Summer, Songs, and Surprises: Inside Lollapalooza Berlin 2024!
On the weekend of September 8th and 9th, 2024, the Lollapalooza festival returned to the Olympic Stadium and Olympic Park in Berlin for its eighth year, delivering two days of unforgettable musical experiences. Featuring over 30 artists across various genres, the festival attracted thousands of attendees from Germany and beyond. One of the best things about festivals is the opportunity to see multiple artists in a short amount of time. Another perk is the chance to discover acts you’ve never heard of. Like many Lolla attendees, I had an agenda of artists I wanted to see, but I also stumbled upon others I hadn’t known before – and let me tell you: I wasn’t disappointed.
One such artist was Henry Moodie, a British pop singer-songwriter. He opened his set by joking: “I’ve got a lot of happy songs and some sad songs. Mostly sad songs to be honest. Hence my surname Moodie. It’s all over the place.”. I can confirm that his set was indeed a blend of heartbreaking slow ballads like “The Old Me” and equally heartbreaking songs but the ones that make you want to dance. My personal favourite was the (at this point) unreleased song “The Good Old Days”. Not only did Henry enchant the audience with his music but also with his playful banter and his charming personality.
Of course, no festival in Germany would be complete without German artists. One of the country’s current favourites is the rising German indie-pop band Jeremias.
With tunes Jeremias themselves describes as “disco-funk” the band spread summer vibes on stage to help us savour the last moments of August. Lead singer Jeremias Heimbach rallied the crowd, assuring us we could face the coming winter together with their song “Wir haben den Winter überlebt.”. The band also performed the song “Meer”, which was released the day prior, making this its first live performance since its release. “Lollapalooza, this is a very special moment for us,” Jeremias told the crowd. Despite the 30-degree heat, Jeremias kept the energy high and animated the crowd to dance, jump, and vibe along until the dust on the ground stirred up.
While speaking of German artists, I have to mention the current queen herself, Shirin David. I never listened to her before, but her Lollapalooza performance was one of my personal highlights. The female rapper delivered several of her empowering songs like “Lächel doch mal” accompanied by synchronised choreographies. However, when she left the stage, many fans, were left wanting more and even disappointed. The crowd was eagerly waiting for her latest single “Bauch, Beine, Po”, the official German summer anthem of 2024 and currently number two in the German charts. She soon returned to perform it, to the delight of her fans, twice – once with a surprise guest, rapper Ski Aggu, and again with a fan she brought on stage. The crowd, including me, went wild – it was unpredictable, fun and unforgettable to be a part of.
Another highly anticipated act on Saturday was Louis Tomlinson who has been making the rounds on festivals this summer. Fans queued at the barricade all day in the heat just to see their favourite artist from the front row and maybe even get a chance to touch him during his walk along the barricade.
The whole audience was cheering and welcoming him. The excitement was palpable the seconds before he hit the stage. His set was packed with many of his energetic, rock-influenced tracks like “Kill My Mind” or “Face the Music”, and, of course, One Direction songs like “Drag Me Down” and my favourite “Where Do Broken Hearts Go” – simply a setlist which animated you to dance and sing along.
OneRepublic closed the first festival day with a performance showcasing their two-decade-long discography. They kicked off with their single from Top Gun: Maverick “I Ain’t Worried”, setting the tone for an energetic concert. The set featured nostalgic classics like “Secrets”, “Stop and Stare”, and “Good Life”, which transported me right back to middle school days when they climbed the charts. Lead singer Ryan Tedder also mixed things up with acoustic covers of songs he wrote for other artists, including “Halo”, “Lose Somebody”, and “Bleeding Love”. Overall, their show was an electrifying experience for both fans or just casual listeners which made everyone feel like they were a part of it.
Saturday was packed with amazing acts, but Sunday was just as fun. The first act I caught was the singer Mine whose performance took me by surprise. She describes her sound as „German folk with hip-hop, jazz, and electronic elements” and her politically charged lyrics were especially powerful. My favourite was „Unfall“, a song that questions who gets to decide the distribution of wealth and highlights the injustices of the world.
On Sunday, we were treated to yet another ex-One Direction member: Niall Horan, who closed the European leg of his The Show: Live on Tour before heading to Latin America. For fans of German reality TV (me), his opening song „Nice to Meet Ya“ was a special treat since it happens to be the Theme of the show Are You The One. Tracks like “Save My Life”, “Black and White”, and “Heartbreak Weather”, had the whole crowd dancing and singing along. While “This Town” is not my favourite of Niall, I have to admit it was incredibly moving to see the entire crowd swaying and singing along to the Irish singer’s first big hit back when he went solo — I even shed a tear (maybe even multiple).
The mix between German artists and other international artists is nothing new for Lollapalooza. However, this year something else has been introduced: K-Pop. The Korean boy group Seventeen headlined the festival making them the first K-Pop group to ever play this festival and making it one of their only concerts in Europe. Their one-and-a-half-hour set was packed with songs influenced by hip-hop, R&B, and electronic elements, as well as intricate choreography, making it the highlight of many of their dedicated fans, also known as Carats. I, myself, have never been into K-pop but the joy of everyone around me dancing with their Caratbong was contagious, which made it a unique experience for me.
However, the queuing situation for Seventeen’s performance was quite the issue. Fans camped in front of the stage from the moment the festival opened, enduring 30-degree heat with no shade. This was not only dangerous but also frustrating for other fans who couldn’t get close to see different artists. Sadly, I missed out on performances by the German rapper Cro and the British rock band Nothing but Thieves due to this crowding issue. If Lollapalooza should decide to invite similar fan favourites next year, they’ll need to revise crowd management for safety and fairness. One positive aspect of that matter was the awareness speaker, who went on stage before every act and reminded visitors to stay hydrated, be mindful of their surroundings, and avoid pushing.
The festival’s final act was Sam Smith, closing both Lollapalooza and their GLORIA: the tour. They started with well-known heartfelt ballads such as “Stay with Me”, “I’m Not the Only One”, and “To Good at Goodbyes”, delivering a performance full of emotions and vocal power. The second half of their set shifted to more upbeat and electronic-dance-music tunes like “Promises”, “How Do You Sleep at Night”, and “Latch”. The grand finale, “Unholy”, was a showstopper, which I like to describe to my friends as an “out-of-body experience”. “This tour is about one thing. Freedom”, Smith told the crowd. The performance was not only a concert but an act of liberation celebrating how Smith broke free from gender norms after coming out as non-binary in 2019. Some might find the choreography and costumes controversial, but it felt like a statement of freedom and empowerment.
Beyond the music, the festival offered different interactive experiences such as Fashionpalooza, where several brand partners like Essence, Tic Tac, or Rockstar Energy set up fun activities, games, and giveaways. While waiting for the next act one could pass time by getting make-overs, playing games and winning fun prizes, or, like me, go on the hunt for some freebies. Of course, a wide selection of drinks and food stalls catered to all tastes, offering everything your heart desires from burritos and vegan Pad Thai to basil spritz and vegan Baumstriezl.
Overall, I would recommend this festival to any music lover even if only a few names on the line-up intrigue you. There is always someone new to discover, whether it’s a rising band or a surprise collaboration. The weekend was an incredibly fun way to wrap up the festival season of 2024. Lollapalooza Berlin 2024 was an exhilarating mix of well-known and emerging artists from various genres, including rock, techno, pop, and even K-pop, making the visit worthwhile. Now I can say that I saw both Seventeen and Sam Smith’s “Unholy” performance in one night – a pretty cool experience if you ask me.
Next year will mark the tenth anniversary of Lollapalooza in Germany and the tickets are already on sale. With such a milestone ahead, I’m sure they have some exciting plans in store.
Review by Meggie
Photos by Jan (Saturday) and Lollapalooza Crew (Sunday)