Photo = Lollapalooza SNS

 

[Hanteo News = Reporter KANG SUYOUNG] Last weekend, four K-POP artists of different generations and forms took the stage at Lollapalooza Chicago 2026.

 

Lollapalooza is one of North America’s largest music festivals, held every summer with Chicago, U.S., as its home base. Around 170 artists perform across eight stages, and more than 400,000 people gather each year. Since 2010, the festival has expanded globally, also being held in places such as Brazil, Argentina, and Chile. This year’s Lollapalooza Chicago was held for four days from July 30 to August 2, and among K-POP artists, i-dle, CORTIS, BLACKPINK JENNIE, and aespa performed.

 

The four teams are each at different points in their careers. JENNIE is in her 10th year since debuting as BLACKPINK in 2016, i-dle is in its eighth year since debuting in 2018, and aespa is in its sixth year since debuting in 2020. CORTIS debuted in August 2025 and is a rookie that has not yet reached its first anniversary. Even within K-POP, teams from different generations took the same festival stage, and the positions they stood in also differed.

 

The first to take the stage was i-dle. On July 31, i-dle performed 16 songs for 60 minutes on the 'T-Mobile' stage. Earlier, at the showcase for the group’s 9th mini album on the 6th of last month, MINNIE had shown confidence by saying, “It is an honor just to be able to participate in Lollapalooza. We will definitely tear up the stage.” As if to prove that, i-dle showed skilled stage manners even in bad weather. What stood out was the final song that closed the performance. SOYEON introduced 'Mono (Feat. skaiwater)' as the final song and said, “At least in this moment, no matter where we are or who we are, I hope we can all become one and enjoy this music.” It was a remark that aligned with the song’s message of people with different origins, tendencies, and directions becoming one and enjoying music together.

 

The next day, CORTIS and JENNIE filled the stage. CORTIS served as the opening act for the 'T-Mobile' stage and performed 11 songs over 40 minutes, with an estimated 50,000 people gathered for the performance, according to organizers. GUNHO, who is undergoing treatment for fractures in the little fingers of both hands, could not join the choreography, but he communicated with the audience on stage and drew responses from them. Through its agency BIGHIT MUSIC, CORTIS shared, “It was truly enjoyable to be part of Lollapalooza Chicago, which we had dreamed of since we were young,” adding, “The passionate concert atmosphere we vaguely imagined while working on our 2nd mini album 'GREENGREEN' unfolded in reality, so we felt overwhelmed and happy.”

 

On the same day, JENNIE took the stage as the closing headliner, bringing the main stage, 'Bud Light,' to a close. She is the first Korean female solo artist to headline Lollapalooza. The 65-minute, 18-song performance was her first live performance since the release of her new single 'Less than a Lover,' and it also included a surprise moment in which she unveiled the unreleased new song 'Sweet Tooth' for the first time. After the performance, JENNIE wrote on social media, “I was so happy to be able to share my new songs with you. Thank you so much for coming to my stage, and this moment will stay in my heart forever.”

 

aespa took the 'Allianz' stage on August 2, the final day of the festival, and filled 60 minutes with 14 songs as the final performer. The group continued with global hits such as 'Black Mamba,' 'Next Level,' 'Armageddon,' 'Supernova,' and 'Whiplash' alongside a live band session, and during 'Switchblade,' they staged a surprise joint performance with featured artist Ty Dolla $ign. Spanning a wide spectrum of songs, from tracks on their 2nd full-length album to 'Rich Man' and 'Bubble,' aespa showed seasoned stage manners befitting a group in its seventh year since debut. Ty Dolla $ign, who joined them on stage, said, “Having watched aespa grow until now, I was greatly inspired to see them fill such a big stage with their own energy.”

 

In this way, the four teams colored three days of Lollapalooza with their own distinct colors. If high album sales records or solo concerts are mirrors reflecting the gathering power of fandoms, stages at major festivals carry a slightly different texture. That is because they are places where artists stand not only before a specific fandom, but also before countless unnamed audience members who have gathered to enjoy diverse music. From rookies in their first year since debut to headliners, K-POP artists’ names were engraved at various heights across that wide stage. Last weekend, Chicago quietly showed that K-POP is moving beyond the fence of fandom and seeping in as a popular global genre.

 

 

grace@hanteo.com


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