Saturday Delayed the Third Day of Lollapalooza 2026, Pushing Back the Festival's Opening by About Three Hours As Crews Worked

Rain that flooded Chicago overnight and continued into Saturday delayed the third day of Lollapalooza 2026, pushing back the festival's opening by about three hours as crews worked to clean up Grant Park. The downpours left the grounds muddy but navigable by the time gates opened at 3 p. m., though the delay forced organizers to cancel some performances and shorten others. Despite the weather, two of the day's standout sets went off without a hitch: headliner Olivia Dean and rising star Sienna Spiro.

Dean, who won the Grammy for Best New Artist in February, took the T-Mobile stage and marveled at her rapid ascent. "This is so crazy, she told the crowd, which stretched to the back of the park. She noted that her first headlining show in Chicago last year drew about 1,500 people.

"To be headlining this year is just crazy and truthfully I've been crying all day because I just feel so privileged to do this, she added. Dean also made history on Friday when her collaboration with Sam Fender, "Rein Me In, set a new U. K. record for the longest-running Number One single, spending 19 weeks atop the chart. That surpassed Frankie Laine's "I Believe, which held the record for more than 70 years with 18 weeks at No. 1. To celebrate, Dean brought out Fender as a surprise guest during her headlining set on Saturday to perform the hit together.