Tyler, the Creator was set to headline the Lollapalooza festival in Chicago in 2024, but he unexpectedly pulled out of the festival just over a month before he was due to perform – and he’s not the only one major event that he canceled.
So what happened?
The Grant Park event shared the news of the rapper’s cancellation on Thursday, revealing few details about why he withdrew from the event, but noting a replacement by a big name.
“Unfortunately, Tyler, the Creator will not be able to perform this year,” the festival said in a Facebook post. “See Megan Thee Stallion headline Lolla on Thursday, August 1!”
And it turns out Lollapalooza isn’t the only festival to lose its headliner.
The announcement of the major change in the Lolla range came a few minutes later Tyler the Creator posted on
“I hate to say this but I have to cancel Lollapalooza and Outside Lands,” the social media post read in part. “I made a commitment that I can no longer keep, and it depresses me to know how excited people were.”
He noted that the move was “not sexy at all” and asked fans to forgive him, but gave little explanation for the cancellation.
The Chicago festival’s lineup was initially announced in March, with headliners including SZA; Blink-182; Tyler the Creator; The killers; Future X; Boomin Metro; Hozier; Stray children; Melanie Martinez and Skrillex.
A few days after the lineup was announced, tickets went on sale, and daily lineups and scenes were released the same month. A full list of 2024 artists can be found here.
Many reacted to this announcement with disappointment.
“This is not a fair exchange,” read one comment on Facebook, followed by others demanding refunds.
Others, however, welcomed the change.
“The programming just got better,” one commenter wrote on Instagram.
The festival did not immediately respond to NBC Chicago’s request for comment and details on potential refunds were not immediately released.
This year marks the 20th anniversary of Lollapalooza in Chicago. The festival, which began in Chicago in 2005, will take place this year from August 1-4.
The company behind the festival recently signed another 10-year deal with Chicago, meaning the four-day music event will be in the city for at least another decade. Under the terms of the contract, the maximum number of festival attendees cannot exceed 115,000 at any time.
In 2023, Lollapalooza welcomed around forty artists every day, including several big names. Headliners included Kendrick Lamar, Billie Eilish and the Red Hot Chili Peppers.
NBC Chicago
