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Lollapalooza 2024: Here's what you need to know

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CBS News Chicago Live

CHICAGO (CBS) — It's almost time for the highly anticipated Lollapalooza. Here's what you need to know as you prepare. 

The four-day festival runs from August 1 to August 4 in Chicago's Grant Park. Gates open at 11 a.m. each day. 

2024 lineup 

Megan Thee Stallion and Hozier are Thursday's headliners. On Friday, you can see headliners Sza and Stray along with artists Renee Rapp and Victoria Monet. Megan Thee Stallion replaced Tyler the Creator on the 2024 lineup. 

In June, Lollapalooza posted a picture of Megan Thee Stallion on Instagram with the caption "Unfortunately, Tyler the Creator will not be able to perform this year." 

Saturday's headliners include The Killers and Future X Metro Boomin. Blink-182 and Melanie Martinez will close out the four-day festival on Sunday.

Lollapalooza announced that rising star Chappell Roan has moved to the T-Mobile stage on Thursday to accommodate a larger crowd. Kesha's performance has been pushed one hour later due to the stage swap.

While Lollapalooza organizers released the performance times, the popular Perry's stage schedule for Saturday remains a mystery. You can find the concert lineup, with the stage schedules, on the Lollapalooza website.

Many of the artists performing at Lollapalozza will also be performing at venues across Chicago in the festival's official aftershows. Tickets are available on Lollapalooza's website.

Look out for Friko, a local band with members from Evanston. They are making their debut at Lollapalooza this year. 

Chicago band Friko to make Lollapalooza debut 03:25

Transportation

CTA is encouraging riders to use the Red and Blue lines but added that any of the elevated lines in The Loop will get festivalgoers to and from Grant Park. CTA also announced that the Yellow Line will run until 1 a.m.

Additional bus service will be available to connect Union Station or the Ogilvie Transportation Center to Grant Park. 

Buses will be rerouted around the Grant Park area, and buses that run on Michigan Avenue will be rerouted between 9 p.m. and 11:30 p.m. to accommodate crowds leaving the festival.

Ticket scam warning

The Better Business Bureaus is warning festival goers of the ongoing ticket scams. 

Imposter tickets and fraudulent websites are not the only concerns. Sellers on Facebook Marketplace and Craigslist are also posing a threat to last-minute ticket buyers. 

"It can be phony bookings at hotels and fake and cheap unlicensed T-shirts and other merchandise," The BBB said. 

Here are some tips to stay safe from the BBB: 

  •  Use a credit card to purchase tickets and ticket packages so you have some recourse if the tickets are not as promised. Debit cards, wire transfers, or cash transactions are money lost if the tickets are fraudulent.   
  • Only deal with secure websites. These will begin with "HTTPS" and have a "lock" symbol on the address bar.   
  • Counterfeit tickets with forged barcodes look very professional with a copy and pasted logo of the actual ticket company. You will be denied access when you arrive at the concert and the scammer is long gone.  

Festival food 

There are over 80 spots for festivalgoers to grab a bite to eat, including a host of vendors selling gluten-free and plant-based options.

Some city favorites will be available including Harold's Chicken, Billy Goat Tavern, and Lou Malnati's. 

For those looking for a sweet treat, head over to Dessert Island for plenty of ice cream to help beat the heat.

Weather

Scattered storms are expected Thursday and Friday. Strong to severe storm potential may impact Lollapalooza goers on Thursday. 

Clear skies return for Saturday and Sunday.  

CBS News Chicago meteorologist will provides updates as new conditions develop. 

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