Stockholm is finally getting to join in on the Lollapalooza experience, when the festival extravaganza takes over Gärdet for three days from the 28th to the 30th June. There’s so much to see and experience on the bill, but here are five we are looking forward to a little extra.
THE COOLEST TEENAGER IN THE WORLD
When Billie Eilish last visited Stockholm, she created chaos and had clearly outgrown her venue by the time she played there, even though she had already been moved to a bigger stage. Soon after that she released her debut album, which went to number one in numerous countries around the world, including the Billboard charts as well as the Swedish album chart. Suddenly it was not just the teenage fans, but everybody was talking about her. Dave Grohl of Foo Fighters has called her the future of rock’n’roll and thinks she is basically doing what Nirvana did in the 90s. She is the one you simply can’t miss on this festival, and the one people are travelling from other countries to see.
Tower Stage, 8pm on Friday the 28th June
THE SAD QUEEN OF THE SELFIE GENERATION
Lana Del Rey had her viral breakthrough in 2011 with the DIY-style video for Video Games, showcasing her sultry and seductive artistry. There was a bit of a backlash about how engineered that breakthrough was, but it has since been forgiven and forgotten, as Lana has come out with four albums worth of songs displaying a sadness that many can identify with. Don’t miss this larger than life pop persona.
Bay Stage, 9:15pm on Friday the 28th June
CLASSIC ROCK’S GREATEST HOPES
As rap and pop rule the charts, rock music has taken a bit of a backseat… Well the big rock bands of yesteryear are still drawing big stadium crowds on their nostalgic tours, but what about the new generation of rockers? Greta Van Fleet is that rare new generation rock band getting the listener all excited and bringing hope for a revival of classic rock in the vein of Led Zeppelin, sounding so familiar but still refreshingly different.
Tower Stage, 7:30pm on Saturday the 29th June
THE GENIUS RENAISSANCE WOMAN OF THE SWEDISH MUSIC SCENE
Laleh is the multi-talented singer, songwriter and producer who has to be ranked among the most impressive musical geniuses to hail from Sweden (well she grew up here from age 8). Since releasing her debut album in 2005 (which she wrote, performed and produced herself) she has gone on to not just make a career as an artist in her own right but also gaining international acclaim for her many talents. She has written and produced for big stars like Demi Lovato, Adam Lambert and Ellie Goulding. She really deserves to be among the top-billed artists at Lollapalooza.
Bay Stage, 8:30pm on Saturday the 29th June
THE BRIGHTLY SHINING STAR OF POP PERFECTION
Tove Styrke has been churning out perfect pop tunes, especially on last year’s excellent album Sway. She has also had us smitten over her charming and disarming stage presence that was evident at last year’s Popaganda festival as well as her own headlining show at Berns in December. If you are a fan of catchy pop hooks and genuine pop stars who really glow on that stage, make sure to see Tove and don’t let that early time slot fool you.
Bay Stage, 4:30pm on Sunday the 30th June
