With near-perfect conditions, Grant Park was buzzing on the second day of Lollapalooza 2025. Thursday already set the bar high for the festival this year, but Friday featured a host of exciting acts, as well as nu-metal pioneers and one of pop’s biggest names at the top of the bill. 

The big crowds started forming early in the day, with singer/songwriter Gigi Perez drawing the people in at the T-Mobile Stage. Perez is very much embracing a career-altering year, and was often appreciative of the Grant Park appearance over the course of her 55-minute set. The set would also go on to feature a cameo from her sister on one song, lots of guitar changes, and a monologue on her thoughts on the state of the world at the conclusion of breakout hit “Sailor Song.” She also took moments to let it all settle in, making for a peaceful, yet exciting start to the day. 

Over on the BMI Stage, Caroline Kingsbury was bringing a different type of energy altogether. Her set featured fans clapping along and waving colorful streamers to her catalog of singles. She was every bit as colorful as the crowd, and has a live presence that feels undeniable. It was a glimpse of what’s to come from her in the near future. 

The Perry’s Stage is always a party, and by Friday afternoon, Bunt had the crowd raging in the midday sun. His set turned the BPMs all the way up, with high-energy remixes of Hozier’s “Somebody That I Used To Know” and Basement Jaxx’ “Where’s Your Head At”, amongst many others in a near-constantly thumping set. 

Speaking of parties and constant thumping, The Dare is most certainly a one-man party, and his set at the Grove stage had a lot of people that wanted to join in. Surrounded by prop Marshall amps and flanked by a drum machine and synthesizer, he was a ball of indie sleaze energy come to life (we told you that indie sleaze was back yesterday.) If the beat from Peaches’ “Fuck The Pain Away” could be extended to a 40-minute remix, you’d have The Dare’s set, capped off by new party anthem “Girls.”

Some bands have a sound that is just made for festivals, and Bleachers is certainly one of them. Jack Antonoff seemed to revel in the moment, with a custom set and sound dipped in 80s pop and rock nostalgia. The band’s sound has always included big layers of vocals, and you know that it works when you have thousands of background singers ready to fill in every word at the Bud Light Stage. Side note: the band’s LED screen backdrop did read “Jack Antonoff & Bleachers,” which makes you wonder if there’s a change coming to take advantage of Antonoff’s rise as a songwriter, most notably collaborating with Taylor Swift and a slew of pop stars. Stay tuned there. 

The crowds on Friday were massive just about anywhere you went, and the T-Mobile Stage / Lakeshore Stage area was flooded with fans waiting to see Olivia Rodrigo’s headlining set. A very sizable portion of that crowd, though, were also piled up to see Wallows play on the Lakeshore Stage before that. The band had their half of the field wrapped around their fingers, with hands waving and crowds singing to just about every song. The band acknowledged their position in the lineup, as well, with Dylan Minette noting they had “one more song while you walk to Olivia” during closer “I’m Full.”

While Olivia Rodrigo filled the field on one side of the grounds, Korn headlined the Bud Light stage on Saturday, with a punishing run through material from their three decades as a band. It was a celebration of the band’s discography, with every bit of intensity that the band carried during their initial run to fame. 

While they’ve been active as a band consistently, Friday night’s headlining set felt like a return to prominence for the band, even though they’re already touring stadiums around the world. It also felt like a signal of a larger rock revival returning to the mainstream. Over the course of 90 minutes, Korn once again told you exactly who they were, with a set that touched on most of their singles as a band, including the tongue-in-cheek “Y’all Want A Single” that had middle fingers up from the whole crowd. During their five-song encore, Jonathan Davis thanked the crowd for being supportive for 31 years, and was thankful to Lollapalooza for having them. He told the crowd that they would be back to see them again soon, and it wouldn’t be surprising if a winter arena tour was in the works. 

Day two of Lollapalooza kept the energy up from Thursday’s eventful opener. As the crowds get bigger and the weather stays nice in Chicago, expect more huge moments throughout the weekend. Stay tuned to Breaking And Entering for even more from Grant Park.