Chappell Roan's spectacular summer escalated to historic heights at Lollapalooza.
The 26-year-old pop sensation was the largest daytime audience ever seen at the Chicago music festival. On Thursday, August 1, Roan took the stage, not just performing but making history.
"Chappell's performance was the biggest daytime set we've ever seen. It was a magical moment added to Lolla's DNA," a spokesperson for Lollapalooza shared with CNN. The precise number of attendees for Roan's set remains unconfirmed, yet it's clear that the crowd was monumental, stretching across the southern expanse of Chicago's Grant Park.
Roan, a Missouri native whose real name is Kayleigh Rose Amstutz, rose to fame with her 2024 hit "Good Luck Babe!" and her earlier track "Feminomenon," which attracted widespread attention on social media. Her rise continued as she performed at other major festivals this year, including Bonnaroo and Coachella, each time drawing increasingly large crowds. Her performance at Governor's Ball in New York went viral for her bold political statements and a drag-inspired Statue of Liberty costume, complete with a full-body paint in green.
Initially scheduled to perform on a smaller stage, the overwhelming interest weeks before Lollapalooza prompted a last-minute change to the main stage, swapping set times with pop star Kesha. This adjustment proved prescient as Roan attracted a crowd that rivaled many of the festival's headliners, according to sources close to the singer and the festival.
Lollapalooza, which began as a touring event in 1991 and expanded internationally in 2010, has seen performances across the globe from Chile to India. This year's lineup included notable names like Blink 182, The Killers, SZA, Megan Thee Stallion, and Melanie Martinez. Yet, it was Roan who stole the show with a set that may become the most attended in the festival's history.
The musician's debut album, The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess, released last year, initially had a slow start but found a cult following as she opened for Olivia Rodrigo on her world tour. Propelled by her distinctive style, inspired by drag queens and synth pop, Roan, who is queer, has swiftly climbed to pop diva status, reclaiming and redefining what it means to be a gay icon.
With "Good Luck, Babe!" currently topping Spotify's US Top 50 chart and another five songs in the top ten, Roan's influence continues to grow. As she prepares for her next performance at Outside Lands in San Francisco, festival organizers and fans alike might just witness another record-breaking crowd.
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