Chappell Roan Pulls Biggest Daytime Crowd in Lollapalooza History, Festival Organizers Say

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Chappell Roan’s reign as the next major pop star has only begun and she may have just broken a major record to prove it.

Last weekend, the 26-year-old singer took the stage at the Lollapalooza music festival in Chicago, Illinois. Her daylight, non-headlining performance drew a massive and unprecedented crowd to Grant Park to watch her perform her singles such as “Pink Pony Club,” “Hot To Go,” and “Good Luck, Babe!”

“Chappell’s performance was the biggest daytime set we’ve ever seen. It was a magical moment added to Lolla’s DNA,” said a spokesperson for Lollapalooza to CNN.

The spokesperson did not provide an exact figure for the fans in attendance for Roan’s set, but told the network that 110,000 people attended the festival each day for its 2024 edition.

Sources close to the singer also told CNN that the crowd rivaled other headliners at the festival—which included Blink 182, The Killers, SZA, Megan Thee Stallion, and Melanie Martinez. They also added that it may be Lollapalooza’s biggest set of all time, in any country that the festival has expanded to.

Roan was originally scheduled to perform at a smaller stage at Lollapalooza. As seen in the massive crowds she’s drawn on the festival circuit including Coachella, Boston Calling, and New York City’s Gov Ball, Chappell was bumped onto the mainstage, swapping spots with Kesha, 37.

Other highly attended acts in Lollapalooza history include Korean rapper J-Hope of BTS, who pulled a crowd of 100,000 fans for his solo set in 2022, per Billboard. According to Korean news agency Yonhap, K-Pop girl group NewJeans pulled over 70,000 fans during their 5pm performance slot last year.

Known for her eclectic drag queen aesthetic and unapologetically queer lyrics, Roan’s journey to the limelight wasn’t an easy one.

As explained by Vox’s Constance Grady, Roan, Born Kayleigh Amstutz, she grew up in conservative Missouri and found success on YouTube. She was signed to Atlantic Records when she was merely 17-years-old and released an EP titled School Nights that year.

Her musical style shifted following a move to Los Angeles in 2018 where she was able to embrace her queer identity and collaborated with producer Dan Nigro to develop her sound. She was dropped from Atlantic following the release of “Pink Pony Club.” She also experienced a breakup from a long-time boyfriend shortly after, and was forced to move back to her hometown in Missouri.

Despite the setbacks, “Pinky Pony Club” became a viral success on TikTok and Roan moved back to L.A. in 2021. She gained a major cult following after releasing more music independently and following a stint opening for Olivia Rodrigo’s Sour Tour in 2022.

Roan is now signed to Amusement Records in partnership with Island Records in which she released her debut album, The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess, last September.

The singer now has six songs occupying the Billboard Hot 100 chart for the week of August 10, including “Good Luck, Babe!” at No. 8, “Hot to Go!” at No. 26, and “Pink Pony Club” at No. 42. Her other singles such as “Red Wine Supernova” and “Casual” appear below the top 50.