle.”

Chicago somewhat falls into the east coast school of style, but there’s plenty of western 20-somethings that venture up and diversify the trends.

What’s the Crowd at Lollapalooza Like?

What’s the Crowd at Lollapalooza Like?

Like all of other music festival previews, plenty people ask us What’s the crowd at Lollapalooza like? Here’s one take from a Chicago local and Lollapalooza veteran,

“If you’re looking for that ‘community’ feeling you hear about with Coachella or Bonnaroo, Lollapalooza is NOT the place to be. Chicago churns itself inside out for this event every year and at the end of the day, it’s more of a parks district event than a music festival. It’s all ages, so there’s a lot of children and even more 15 year olds who would strangle me if I called them ‘kids’. This is also the event that most successful twenty-somethings call in sick for and re-live their glory days, so prepare for the typical sports bar setting.”

On the flipside of that, Chicago-natives generally covet the limited amounts of sunshine they get annually, regardless if humidity plays a role in the music festival festivities. This can generally amount to some very friendly locals roaming the venue grounds. The crowd is diverse but essentially less ‘campy’ than your average Coachella crowd.

Lollapalooza Food and Beverages

Lollapalooza Food and Beverages

Lollapalooza food and beverages are exceptional, something you might expect from the Chicago area. For your money, there’s virtually no better pizza until you get closer to New York than right here in the windy city. But what are past festival goers saying?

“The best food in Chicago makes its way here. Good portions, not too expensive.”

Lolla still has plenty of options for anyone regardless of diet, supplying some awesome vegetarian and vegan dishes in recent years. With food trucks being somewhat of a specialty of the Chicago area, there’s some heavy hitters here. Hotdogs are traditionally amazing and surprisingly, not a strong suit for the east coast, Mexican fare is actually quite awesome as well.

Experience Chow Town with some money to burn.

Lollapalooza Bathrooms

Trust us, you won’t have a problem gaining immediate access to a bathroom when you’re in dire need. The weather conditions make the GA bathrooms quite bearable, more than we can say about places like Bonnaroo or Coachella – but who really wants to spend that much time inside of the port-o-potty?

Lollapalooza Drugs and Drug Usage

Lollapalooza Drugs and Drug Usage

How do Lollapalooza drugs and drug usage compare to other music festivals? Let’s ask a Lolla fan first.

“Weed. Plenty of weed. But not an overwhelming amount. I saw more weed at a Dave Matthew’s concert than at Lolla. With all the EDM this year, expect a lot more rolling. It’s the Midwest. Chicago loves its beer. There are a lot of dudes getting white-girl wasted.”

Chicago has no shortage of ‘beer enthusiasts’, so expect the ale to be flowing. Lollapalooza has had some issues in the past with people smuggling alcohol inside – after doing some scouting from years previous we understand it’s still possible to smuggle liquor inside the venue with relative ease.

Lollapalooza Art Installations

Lollapalooza Art Installations

Lollapalooza art installations borrow some of the appeal of Chicago thanks to the state park it’s hosted in.

“It’s in Grant Park. Plus, the Buckingham fountain is in the heart of the festival. Chicago architecture is the main thing to appreciate. You can’t miss seeing the Field Museum as the backdrop to the mainstage.”

The city of Chicago has a lot to offer. Grant Park can give you a semblance of this but there’s a lot of history around you, even within the venue grounds of Lollapalooza.