Written by: Aleisha F. & Caitlin F.
The Windy City’s most iconic festival is back to host another set of some of the biggest names in Korean music. Lollapalooza returns to Grant Park from July 30 to August 2 with both veteran and rising K-Pop stars gracing the stacked lineup. JENNIE of BLACKPINK makes history as the first female Korean soloist to headline the longstanding festival, while up-and-coming boy group CORTIS, known for their chart-topping single “GO!,” will make their U.S. festival debut. Girl groups are also represented on the list of K-acts, with i-dle and aespa making their first appearances at the staple Chicago festival.
Lollapalooza hosts more than 150 artists from all over the world and draws in crowds of up to 500,000 people per year. Along with JENNIE, Lorde, John Summit, Charli XCX, The Smashing Pumpkins, Olivia Dean, Tate McRae, and The XX will be headlining the festival.
Self-produced girl group i-dle (formerly known as (G)I-DLE) will be the first of Lollapalooza’s Korean acts, bringing their “Queencard” to the festival’s second day. The quintet, made up of members Soyeon, Yuqi, Miyeon, Shuhua, and Minnie, is no stranger to festivals. They have headlined Head in the Clouds Music & Arts Festival in Jakarta and New York City, among other events, in the past. i-dle has had a healthy career since debuting in 2018. Over the years, they’ve gone viral with singles like “Tomboy” and “Wife,” and made history as the highest-charting independent Asian artists on US Top 40 radio with their first fully-English EP, Heat, which was co-executive produced by 88rising. The group rebranded as i-dle in 2025, and their EP We Are became a million-seller. i-dle most recently released the digital single “Mono,” in collaboration with British rapper Skaiwater, and are currently touring Asia and Australia on their Syncopation World Tour. The tour’s North American dates scheduled for summer 2026 were unfortunately canceled, but U.S. fans can still get a taste of i-dle’s witty lyrics and powerful choreography at their Lollapalooza set.
JENNIE will be bringing Lollapalooza’s third day to a stunning finale. The past year has been busy for JENNIE, but it has made her an artist to watch. She released a record-breaking solo album, made her solo debut at Coachella, and completed world tours with both BLACKPINK and as a soloist. And on top of all those achievements, JENNIE is a fashion industry darling, serving as a brand ambassador for iconic labels such as Chanel, Ray-Ban, Calvin Klein, and releasing a sportswear collaboration with her BLACKPINK members. JENNIE, alongside Stray Kids, is also set to make history as the first K-Pop headliners at Governors Ball Music Festival in New York City. Fans can expect to see JENNIE’s star power shine in the Windy City.
Also performing on Lollapalooza’s third day are the record-setting five-member boy group CORTIS, who debuted in 2025 to overwhelming success. The group follows in the footsteps of their BigHit Entertainment seniors, j-hope of BTS and TOMORROW X TOGETHER, who performed at Lollapalooza in 2022 and 2023, respectively. The pre-debut track “GO!” catapulted the group into international fame, with the song’s choreography becoming a viral trend on TikTok and earning them the coveted grand prize of “Song of the Year” and “Artist of the Year” at the 2025 Mnet Asian Music Awards (MAMA), a feat known to take multiple years in the industry. The members, Martin, James, Juhoon, Seonghyeon, and Keonho, are known for their involvement in the production of their work, contributing to songwriting, choreography, music production, and videography, a trait that helps them stand out among their peers. Recently, CORTIS became the first K-Pop group to headline the halftime show of the NBA All-Star Celebrity Game and were named “Friends of the NBA” to help promote the league in Asia. The group recently released their second EP, GreenGreen, to another round of chart-topping achievement. CORTIS is sure to get the Lolla crowd hyped with their alternative hip-hop music style and creativity.
The fourth and final day of Lollapalooza will feature aespa, whose rise to fame has not slowed since their debut in 2020. The four-member girl group, consisting of Karina, Winter, Giselle, and Ningning, is no stranger to U.S. stages, having made their American debut at none other than one of the biggest stages in the world, Coachella Music & Arts Festival, as part of label 88rising’s “Head in the Clouds Forever” set in 2022. They went on to become the first K-Pop act ever to perform at both the Governors Ball in New York City and San Francisco’s Outside Lands. After embarking on two sold-out tours in the States in 2023 and 2025, aespa recently announced their third world tour, Synk: Complexity, as well as their second studio album, Lemonade, which is set to be released on May 29. With recent appearances at the Met Gala, an American Music Award nomination, and multiple Billboard chart-topping releases, aespa has proven that their reign has yet to end. aespa fans, known as MY, and casual listeners alike can anticipate experiencing the group’s futuristic concept and hearing the group’s top hits like “Next Level” and “Supernova” as well as their more recent tracks.
Fans can purchase tickets at varying tiers on the Lollapalooza website. However, prospective attendees are encouraged to act fast, as passes have already begun to sell out.