To enjoy Lollapalooza, avoid fake tickets and party responsibly

Leah Hope Image
Tuesday, August 1, 2017
To enjoy Lollapalooza, avoid fake tickets and party responsibly
Lollapalooza will kick off in Grant Park Thursday, but if you want to enjoy the festival you should avoid fake tickets and party responsibly.

CHICAGO (WLS) -- Lollapalooza, one of the world's largest music festivals, will kick off in Grant Park Thursday, but if you want to enjoy the four day festival organizers warn you should avoid fake tickets and party responsibly.

The stages are set. As opening day draws near, supplies, technology and security are all going into place for Lollapalooza 2017.

"You are going to see an increased presence in line with years past. We also have our camera network that's going to keep an eye on things as well," said Rich Guidice, Chicago Office of Emergency Management and Communication.

The four-day music festival features headliners Muse, The Killers, Arcade Fire and Chicago's own Chance the Rapper.

"It's really a year-long process. We start communicating back with them on after-action items, really, the first two days after the event leaves town, and that continues throughout the year," Guidice said.

With 100,000 people expect to attend the outdoor event each day, Chicago-area hospital staff are preparing to help those who may end up with health issues.

"It is a combination of heat-related emergencies, especially in the summer in Chicago, but also drug and alcohol related emergencies," said Dr. Patrick Lank, Northwestern Memorial Hospital.

Northwestern Memorial Hospital is adding more staff and educating those on duty about the likely scenarios.

"In younger people who attend the concert, who aren't used to drinking this much, drinking alcohol this much, they may consume more than they ever have before, so you see issues with hydration, with losing consciousness, or with injuring themselves," Lank said.

Organizers are also passing along a word of warning to those looking for last minute tickets, especially young people.

"If you're buying from Craigslist, you might as well buy it from somebody down the alley down a dark alley. You don't know who this person is, and you won't know until you get to the venue if it's a real ticket," said Steve Bernas of the Better Business Bureau of Northern Illinois.

The BBB finds millennials are now the most likely victims of scams overall. The president of BBB of Chicago and Northern Illinois urged young people tempted by re-sale offers to do their research.

Verified resale tickets are available on Lollapalooza.com for single day general admission tickets, and VIP and Platinum tickets and ticket packages are still for sale.

Click here for Lollapalooza's official 2017 tip and information sheet.

Street closures for the festival are also in place from Monday, July 31, through the end of the festival:

- Columbus Drive is closed between Monroe Street and Roosevelt Road

- Jackson Street is closed between Michigan Avenue and Columbus Drive

- Congress Avenue is closed from Michigan Avenue to Columbus Drive

- Balbo Avenue is closed between Michigan Avenue and Columbus Drive