10 Lollapalooza '26 Artists You Should Know About
- 3 days ago
- 4 min read
Words by Joshua Reynes
On Tuesday, March 17th, Lollapalooza announced its 2026 lineup. The seminal Chicago music festival is slated to take place from July 30th to August 2nd. Headliners include cult classic Charli XCX, 'Best New Artist'-incumbent Olivia Dean, Chicago legends The Smashing Pumpkins, and Naperville’s EDM titan John Summit.
The festival, known for its eclectic roster, spans artists from hip-hop, folk, rock, pop, indie, or maybe something in between. Across eight stages, the whole weekend is also marked by Chicago as a hub for live music—across dozens of venues in the city, pres and afters pop up. Here's what Small Talks suggests you invest in now, so come summertime, you know all the lyrics and are ready to celebrate what many acts’ Lolla debuts.
2025’s Choke Enough is dance music with a quiet edge. French art-pop star Oklou has carved a name for herself with absence. Her no-drums approach is a breath of fresh air in a noisy world. Oklou’s NTS Session was performed on an ice rink with a troupe of skaters dancing around her—done with an effortless nature that is ethereal, undulating, and raw.
We’re so back. Slayyyter’s entire rollout for her first major label effort “Wor$t Girl in America” finds her getting back to the unhinged and abrasive oeuvre of her self-released 2019 mixtape—this time with a newfound prowess. “CRANK”, without a doubt, will go crazy in the crowd.
Consisting of Graham Epstein and Justine Dorsey, LA-based pop duo After was one of my favorite discoveries of 2025. Dorsey’s lead vocals are fully arresting: controlled vocal flips and a belt that feels piercing and palpable. Epstein’s trip-hop instrumentation takes the well-loved formula and reinjects optimism into it for a doomerist world. Some may ascribe the sound to creature comforts of days past, but trust, After provides a new texture that is decidedly now.
Australian electronic powerhouse Ninajirachi is setting a course for Lollapalooza. The ARIA Award winner’s affinity for the mechanical and chaotic is reflected in her introductory LP, “I Love My Computer”. Aligned with fellow performing acts and collaborators Frost Children, Alison Wonderland, and HorsegiirL, Ninajirachi’s unique brand of what she’s coined “girl EDM”, introduces a much-needed facet to a scene where narratives are often male-dominated. Her feverish production and exacting DJ-style is euphoric and liberating to watch from home—wanting to see that in a crowd only makes sense.
I saw Geese at their free impromptu Brooklyn show to celebrate the release of their breakout album, “Getting Killed”. It felt like BROCKHAMPTON 2017 out there: unfiltered youthful joy and the inclination to pick a bias (Emily, but Cameron wrecks). While their rise to fame may seem overnight, they truly are such a unified band and play like one. Memes be damned, Geese really is an act worth seeing.
Notorious American Idol auditionee Mary “Guilbeaux” Roach once described her style as “pop rock meets Broadway meets jazz and R&B.” While that spectrum isn’t entirely represented in their artistic tapestry, the way WHATMORE’s music is actualized doesn’t make the statement seem that far-fetched. The New York-based alternative hip-hop five-piece is the result of years of collaboration—when seemingly disparate tastes and influences unite in a warm embrace. Their savvy visual language online has drawn fans in, and the desire for transparency in the arts remains central. WHATMORE is the gift that keeps on giving; this year, they’ll take to Coachella in the spring and Lolla in the summer to reap the fruits of their labor.
Spotted: Audrey Hobert in Logan Square speed-running the “My Weekend as a 28-Year-Old in Chicago” TikTok challenge before her set. Not actually (we’re one year off from that). The 27-year-old pop laureate's sense of humor makes me laugh so often. Her debut, “Who’s the Clown?” soundtracked the back half of our team’s 2025 well into 2026—some may even say a pop bible. Her stage presence is vulnerable, incisive, and relatable above all else. If you do anything, witness the gonzo stylings of auteur Audrey Hobert.
Jadagrace and SWIM have such a knockout back-and-forth in their recorded music; it only makes sense that PARTYOF2’s live show would mirror it. The duo, made up of former members of hip hop quartet Grouptherapy, had their first outing at Camp Flog Gnaw Festival last August. On the festival’s official TikTok, a live rendition of their viral hit “JUST DANCE 2” was clipped. The general sentiment of its comments was “the crowd didn’t deserve” and “if I were there, I’d be dancing.” For shame! City of Chicago, show them how it’s done.
I almost forgot that this is what it’s all about. LA-based band Kim Theory was founded in the riot grrrl ethos. The teen punk slayers launched their first EP, “Bitch Scene” in November of last year. Now, they’re taking to Grant Park to broadcast their pop culture-infused lo-fi arrangements. It’s high energy and fizzy in a way a “part-time band, full-time friends” could.
Nearly 10 years ago, it was considered the butt of a joke on ‘Stan Twitter’ to stan Zara Larsson, how times have changed. If footage from her sold-out theatre tour wasn’t enough, this is definitely going to be a highly attended set. Larsson has always been renowned, especially in her homeland of Sweden, but to see the bulk of her discography gain renewed interest stateside is extremely vindicating to many. Get your asymmetric hems and keychain belts on, and brush up on the “Lush Life” dance—it could be you!
Often regarded as the “Coachella of the Midwest”, Lollapalooza has hosted hundreds of thousands each year since finding its permanent home each summer in downtown Chicago’s Grant Park in 2005. It continues to break festival records. Chappell Roan’s 2024 daytime set was reportedly attended by 110,000 fans—not just a daytime programming high, but the biggest in festival history.
It’s no secret that social media platforms, like TikTok, have redefined discovery habits and artist-listener relationships, but stages like Lollapalooza prove that in-person connection and live music have no parallel. If you get the chance to attend a day, be on your best behavior during the sets, have fun, and take care of each other. Hopefully we’ll see you there!
Tickets to Lollapalooza are available at lollapalooza.com
Joshua Reynes is the Head of Content & Creative for Small Talks Magazine. He can be reached at @jreyreyj on Instagram. For more work, see joshuaereynes.com.
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