GRANT PARK — Arrests and hospitalizations were down for the fourth year in a row at Lollapalooza over the weekend, the first year the mega-fest expanded to welcome as many as 15,000 more fans to Grant Park each day.
Chicago police arrested 14 people, issued 14 citations and took 55 people to the hospital during the mega festival, according to an Office of Emergency Management and Communications news release.
Fifteen people were arrested in 2022, compared to 19 in 2021 and 31 in 2019. The event was canceled in 2020 because of the pandemic.
The number of Lollapalooza arrests and hospitalizations continue to decline even as the mega-fest increased daily capacity to 115,000 people this year, with a maximum attendance of 460,000.
Official attendance numbers have not been released, but four-day general admission passes to this year’s fest sold out, as did some days of the fest, including Sunday.
Check Out All of Block Club’s Lollapalooza Coverage
All arrests at this year’s event were for incidents including criminal trespassing and cell phone thefts, police said. The citations issued were for incidents involving trespassing and illegal peddling.
Last year, people were arrested on charges including theft, battery, trespass/obstructing identification, obstructing a peace officer, disorderly conduct, making a false police report, domestic battery and an issuance of a warrant, according to the Police Department.
In 2016 — the first time Lollapalooza increased to four days — the fest saw 268 people taken to area hospitals, according to the Tribune.
There have been fewer hospitalizations every year since, with 116 in 2019, 102 in 2021 and 68 in 2022, officials said.
Support Local News!
Subscribe to Block Club Chicago, an independent, 501(c)(3), journalist-run newsroom. Every dime we make funds reporting from Chicago’s neighborhoods. Already subscribe? Click here to gift a subscription, or you can support Block Club with a tax-deductible donation.
Listen to the Block Club Chicago podcast: