Lollapalooza, one of the United States’ premier music festivals, has announced its first annual European event. Lollapalooza Berlin will take place at the German capital’s Tempelhof Airport from 12 to 13 September 2015.
William Morris, Lolla’s current owner, said it had been “intimidated” by Europe’s “rich festival history”. But after “very carefully consider[ing]” the cultural landscape, it identified Berlin as a city that is “ready to explode”.
With Berlin as potential tinder, William Morris and promoter C3 Presents partnered with an experienced co-presenter: UK-based Festival Republic, which currently presents the Reading and Leeds festivals. Melvin Benn, the boss for Reading and Leeds, will again be involved here.
Founded in 1991 by Jane’s Addiction frontman Perry Farrell, Lollapalooza was initially presented as a celebration of alternative culture, mixing edgy rock and hip-hop with circus sideshows, performance art and political installations. It has mellowed with age, profits and corporate supervision, but continues to attract hundreds of thousands of fans to its flagship event in Chicago and to a newer, touring series in South America. Artists that have played the festival include Foo Fighters, Smashing Pumpkins, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Beastie Boys, Nine Inch Nails, Björk and Coldplay.
Details of the inaugural festival in Berlin, including headliners and ticket prices, will be unveiled at a later time. Meanwhile, Jack White and Robert Plant are rumoured to be performing at Lolla’s upcoming South American shows, which take place in Santiago, Buenos Aires and São Paulo during March 2015.
