Lollapalooza 2011

Lollapalooza is fast approaching and this year will mark twenty years of the US festival. Started in 1991, when Perry Farrell (of Jane's Addiction fame) started to organise a farewell show for his band. His inspirations quickly spiralled out of control and in the summer of 1991, the festival began touring the United States.

'From the start, Mr. Farrell wanted Lollapalooza to be not just a musical event but a cultural smorgasbord, with a diverse array of tents, booths and displays exploring a number of political, environmental, human rights and cultural issues'

As an 'Alternative Nation', Lollapalooza has included a wide variety of talent during its twenty year run. In 2005, the festival stopped touring the country and now takes place annually in the large green spaces of Chicago's Grant Park. It has since become an incredibly important part of Chicago's summer. 

In April, however, Lollapalooza took an unexpected turn. As a champion of the alternative, the festival set up shop in Parque O'Higgin's (named after one of The Wild Geese - Bernardo O'Higgins) in Santiago, Chile.

Returning to Chicago between August 5-7, Lollapalooz'a line up includes Two Door Cinema Club, Imelda May and Irish-American folk rock band Flogging Molly. As one of the biggest festivals in the US, this promises to be an opportunity to see some of the world's best musicians.

Take a look at last year's festival, and get an idea of what Lollapalooza 2011 has in store: