July 29--Music fans are paying more for Lollapalooza passes in the resale market compared to last year, as the three-day festival continues to be a destination for tourists.
The average cost for a three-day Lollapalooza pass in the secondary market is $402, up nearly 13 percent from $357 last year, according to data from SeatGeek, a search engine for resale tickets. The annual fest returns to Grant Park Friday-Sunday with headliners Paul McCartney, Metallica and Florence + the Machine.
Saturday's lineup, which includes Metallica, Sam Smith and Kid Cudi, appears to be the biggest draw. The average cost of a Saturday pass is $183 compared to $174 for a Friday pass and $138 for a Sunday pass, according to SeatGeek. An estimated 300,000 concertgoers are expected at the festival this weekend.
Early-bird Lollapalooza passes that cost $250 for the three days sold out in less than an hour when they went on sale in March. VIP and platinum three-day passes, which offer access to the Lolla Lounge, air-conditioned bathrooms and golf cart transportation, are still for sale on lollapalooza.com for $1,850 and $3,600, respectively.
SeatGeek content analyst Chris Leyden said while Lollapalooza is one of the largest music events this year in Chicago it doesn't compare price-wise to the 50th anniversary Grateful Dead shows earlier this month at Soldier Field. The average cost to attend the band's three shows, billed as the final time the remaining core members of the Dead would play together, was $1,115, Leyden said.
Both the Dead and Lollapalooza attracted out-of-state crowds. Of those who have searched for Lollapalooza passes, 42 percent live in Illinois and 8 percent live in Wisconsin, Leyden said. Concertgoers from Indiana, Ohio and Michigan round out the top five with 5 percent each.
