Go behind the scenes of Lollapalooza with an exclusive fan experience

Key Takeaways

• Airbnb is offering an exclusive backstage experience at Lollapalooza with music festival veteran Tim Sweetwood, giving fans rare access to artist compounds, production zones, and hidden corners of the festival.
  
  
• Out-of-state travelers are flocking to Chicago this Lollapalooza, with searches up almost 20 percent—and listings are still available to book.
  
  
• During Lollapalooza 2025, local Chicago hosts collectively earned over $6.4 million by welcoming guests from around the world.
  
  

This year, Airbnb is taking fans behind-the-scenes at Lollapalooza. Through an exclusive Airbnb Experience, guests can go backstage with Tim Sweetwood—a pioneering force in the live music world and the founder behind Shaky Knees Music Festival, Oceans Calling, Country Calling, Boardwalk Rock, Sea.Hear.Now, and more—for rare access to the parts of the festival most fans only dream about, from artist compounds and production zones to the hidden corners that make the magic happen. Fans can also catch live sets at the new Airbnb stage, with performances from fan-favorite artists all weekend long.

Lollapalooza is bringing more visitors to Chicago this year, with fans already planning their trips for the festival weekend, and the demand has translated into real impact for the local community:

• Out-of-state travelers are making a weekend of it, with their searches up almost 20%.¹
• Gen Z is showing strong interest with searches up 15%.²
• Chicago hosts collectively earned over $6.4 million during last year’s festival weekend alone.³

“Live music has become one of the biggest drivers of travel today, and Lollapalooza is a perfect example, bringing fans from across the country and around the world to Chicago every summer. Through our global partnership, we’re giving guests access to something truly special: exclusive backstage experiences at one of the world’s most iconic festivals, paired with everything they need to make their time in the city just as memorable as the music.” - Juan David Borrero, Global Head of Partnerships and Business Development at Airbnb

With listings still available across the city, including in neighborhoods well outside Chicago’s traditional hotel corridors, there’s still time to find the perfect home base for the weekend. In fact, over 70 percent of census tracts in Chicago are home to Airbnb listings but no hotels, expanding opportunities to earn for more residents across the city.

When the music stops, the fun doesn’t have to. Between sets and before the next act, Airbnb Experiences and Services give festival-goers the perfect way to fill their downtime and go deeper into everything Chicago has to offer. Guests can recharge with an authentic Thai massage or gather the crew for a private dinner at their Airbnb with Chef Pasquale, a personal chef with 21 years of experience serving up authentic Italian cooking. And when they’re ready to explore, there’s no shortage of ways to make the most of the city:

• Enjoy Spanish Tapas and Live Flamenco: Guests will savor four Spanish tapas crafted by a Michelin Star restaurant chef, then watch and join a live flamenco performance.
  
  
• Chicago’s Sweetest Sights: Donuts, Coffee and More: This experience takes guests through the city’s food culture, hitting its best donut stops, including Doughnut Vault, plus other popular spots such as Do-Rite.
  
  
• Make Mexican Mole Sauce from Scratch: Guests will learn ancestral smoking techniques and prepare a traditional family mole recipe, then sit down to enjoy it.
  
  
• Walkin’ With Colin Chicago Tour du Jour: This walking tour uncovers the history, art, and iconic architecture of The Loop, ending at Millennium Park.
  
  
• Paint Your Own Street Art at Studio WIP: Guests will get hands-on with local street artists at this Uptown studio and leave with a finished canvas.
  
  

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¹Based on Airbnb internal data for searches completed in Q1 2026 for stays in Chicago, IL with check in dates 7/29 – 8/3, 2026, compared to searches completed in Q1 2025 for stays in Chicago, IL with check in dates 7/30-8/4, 2025 by out-of-state travelers.

²Based on Airbnb internal data for searches completed in Q1 2026 for stays in Chicago, IL with check in dates 7/29 – 8/3, 2026, compared to searches completed in Q1 2025 for stays in Chicago, IL with check in dates 7/30-8/4, 2025 by Gen Z travelers.

³Based on internal Airbnb data of total host earnings in Chicago, IL, for bookings 7/30-8/4, 2025.

Airbnb was born in 2007 when two hosts welcomed three guests to their San Francisco home, and has since grown to over 5.5 million hosts who have welcomed over 2.5 billion guest arrivals in almost every country across the globe. Every day, hosts offer unique stays, experiences, and services that make it possible for guests to connect with communities in a more authentic way.