Lollapalooza Music Festival Increases Security

Lollapalooza Music Festival Increases Security

Lollapalooza will be one of the country’s largest urban festivals to take place since the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino shooting, which left 58 people dead and is the deadliest mass shooting in modern U.S. history.

  • By Jessica Davis
  • Aug 01, 2018

The music festival Lollapalooza begins in Grant Park, Ill., tomorrow, and attendees should expect to see increased security, including a larger police presence and airport-style security screenings at entrances. The festival, which usually attracts about 100,000 people each of its four days, worked to enhance its security measures in light of the deadly mass shooting at a music festival in Las Vegas last October.

Lollapalooza will be one of the country’s largest urban festivals to take place since the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino shooting, which left 58 people dead and is the deadliest mass shooting in modern U.S. history. Rich Guidice, first deputy of the city's Office of Emergency Management and Communications, said he and his team took the Vegas shooting and other incidents into consideration when creating their security plan for this year’s festival.

This year’s Lollapalooza will have an increased Chicago police presence, Guidice said, and officers and Chicago Fire Department personnel have undergone active shooter training. He said some officers will be patrolling via bicycle, while SWAT teams with sniper capabilities will also be on hand.

Law enforcement are keeping an eye on high-rise buildings overlooking the park as well. According to Guidice, officers have been talking to and offering safety and security training to businesses along the perimeter of Grant Park.

The entrance gates, performance stages, and park camera system for Lollapalooza will be monitored by three security firms. In addition to the 8-foot-high fences that usually surround the festival grounds, extra concrete barriers will be in place.

At the entrance gates, festivalgoers will subject to a security screening process similar to that at the airport, including full-body pat-downs, walk-through metal detectors, and handheld metal detectors. Bags will be searched, and only small purses, toes, fanny packs, and single-pocket drawstring bags are allowed. Backpacks, bags with multiple pockets, and bottles of water will not be allowed.

Guidice also called attention to Lollapalooza’s alert system, which distributes messages through video screens, social media, and notifications on the festival’s mobile app. The app has been used in the past to notify attendees of weather-related evacuations.

Chicago Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson said there were no known threats to the festival, but that they wanted to be prepared.

“We have pushed back the perimeter and we'll have eyes in the sky, so we'll be keeping a close look on it. But I just want to caution people, that with things of this nature, you can never have 100 percent guaranteed security, but what you do is try to be prepared in the event that something does go astray,” Johnson said.

“So I think that we put things in place now to keep everybody safe. We want everybody to have an enjoyable time."

About the Author

Jessica Davis is the Associate Content Editor for 1105 Media.

Featured

  • Report: 47 Percent of Security Service Providers Are Not Yet Using AI or Automation Tools

    Trackforce, a provider of security workforce management platforms, today announced the launch of its 2025 Physical Security Operations Benchmark Report, an industry-first study that benchmarks both private security service providers and corporate security teams side by side. Based on a survey of over 300 security professionals across the globe, the report provides a comprehensive look at the state of physical security operations. Read Now

    • Guard Services

  • Identity Governance at the Crossroads of Complexity and Scale

    Modern enterprises are grappling with an increasing number of identities, both human and machine, across an ever-growing number of systems. They must also deal with increased operational demands, including faster onboarding, more scalable models, and tighter security enforcement. Navigating these ever-growing challenges with speed and accuracy requires a new approach to identity governance that is built for the future enterprise. Read Now

  • Eagle Eye Networks Launches AI Camera Gun Detection

    Eagle Eye Networks, a provider of cloud video surveillance, recently introduced Eagle Eye Gun Detection, a new layer of protection for schools and businesses that works with existing security cameras and infrastructure. Eagle Eye Networks is the first to build gun detection into its platform. Read Now

  • Report: AI is Supercharging Old-School Cybercriminal Tactics

    AI isn’t just transforming how we work. It’s reshaping how cybercriminals attack, with threat actors exploiting AI to mass produce malicious code loaders, steal browser credentials and accelerate cloud attacks, according to a new report from Elastic. Read Now

  • Pragmatism, Productivity, and the Push for Accountability in 2025-2026

    Every year, the security industry debates whether artificial intelligence is a disruption, an enabler, or a distraction. By 2025, that conversation matured, where AI became a working dimension in physical identity and access management (PIAM) programs. Observations from 2025 highlight this turning point in AI’s role in access control and define how security leaders are being distinguished based on how they apply it. Read Now

Most   Popular

New Products

  • A8V MIND

    A8V MIND

    Hexagon’s Geosystems presents a portable version of its Accur8vision detection system. A rugged all-in-one solution, the A8V MIND (Mobile Intrusion Detection) is designed to provide flexible protection of critical outdoor infrastructure and objects. Hexagon’s Accur8vision is a volumetric detection system that employs LiDAR technology to safeguard entire areas. Whenever it detects movement in a specified zone, it automatically differentiates a threat from a nonthreat, and immediately notifies security staff if necessary. Person detection is carried out within a radius of 80 meters from this device. Connected remotely via a portable computer device, it enables remote surveillance and does not depend on security staff patrolling the area.

  • PE80 Series

    PE80 Series by SARGENT / ED4000/PED5000 Series by Corbin Russwin

    ASSA ABLOY, a global leader in access solutions, has announced the launch of two next generation exit devices from long-standing leaders in the premium exit device market: the PE80 Series by SARGENT and the PED4000/PED5000 Series by Corbin Russwin. These new exit devices boast industry-first features that are specifically designed to provide enhanced safety, security and convenience, setting new standards for exit solutions. The SARGENT PE80 and Corbin Russwin PED4000/PED5000 Series exit devices are engineered to meet the ever-evolving needs of modern buildings. Featuring the high strength, security and durability that ASSA ABLOY is known for, the new exit devices deliver several innovative, industry-first features in addition to elegant design finishes for every opening.

  • ResponderLink

    ResponderLink

    Shooter Detection Systems (SDS), an Alarm.com company and a global leader in gunshot detection solutions, has introduced ResponderLink, a groundbreaking new 911 notification service for gunshot events. ResponderLink completes the circle from detection to 911 notification to first responder awareness, giving law enforcement enhanced situational intelligence they urgently need to save lives. Integrating SDS’s proven gunshot detection system with Noonlight’s SendPolice platform, ResponderLink is the first solution to automatically deliver real-time gunshot detection data to 911 call centers and first responders. When shots are detected, the 911 dispatching center, also known as the Public Safety Answering Point or PSAP, is contacted based on the gunfire location, enabling faster initiation of life-saving emergency protocols.