Photo: Barry Brecheisen/Getty Images
Lollapalooza was a diva convention. The best, buzziest, and overall most exciting acts this year were all young women who dominated their stage. Even Courtney Love, who didn’t perform, was so excited by what she saw that she was compelled to go on her Instagram and make a video praising the thrilling new generation of performers. “What a doozy, man,” she said. “The kids are all right.” Below, find our favorite divas, cool girls, and rock gods to enjoy in the post-festival glow.
During the Brat era, Charli XCX arrived at Coachella wearing a sash that read, “Miss Should Be Headliner.” (It was funny!) As a Lolla headliner, she made the most of it. Arguably the standout set of the entire festival, her set was grimy and dark, featuring songs off her new album, Music, Fashion, Film, for the first time with a permanent snarl. But the highlight came during her performance of “House,” off the Wuthering Heights soundtrack. As she growled the electronic dirge, planned pyrotechnics went off and unplanned rain began to fall. It was dramatic and perfectly in tune with the track. “I control the weather,” Charli said when she posted the song. We believe it.
The day before Charli XCX played her own headlining set, she came out for another headlining set. Lorde, the subject of Charli’s song “Girl, so confusing” and co-conspirator on its remix, brought out Charli for the performance. In a set filled with highlights (“Broken Glass” was a personal favorite, but the crowd went insane for “Ribs” and “David”), “Girl, so confusing” was especially triumphant for its joint power.
Tate McRae knows how to end a set. The finale of her headlining set was her Pussycat Dolls–esque hit “Sports Car,” which featured particularly intense choreo for the former So You Think You Can Dance competitor. She ended it by slowly slinking into a vat of gold, then posing while covered in liquid lamé. It was the kind of defining performance image that aspiring Main Pop Girls dream of.
Tate McRae delivers an insane performance of “Sports Car” while closing out her Lollapalooza headlining set ★ pic.twitter.com/m539i4zS8W
— Tate McRae Tour & Updates (@t8mcraetours) August 3, 2026
Olivia Rodrigo may be having the best year of her career, but she was not on the original Lollapalooza lineup. But … there was a legendary rock band, Smashing Pumpkins, on the schedule and where legendary rock bands go, Olivia Rodrigo follows. The band brought Rodrigo out to perform their song “Thirty-Three,” from the band’s 1995 record, Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness. Smashing Pumpkins also brought out Hole’s Melissa Auf der Maur and Yungblud.
Lollapalooza was 2026 Best New Artist winner Olivia Dean’s first time headlining a festival in the U.S., and she brought out 97,000 people for her set. The peak, unsurprisingly, was her everlasting hit, “Man I Need,” which she performed with ebullience and grace. This won’t be her last time headlining over here.
K-pop group Aespa is brash by nature, releasing songs with punchy lyrics and heavy on the bass. At their debut Lolla set, the group demonstrated tight choreo, clean lines, and a clear vision. Their black-and-white outfits were cohesive and their naturally high energy was bolstered by band-focused instrumentation. The standout of the group was Ningning, who executed the dance on a high level while animating her face. It was nice to see a K-pop group blend seamlessly into the Western-heavy lineup without losing their individuality.
One of the most interesting pop stars to watch the past two years has been Zara Larsson. In 2026, she figured out her niche and become a legit Main Pop Girl, as proven by her set. She danced, she sang, she got hoisted in the air, and she performed “Lush Life” with a fan. It was the kind of bubbly, chipper performance you can expect from Larsson with all the professionalism her time in the industry would entail. And somehow she makes it all look easy.
Despite all these amazing divas’ success, there was, ultimately, a winner of the festival. Slayyyter scored big before she even stepped onstage: Ahead of her performance, Lollapalooza upgraded her from side stage to a main stage, per Stereogum. (For context, the same thing happened to Chappell Roan in 2024, and look at her now.) Slayyyter immediately made the change worth it. In denim cutoffs adorned with fishing lures, she was at once messy and hedonistic and also appropriately polished. Her voice sounded bright and clear on “Dance,” and she was ferociously trashy on “Crank.” 2026 remains the year of Slayyyter.
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