Documentary in the making: "Lolla: The Story of Lollapalooza"

It may not be your favourite festival, but Lollapalooza's fame and prominence in the history of music festivals since its inception more than 30 years ago is unquestionable. Perhaps that's why it has been announced that a three part documentary title “Lolla: The Story of Lollapalooza'' is in the making and will eventually be released via Paramount+.

The docuseries will be directed by John Warren and it will explore the evolution of the festival founded in 1991 by Jane’s Addiction leader Perry Ferrell. From its first edition in Chicago, to the other Lollapaloozas that have been appearing over the years in cities such as Sao Paulo, Buenos Aires, Berlin, Paris and Stockholm.

“As a naive teenager trapped in the doldrums of Suburbia, U.S.A, I attended the first-ever Lollapalooza, and it totally blew my mind,” said John Warren in a press statement. “It was dangerous, beautiful and instantly widened my perspective.” 

“When Lolla was launched in 1991, the concert industry felt like a boring car ride that was running out of gas,” said Ferrell in a shared statement about the documentary. “We pumped new life into the live music experience and set the foundation for the youth’s counterculture to become important and exciting again. Now more than three decades young, I am happy to have this opportunity to give people an inside look at the festival’s contribution to music history.”

A release date has not yet been announced. However, while we impatiently wait you can check this article out to read more about Lollapalooza and the origin of its catchy name!

Cover photograph by Roger Ho