The City of Chicago is offering 1,200 free Lollapalooza 2021 passes to vaccinated residents. Photo Credit: Aneil Lutchman
The City of Chicago is officially offering free Lollapalooza tickets to residents who receive a COVID-19 vaccine at one of four designated sites, which will feature DJ performances, additional giveaways, and more.
The City of Chicago as well as Lollapalooza – scheduled to kick off on Thursday, July 29th and wrap on Sunday, August 1st – just recently unveiled their vaccine-focused ticket giveaway, encompassing 1,200 passes donated by C3 Presents. Dubbed “Lolla Day,” the happening is set to take place on Saturday, June 26th, from Wilbur Wright College, Richard J. Daley College, Kennedy King College, and Malcolm X College.
Each of the four schools (and, in turn, each of the four vaccination sites) will correspond with one of Lollapalooza’s four days; the single-day pass that eligible individuals receive will depend upon which location they’re vaccinated at. Those who’re vaccinated at Wilbur Wright College, for instance, will get a free Lollapalooza pass for July 29th, whereas those who do so at Richard J. Daley College will benefit from a July 30th pass.
For reference, Miley Cyrus and Playboi Carti are among Lollapalooza 2021’s featured performers for Thursday, July 29th, with other booked acts including Tyler, the Creator and Marshmello (Friday the 30th), Post Malone and Journey (Saturday the 31st), and the Foo Fighters and DaBaby (Sunday the 1st).
Lolla Day participants, instead of receiving the tickets at the vaccination site, will pick up their Lollapalooza wristbands “at a special concert” at the House of Blues on Saturday, July 10th, according to the City of Chicago website. The offer is available solely to Chicagoans, with proof of address “required,” and “tickets for individuals that are already fully vaccinated will be available on June 27th,” officials also stated.
From a logistical perspective, it remains to be seen whether the arrangement will draw particularly large crowds (and/or an abundance of reservations) to certain locations. For obvious reasons, one would assume that Lollapalooza’s Friday and Saturday dates will prove more appealing to fans (and especially casual fans who haven’t yet purchased passes) than the Thursday and Sunday dates.
In any event, vaccination appointments remained available at the time of this piece’s publishing, with “Lolla Day” participants receiving the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine – meaning, of course, that they’ll be “fully vaccinated” in time for Lollapalooza. More broadly, organizers will require all passholders to show that they’re fully vaccinated or that they’ve tested negative for the bug.
The latter topic has proven decidedly controversial as of late, as some venues and artists have refused to accept negative COVID-19 tests from would-be attendees, instead requiring them to demonstrate that they’re fully vaccinated against the disease as a condition for entry.