The guide to Kidzapalooza and Lollapalooza for families
Quick insights
- Kidzapalooza is a family-friendly area of Lollapalooza, with a unique stage, music, events, refreshments and more.
- When planning to attend Lollapalooza with kids, be sure to pack and plan appropriately to cover every contingency.
- While Kidzapalooza is specifically geared toward families, there are many other things to see and do at the larger festival that are safe and fun for music-lovers of all ages.
With the return of warmer weather, summer festival season is on the horizon once more. For families in the Chicago area, that means planning for Lollapalooza – but is a large music festival really the place for kids?
The answer to that is a personal decision. But given the abundance of family-friendly activities, many festival-goers would probably answer in the affirmative.
Family friendly sections of Lollapalooza
The festival grounds are full of fun music and activities for the whole family. Be sure to check out the following essentials:
- Kidzapalooza Stage: The first stop for family-friendly music and events is the Kidzapalooza Stage and activities area. The full schedule will be announced shortly.
- Activities: Beyond the music on the Kidzapalooza Stage, families can enjoy kid-friendly activities at the Easel Art Studios craft station, the Classy Kids Salon, TK Photography’s rock star photo booth, and the Kidza Lounge.
- Eats and treats: You and your kids will love the food lineup at Chow Town! and Dessert Island.
- Safety and Services: Visit one of the two Tag-A-Kid booths to register children with the festival and receive a specialized wristband to help reunite lost kids with their parents or guardians. One is located right outside Kidzapalooza, and the other is just south of the main entrance, off Michigan Avenue. There is also a comfortable, private Family Services tent just outside Kidzapalooza which offers changing and feeding stations and more.
- The best of the rest: Even areas that aren’t designated kid-friendly can be a fun experience for you and your young ones; there are always great bands to check out at the Bud Light, Tito’s Vodka, Bacardi, Coinbase, Perry’s, and T-Mobile stages, as well as activity and merchandise tents throughout the festival grounds.
The Kidzapalooza section of the festival
Kidzapalooza features music, of course, as well as fun activities including dance and music workshops, magic shows, arts and crafts and more.
- Kidzapalooza Stage: This year’s family-friendly lineup includes:
- Joanie Leeds
- Q Brothers
- Uncle Jumbo
- 123 Andrés
- Pierce Freelon
- School of Rock Allstars
- Taj Farrant
- Homescool
- The Happiness Club
- Easel Art Studios craft station: This station offers such kid-approved activities as creating a graffiti wall, festival buttons, keychains and more.
- Classy Kids Salon: Stop by the salon booth for kid-friendly festival hair decorations, including color, extensions, glitter and more.
- TK Photography’s rock star photo booth: The ultimate rock star photobooth experience invites families to grab a prop and rock out before striking a pose.
- Kidza Lounge & Rainbow Chalk Wall: Take a break from the noise and heat at the Kidza Lounge, with such relaxing activities as coloring books and reading in the shade.
- Lifeway Art & Play: Lifeway Kefir offers a fun tent with such activities as yoga, dancing, free probiotic Lifeway ProBugs and Lifeway Kefir, a selfie station and more.
- Collaboraction for Social Change Peace, Love and Magic Tent: This air-conditioned theater tent offers three interactive shows per day.
- Hip-Hop House Party: Stop by for hip hop workshops that teach kids how to Rap, Scratch, Beatbox and more.
- Rhythm Revolution Drum Zone: Get your passport stamped and get your groove on with facilitated drumming circles every day at the Drum Zone.
- Macaroni KID Totes: Decorate customized tote bags using fabric markers, paints, stencils and more.
- Mind Trix with the Museum of Illusions: Stop by for eye-fooling illusions, puzzles, coloring and more - and while you're at it, maybe learn a little about vision, perception and the brain.
- Ice Cream Social: This vintage ice cream truck serves all the best ice cream treats from Good Humor Bars, Bomb Pops, and Snow Cones to local favorite, Pretty Cool popsicles.
What to bring to a festival with children
Taking your kids to any loud and crowded space can be stressful, but with careful planning, Lollapalooza can be both fun and safe for parents and children alike.
- Expect the unexpected: Prepare for everything that could go wrong before you arrive and have plans in place, including:
- Create a daily itinerary, including what stages you plan to visit and the times you plan to visit them as well as a specific meet-up location and time for the end of the day, and save that itinerary as the background screen on your phone to keep from draining battery when you look at it.
- Visit the Tag-a-Kid booth at Kidzapalooza to register your child for an ID bracelet in case you get separated.
- Bring the essentials: Pack phone chargers, sun screen, water bottles, rain gear, comfortable shoes, ear plugs or hearing-protection earmuffs and whatever else you might need for a full day outside.
- Bags: Make sure your bags meet festival requirements; all containers must be see-through and no larger than 12x12x6 inches.
Additional experiences & lounge options at Lollapalooza
- General Admission: There are a number of options available with your General Admission ticket.
- GA+: A GA+ ticket includes the following additional options:
- VIP: For that extra VIP experience, consider a VIP ticket with the following perks:
- Platinum: What’s more elite than VIP? Platinum.
- Cabanas: For an experience that’s made in the shade, a Cabana ticket includes the following:
Kid-friendly Chicago
For those families looking to make a full trip out of their Chicago visit, there are plenty of free, family-friendly activities in and around the city.
- Zoos: Chicago is home to both the Lincoln Park and Brookfield Zoos, of which the former is free to all every day of the year.
- Parks: There are several fun parks in the greater Chicago area, including Lincoln, Millenium, Hyde, Maggie Daley, and Grant Park, all of which are free and open to the public.
- Museums: Many of Chicago’s world-class museums offer free admission on at least some days each month, including the Adler Planetarium, Art Institute of Chicago, DuSable Black History Museum and Education Center, Field Museum, Hyde Park Art Center, Jane Addams Hull-House Museum, Museum of Contemporary Art, Museum of Contemporary Photography, National Museum of Mexican Art, Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum, Smart Museum of Art and more.
The bottom line
So, is Lollapalooza kid friendly? It certainly can be. From all the music and activities in Kidzapalooza to the many family-friendly options at the larger festival, Lollapalooza offers lots of fun for the whole family. While it is important to plan ahead to avoid mishaps, Lollapalooza can be a fun-filled day (or weekend) your kids will remember for years to come.