Lollapalooza

Why did Tyler, the Creator cancel his Lollapalooza Chicago performance and others?

The Grant Park event shared news of the rapper's cancellation Thursday, revealing a big-name replacement.

NBC Universal, Inc. File photo

Tyler, the Creator was slated to headline Lollapalooza's 2024 Chicago festival, but unexpectedly pulled out of the fest a little over a month before he was set to perform -- and that wasn't the only major event he canceled.

So what happened?

The Grant Park event shared news of the rapper's cancellation Thursday, revealing few details on why he pulled out of the event, but noting a big-name replacement.

"Unfortunately, Tyler, the Creator will not be able to perform this year," the festival said in a Facebook post. "See Megan Thee Stallion headline Lolla on Thursday, August 1st!"

And it turns out Lollapalooza wasn't the only festival losing the headliner.

The announcement on the major Lolla lineup change came minutes after Tyler, the Creator posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, that he would no longer be playing at the iconic Chicago festival, or Outside Lands, set to take place in San Francisco one week after Lollapalooza.

"I hate saying this but I have to cancel Lollapalooza and Outside Lands," the social media post read in part. "I made a commitment that I can no longer keep, and that bums me out knowing how excited folks were."

He noted the move is "not sexy at all" and asked fans to forgive him, but offered little explanation behind the cancellation.

The lineup for the Chicago festival was originally announced in March, with headliners including SZA; Blink-182; Tyler, the Creator; The Killers; Future X; Metro Boomin; Hozier; Stray Kids; Melanie Martinez and Skrillex.

Days after the lineup announcement, tickets went on sale, and daily lineups and stages released that same month. A full list of the 2024 performers can be found here.

Many responded to the announcement with disappointment.

"This is not an equal trade," one Facebook comment read, followed by others asking about refunds.

Others, however, welcomed the change.

"Lineup just got better," one Instagram commenter wrote.

The festival did not immediately respond to NBC Chicago's request for comment and details on potential refunds weren't immediately released.

This year marks Lollapalooza's 20th anniversary in Chicago. The festival, which began its Chicago run in 2005, takes place this year Aug. 1-4.

The company behind the festival most recently agreed to another 10-year contract with Chicago, meaning the four-day music event will be in the city for at least another decade. Under the terms of the contract, the maximum number of attendees for the festival at any time can't exceed 115,000. 

In 2023, Lollapalooza hosted around 40 performers each day - including a number of big names. Headliners included Kendrick Lamar, Billie Eilish and the Red Hot Chili Peppers.

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