Lollapalooza 2025 wrapped on Sunday and it was one for the books. Women and international artists absolutely dominated the four-day festival held in Chicago at Grant Park. The representation was a welcome one as evidenced by the tens of thousands of fans who bought tickets; four-day passes sold-out in less than an hour after the lineup was announced in March.
Among the big draws were Sabrina Carpenter, who closed out the festival with surprise guests Earth, Wind & Fire, and A$AP Rocky, who performed from a life-sized helicopter onstage. The Marías, Dominic Fike, and Finneas were among the highlights from the Chicago fest’s final day on Sunday at Grant Park.
Sabrina Carpenter Sunday Finally Arrives
The summer Rolling Stone cover star Sabrina Carpenter last performed at Lolla a couple of years back, where she told us about the naughty freestyle outro of “Nonsense” and opening for Taylor Swift. “Two years ago I was at that stage,” Carpenter gestured toward one of the smaller side stages during her set. “Now we get to play this one,” she said from the headlining main stage at Lollapalooza. She catapulted to the top of the bill on the strength of Short n’ Sweet, making friends and more fans and angering zealots along the way. No matter, the singer can hold her own and held it well as she closed out the 2025 edition of Lollapalooza.
Carpenter showed up first onscreen as a Chicago news anchor to welcome the massive crowd to the retro-themed party that matched her music influences, signaling the winking humor that was to come before she arrived onstage to perform “Busy Woman” and “Taste.” The show featured a dance competition and nostalgic television ads, and a bed where she performed the steamy “Bed Chem” — all part of her polished recent tour, but she did have a few new tricks up her clever sleeve. She brought out Earth, Wind & Fire with whom she traded verses for rousing performances of “Let’s Groove” and “September.” During the “Juno” skit where she arrests people with fuzzy pink handcuffs for being too hot, she proposed marriage to members of fellow fest headliners Twice, and later she ascended on a crane in the middle of the audience to perform “Don’t Smile” from above. After set closer “Espresso,” she dropped the trailer for her highly-anticipated Man’s Best Friend to close out the night. As with all great performances, she left the crowd wanting more. —A.L.
A$AP Rocky Makes a Rushed Job Fly By
Yes he was late, but at least A$AP Rocky looked the part in the most unexpected way. Sporting a head full of pink hair curlers and an oversized flannel atop a bulletproof vest, the rapper dangled from a life-sized helicopter like a civilian kidnapped in an action movie. Fans manifesting a Don’t Be Dumb drop after nearly three years of waiting had to hold on a little longer. As consolation, Rocky performed “Highjack” and “Tailor Swift” from the unreleased album, and tacked on a live rarity for good measure: Long.Live.ASAP’s “LVL,” which he hasn’t performed in more than a decade.
“I know rap is real competitive right now, but I wanna spread love,” said Rocky. Expressing gratitude was only natural; his ascent from blog-era rapper to high-profile trendsetter and luxury fashion model is now a blueprint, which doesn’t even include wooing Rihanna and raising three children together. Performed in rapid-fire succession before Chicago’s noise ordinance kicked in were “LSD,” “Sundress,” and “Goldie,” a career-spanning set list of highlights that flaunted not just how skilled Rocky is as a rapper, but how varied his music remains in the passing years. Now, he just wanted to take it slow, even as the clock was ticking. “They’re trying to kick us out,” he yelled to his DJ. “Play the next one! Go go go!” —N.C.
The Marías Soundtrack Lucid Dreams at Dusk
The Marías are inside your head and they know what your dreams look like. Under the hypnotic spell of singer María Zardoya, whose breathy delivery is part comforting whisper, part secretive rasp, the jazzy dream-pop band used a dusk timeslot to seamlessly soundtrack different visions: hiding in a room alone, running into an ex, lusting after a lover. From the seductive “Hush” to the explosive burst of drums in “Vicious Sensitive Robot,” or even their cover of the Cardigans’ “Lovefool,” the Marías swirled through a set list of woozy emotions and hazier sounds. Maybe it was a lucid dream. —N.C.
Dominic Fike Brings His Baby on Board
Dominic Fike, who pulled out of last year’s fest due to “health reasons,” made up for lost time, but he made sure to soak it in. “I want to slow down,” he said. “I want to sit in it with all you folks. I just want to connect.” And that he did, sharing tales behind songs such as early “demoey” track “One Glass” and his love for Coldplay’s “Yellow” before he covered it. Standouts included “Phone Numbers,” “Hi Grace” from his 14 Minutes EP, and “7 Hours” from Sunburn — songs that touch on connection. To close, he delivered the ultimate mic drop: in a heartwarming moment, he brought out his baby (he offhandedly referenced being a father during his set and on his recent collab with Jennie) and sang to his child on a toy mic. Then, mid-song, he picked the baby up and walked off into the night. —A.L.
Finneas Makes His Solo(ish) Lolla Debut
“Back in 2018, I played with my sister Billie [Eilish] for the first time,” Finneas said of Lollapalooza. On Sunday, he made his solo(ish) debut at the fest. His set showcased that his songwriting chops extend beyond the Grammy-winning work he creates with his sister, like during “Little Window” and “Break My Heart Again.” Finneas also brought out surprise guest Ashe, whom he formed a band with called the Favors. Together they performed “The Little Mess You Made” as well as Ashe’s Finneas-featuring “Till Forever Falls Apart.” —A.L.
Mariah the Scientist Showcases Chemistry
Mariah the Scientist was smoldering — from the heat and with her R&B songs. She took care of the former by shedding her furry jacket partway through her set, which included throwback tracks such as “Beetlejuice,” and “Is It a Crime,” her freshly released collab with Kali Uchis. “Now you gotta be my other half,” she said before delivering “Always n Forever.” Speaking of partners, she surprised fans by bringing out her beau Young Thug to perform “Walked In,” which displayed their chemistry. “I waited two-and-a-half years to be able to do that,” she said afterward, referencing his serving time after pleading out in the YSL racketeering case. “My man is free now!” —A.L.
Everything’s a Hit in Remi Wolf’s Hands
“We need your hips so loose, so limber,” Remi Wolf told the crowd. She demonstrated by doing a dance-off with two guitarists, hopping behind the drum kit, and enacting a Jack Black-style vocal warmup routine. The California indie-pop star has big ideas and bigger hooks, and those earworms made her a quintessential festival artist. Of course, that applied to her biggest hits — set bookenders “Cinderella” and “Photo ID” — but she also did the stagework for other songs like “Sexy Villain” and “Liz” that felt like they should’ve charted, too. —N.C.
The View Is ‘Fucking Gnarly’ for Katseye
One word could’ve summarized Katseye’s anticipated set: “Gnarly.” But the internationally procured girl group didn’t go through the competition show ringer — singing auditions, dance rehearsals, charisma buffing — just to be a one-hit wonder. Despite their breakout single becoming a song of the summer contender, Katseye used their performance to reintroduce their range, from mellow pop ballad “Mean Girls” to the clomping dance of “M.I.A.” They really hit their stride venturing beyond the K-pop machine they were modeled after — most notably with the sextet’s live debut of “Gabriela,” a Latin-inspired dub-pop song, complete with an outfit change into red flamenco skirts. —N.C.
Rebecca Black Doesn’t Care What You Think
Less than 15 minutes into her set, Rebecca Black was already screaming “Do you even think about me?” like a threat. Maybe it was, and the answer is irrelevant to the broader point. Ridiculed in 2011 for “Friday” and ridiculed a decade later for continuing to pursue music, Black knows firsthand there’s no pleasing haters. Instead, she courted camp and queers and impulsive electro-pop. The latest — and best — product of that combination is Salvation, which she performed as it should be: karaoke-style, with two beefy dancers flanking her side in miniskirts. “One thing I know: we’re all gay,” she said to cheers. —N.C.
BoyNextDoor Court an Evening Time Slot With K-pop Rock
Backed by a rock band that drew out the punches of their music, BoyNextDoor came prepared with special live arrangements to impress fans and those previously unfamiliar. Gathered around a blue prop door pinned with plushies, the K-pop six-piece danced their way through “If I Say, I Love You” and “I Feel Good” — even opting to sing English versions. During “123-78,” BoyNextDoor partnered up with each other for ballroom dance moves. “Those are very romantic songs. I kinda wish we were doing this at night right now,” said Jaehyun. With how smitten their screaming fans were, the feeling was mutual. —N.C.
