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Jennie set to headline Lollapalooza festival in Chicago

Published: 18 Mar. 2026, 12:03 Updated: 18 Mar. 2026, 19:38

LIM JEONG-WON
[email protected]

Jennie of girl group Blackpink performs during the first weekend of the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival at the Empire Polo Club on April 13 in Indio, California. [AP/YONHAP]

Jennie of K-pop girl group Blackpink will headline this year's Lollapalooza, organizers said Tuesday, as four K-pop acts prepare to take the stage at the major U.S. music festival.

The 2026 edition of the event is scheduled to run from July 30 to Aug. 2 at Grant Park in Chicago. Jennie is set to share the headlining spotlight with a diverse roster of artists, including Charli XCX, Tate McRae, Lorde, Olivia Dean, John Summit, The Smashing Pumpkins and The xx.

While Jennie has previously performed at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival — appearing with Blackpink in 2019 and 2023, and as a solo artist in April last year — this marks her debut at Lollapalooza.

After starting her solo career in November 2018, Jennie has seen mainstream and critical success with her most recent album “Ruby” (2025) and song “Like Jennie” (2025), which was the most streamed K-pop song on Spotify in the first half of 2025.

Other K-pop acts joining this year's lineup include girl groups aespa and i-dle, as well as rookie boy group Cortis, bringing the total number of acts from the industry to perform at the festival to four.

aespa, having debuted in 2020, is popular for songs like “Black Mamba” (2020), “Next Level” (2021), “Savage” (2021), “Armageddon” (2024) and “Supernova” (2024).

i-dle debuted in 2018 as (G)I-DLE before changing its name in May last year. The group is known for songs like "Tomboy" (2022), "Queencard" (2023) and "Klaxon" (2024).

Cortis debuted on Aug. 18 last year, as the latest boy band from BTS's agency BigHit Music. It released its first EP, "Color Outside the Lines," on Sept. 8 the same year.

BY LIM JEONG-WON, YONHAP [[email protected]]