Lollapalooza Day 1: Billie Eilish a fan favorite on opening day — and 2023 is a big year for K-pop

Lollapalooza opened in Grant Park Thursday for its annual four days of music, crowds and revelry, the main entrance chutes on Michigan Avenue loosening up for festgoers on the nearly sold-out day a bit before 11 a.m. The Day 1 headliner was Billie Eilish on the T-Mobile main stage, with Karol G on the Bud Light stage at the park’s north side.

By one measure, this is the biggest Lollapalooza ever. Daily capacity inside the fences for 2023 is 115,000, up from 100,000 in previous years, an increase announced at the end of last summer’s festival as part of the 10-year lease extension between the festival and the city of Chicago.

Visiting from places near and far, audience members lined up early Thursday to see one artist — Eilish. Many of the pop singer’s devoted fans wore comfortable sneakers just so they could run to get a better view before she took the stage at 8:45 p.m.

Dalys Noriega, 20, started waiting at the main entrance at Ida B. Wells Drive at 5 a.m. — after initially getting in line at 8 p.m. Wednesday and being asked to leave. She traveled to Chicago from Texas, and was hoping that Eilish performs the song “Wish You Were Gay.”

“For Billie Eilish — if she’s performing anywhere in the U.S. — I’ll be there,” she said.

Eilish, now 21, was last in Chicago for a March 2022 performance at the United Center on her “Happier Than Ever” tour.

Also among the first in line was Victor Tran. The 18-year-old from Washington state had been in line since 6:50 a.m. for his first Lollapalooza and was most looking forward to seeing NewJeans in the South Korean group’s first-ever U.S. performance. He planned to run to the T-Mobile stage first, to claim a spot for their afternoon set. He was carrying a NewJeans light stick — a white stick in the shape of a bunny head. The light-up devices are distinctive to K-pop groups, with fans swinging them in the air during shows.

On the whole, 2023 is a big year for K-pop artists at the fest, with Tomorrow X Together being the first to headline Lollapalooza on Saturday night. The group first appeared at Lolla last year on a smaller stage.

Additionally, Karol G will be the first female Latin artist to top the bill. Coming later in the weekend: Kendrick Lamar and The 1975 are the big acts for Friday. Odesza co-headlines Saturday, and Red Hot Chili Peppers and Lana Del Rey close the festival on Sunday.

Victoria Vole, a 25-year-old from Gurnee, came to Lollapalooza as a volunteer at one of the water filling stations. She said it’s her second time volunteering as a way to cost-effectively see her favorite artists. “I think it’s definitely worth it. You get to hang out with cool people and you get to help out with a huge festival at the same time,” Vole said.

Tickets run the gamut, with single-day general admission starting at $135, on up to $4,350 for platinum four-day passes, complete with private lounges, catering, hair and glitter treatments and golf cart transportation. Lollapalooza is presented by Austin, Texas-based C3 Presents, a division of Live Nation.

For those unable to get inside the fences ringing Grant Park, the festival is also being livestreamed on Hulu.

Near Buckingham Fountain, hundreds of people stood in line to purchase band and fest merchandise. Friends Lauren Miller and Cloe Owens said they were impressed with how fast the line moved despite its length.

”I love getting shirts wherever I go, and getting my family magnets,” Miller, 19, said. The duo, who attend college in Kansas, decided to attend Lollapalooza on their annual girls’ trip. Miller said she’s so impressed with Chicago that she wants to apply to the city’s medical schools.

Early in the afternoon, Finish Ticket, a three-piece band from California, performed indie rock songs at the Bacardi stage to an enthusiastic crowd, some decked out in band T-shirts. Fans clapped along to one of the newer songs, “Dream Song.” Singer Brendan Hoye said the group’s vehicle broke down yesterday, forcing them to split up in Ubers to make it to Chicago.

Later at the T-Mobile stage, Lovejoy performed to a mix of loyal fans and newcomers waiting for other big acts. William Gold, the British rock band’s lead vocalist, who is known professionally as Wilbur Soot, warned the audience that of all their songs, “Concrete” was the most likely to kill the drummer in the more-than-80-degree heat.

NewJeans were the big act at the end of the afternoon. Before the group took the stage, some fans prepared by studying videos of NewJeans’ dances and trying to match them move by move, shimmy by shimmy. Their set opened with “Hype Boy,” from their self-titled 2022 debut EP. Fans danced and sang along, in both English and Korean. The band called out all of the bunny hats and light sticks in the crowd.

”I can already feel all of your energy just hitting me,” group member Danielle Marsh said.

Before they played the last song in their set, NewJeans’ members each took a moment to thank their fans in the crowd, promising to continue bringing them music to enjoy.