At least 10 individuals were arrested during the four-day Lollapalooza music festival held in Grant Park, Chicago, with incidents ranging from unauthorized drone operation to physical altercations and unlicensed sales. The arrests occurred on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, with no reported arrests on Sunday. This marks a slight decrease from last year’s festival, which saw 12 arrests over the course of the event.
On Thursday night, Chicago police apprehended a 30-year-old local man for flying an unauthorized drone over the festival grounds. The man was found operating the drone from the nearby Museum Campus. According to Cook County court records, he provided false identification, refused to cooperate with officers, and requested medical attention. He faces a misdemeanor charge related to operating an unauthorized aircraft.
A separate incident on Friday involved a 21-year-old man from Michigan who was arrested after allegedly slapping a woman and attempting to strike another man. He was charged with misdemeanor counts of assault and battery.
On Saturday, a 26-year-old man from Wheeling was detained for selling $5 rain ponchos outside the festival without a peddler’s license. During the arrest, police discovered an outstanding warrant for the man stemming from a failure to appear on a drug charge in DuPage County. He received a citation for illegal peddling.
The most serious encounter occurred later that day when a 23-year-old man from Wisconsin was arrested after attempting to gain access to a backstage area without authorization. A security guard confronted him, and the man allegedly punched the guard during the altercation. Police found a bag of suspected cocaine in his wallet during a subsequent search. He faces a felony possession charge in addition to misdemeanor counts of battery and trespassing, making him the sole individual charged with a felony over the festival weekend.
The remaining six arrests involved misdemeanor offenses including trespassing, battery, and reckless conduct. Those arrested ranged in age from 18 to 39.
While arrests decreased slightly compared to the previous year, the number of hospitalizations rose significantly. Festival medical personnel treated 67 attendees, reflecting an increase in medical incidents amid challenging conditions. Notably, Sunday’s weather saw fans avoiding the muddy terrain that had characterized earlier days of the event.