Lollapalooza returned to Chicago's Grant Park on Thursday to kick off another four-day celebration of music, but this year's festival feels noticeably different. While previous editions have leaned heavily on legacy acts and established headliners, the 2026 lineup embraces a new generation of artists, with many of the weekend's biggest draws still in the early stages of their careers or just now experiencing their peak.
That shift was reflected just as much in the crowd, where Gen Z fans dominated the park from the opening gates through the night's final set.
Opening day delivered everything fans hope for from Lollapalooza: surprise guests, breakthrough performances and plenty of unforgettable moments spread across Grant Park's eight stages. With Charli xcx set to headline Friday night and forecasts calling for rain and possible thunderstorms through much of Friday and Saturday, the weekend is only expected to get more unpredictable. But on Thursday, there was so much to love.
These were our five favorite sets from day one.
Asha Banks
Every Lollapalooza seems to produce at least one artist who leaves the weekend with a significantly larger audience than when they arrived, and Asha Banks made an early case to be that artist this year as she opened the T-Mobile stage for the day (and the weekend).
Making her U.S. festival debut, the British singer and actress showcased remarkable poise, introducing herself to a crowd that quickly embraced her blend of soaring vocals and heartfelt songwriting. While many attendees may have arrived unfamiliar with her music, plenty left as new fans.
Festival debuts can often feel tentative. Banks' didn't. Instead, it felt like the first chapter of what could become a much larger story.
Sombr
One of the fastest-rising artists on this year's lineup, Sombr looked completely at home on the Lollapalooza stage. His blend of indie rock, bedroom pop and emotionally raw songwriting resonated with an audience that already seemed to know every lyric (and let's be honest, they probably did), creating one of the afternoon's loudest singalongs despite an earlier time slot.
If there was any doubt that Sombr belongs among this new wave of festival headliners in waiting, Thursday erased it. His polished, golden hour performance, confident stage presence and rapidly growing fanbase made this feel less like an introduction and more like a victory lap.
CMAT
CMAT delivered one of the day's funniest, most unpredictable and most entertaining performances. It was a playful, queer, irreverent, truly wonderful experience, marked by the Irish singer-songwriter's very candid banter between songs.
Playing the Airbnb stage, the singer noted the background behind the song "Euro-Country," the title track to her 2025 album, which was inspired by the economic boom and subsequent decline in her native Ireland. She then pivoted quickly, stating: "I didn't agree to play the Airbnb stage," she told the crowd. "Fuck them... I came to play for the people!" The audience erupted as she pointed outward.
Of course, it was her performance of one particular song which quickly stood out. Before launching into "When A Good Man Cries," she paused to give a "shout out to Olivia Rodrigo," acknowledging Rodrigo's recent cover of the song. Between her razor-sharp wit, effortless charisma and powerhouse vocals, CMAT transformed one of the festival's smaller stages into one of Thursday's biggest conversation pieces.
Little Simz
Little Simz once again proved why she's one of the most compelling live performers in hip-hop. Full stop.
Backed by a phenomenal live band, Simz delivered a set that balanced technical precision with raw emotion, effortlessly moving between razor-sharp lyricism and explosive energy. Even amid one of Lollapalooza's busiest scheduling windows, her performance demanded attention, and those who chose her over competing acts were rewarded with one of the day's strongest musicianship displays.
It wasn't built around spectacle or surprise guests. It didn't need to be. And for what was actually her debut Lolla performance, it was remarkable.
Lorde
Few artists can command a festival crowd quite like Lorde, and Thursday's headlining performance was a reminder of why she's become one of alternative pop's defining voices. Effortlessly moving between intimate moments and arena-sized choruses, she had thousands of fans singing every word throughout her set, which coincidentally opened with her biggest hit "Royals," rather than saving it for later.
But then came the moment everyone will remember.
As the opening notes of “Girl, So Confusing” rang out, Charli XCX emerged from backstage for a surprise appearance that instantly sent Grant Park into a frenzy. The collaboration united two of pop's most influential artists at a festival that has increasingly leaned into the genre, and it immediately became the defining image of opening day.
To be clear, many fans had speculated the appearance might have been possible, if not likely, as Charli was in town already ahead of her own headlining performance on Friday, and the two have performed the song together previously, as Charli also joined Lorde last October for the latter's tour stop in Los Angeles.
Yet the surprise also served as the perfect teaser for what's still to come this weekend.
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See more photos from Lollapalooza day 1 below, by Dan DeSlover.
