Lollapalooza in Latin America: Stopped Being Alternative and Became Mainstream?

The Lollapalooza is one of the most important events in current music. The truth is that the previous edition of 2020 in Latin America had to be canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, it was later rescheduled so that it can take place at the end of November throughout the region.

In other words, the festival that originally started in the United States has now appeared in our region. Countries such as Brazil (in São Paulo), Chile (Santiago), Argentina (Buenos Aires) or Colombia (Bogotá) received this celebration and have planned the future edition of 2021, which brings together artists from all over the planet.

The truth is that this event, over time, has become increasingly popular among young people. In most of their participations, they have hosted a minimum base of 100,000 viewers, even reaching some 300,000, as happened with the Argentina edition in 2019.

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The Lollapalooza and mainstream success

The truth is that, initially, the Lollapalooza was conceived as a show to bring together all the “alternative” music. The "indie" genre, which began to become popular in the last decade, in a certain way began to become mainstream. This implies that many of the artists of this genre today are some of the most important in the world.

Logically, this affected the implementation of the festival. Currently, talking about Lollapalooza is not only the possibility of discovering growing bands and artists, but also of others who are consecrated. So when the line-ups are announced, everyone waits to see who the headliners will be for each edition.

It is important to mention that throughout the region the festival is divided into 3 days, generally from Monday to Friday. In each of them there is a recognized artist, who plays during the central hours of the night, and is usually the one that attracts the most public. At the same time, it is important to mention that there is not only one stage, but there are several within the property.

All this growth in viewer interest has transformed Lollapalooza into a kind of South American culture. Year after year, “indie” fans wait to see who will be chosen to be part of the event. This means that not only the fans of each artist attend, but also others who attend no matter who goes, even if they have to travel miles for it.

For example, many of the fans wait for the announcement of the line-up not only to see if there are musicians that they like, but also to discover other groups / singers that they probably would not know otherwise. In other words, this "alternative" fee is still present, although to a lesser extent.

As we have mentioned, the quality of the artists has improved over the years. A proof of them had been the guests for this new edition in Latin America, who are currently on "stand by", since they have not confirmed that they will return to the country after the postponement due to COVID-19.

For example, for this edition they invited Guns N 'Roses, one of the most important rock bands of recent times. The same happened with Travis Scott, one of the most transcendental rappers in history, who chose this stage to venture into Latin America , something that fans had been waiting for for a long time.

Later, other artists, such as Gwen Stefani or Lana del Rey, also attract many fans who could hardly access their shows, since they do not usually have tours of the region. Instead, they are drawn to a festival that is also very present in the United States, something that is transforming it into mainstream.

30 years after its creation, since it began in 1991, the Lollapalooza seemed to change its essence. In its first moments, it was thought of as a traveling festival that sought to fire the group Jane's Addiction, so the initial show brought groups that were just emerging.

In this way, not only international groups are attracted, but also space is given to local celebrities who, historically, seemed to have no place within an "indie" group. However, the advance of Lollapalooza has shown that the mainstream can begin to agglomerate the alternative, something that allows us to understand its success.

Stay tuned to confirm the line-up for the next edition in the following weeks!