Lollapalooza 2012 Concert / Music Festival Aug 3–5, 2012

Running for three, music-packed days in Chicago every August, Lollapalooza is a massive outdoor music festival that routinely draws more than 160,000 people to Grant Park.

Originally conceived by Jane's Addiction singer Perry Farrell, Lollapalooza initially ran for six years and toured all over North America. The event was put on hold from 1997–2003, but has since found a permanent home in Chicago, as well as expanded to several sister events in Europe and South America.

Diverse acts performing in a broad range of styles can always be found at Lollapalooza, so it would be very difficult for visitors not to find at least one band in attendance that they love. Past Lollapalooza performers have included the Beastie Boys, Coldplay, Stone Temple Pilots, Depeche Mode, deadmau5, Foo Fighters, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Pearl Jam, The Cure, Primus, The Killers, Rage Against the Machine, Arcade Fire, Nine Inch Nails, The Smashing Pumpkins, Muse, Alice in Chains, Björk, MGMT, Foster the People, Tool, Hole, Body Count, Ice-T, Queens of the Stone Age, The Drums, The Strokes, Arctic Monkeys, Calvin Harris, Thenewno2, Fishbone, Butthole Surfers, and Lady Gaga.

And that’s just getting started.

Despite its popularity, Lollapalooza has not been without its critics. Originally developed as a showcase for "non-mainstream” acts, organizers faced criticism when Metallica was added to the lineup in 1996. Past years have also witnessed sudden declines in overall attendance, much of which was largely blamed by fans on what were considered to be inflated ticket prices.

Recent years, however, have witnessed Lollapalooza selling out well in advance, so it’s wise to grab tickets early if you know you’re going to be in town. Lollapalooza tickets usually start at around $200–$230 for a three-day pass, with individual day passes around $95.