The first week of September, the lineup for Lollapalooza 2024 was announced, and I was so fucking excited when I saw that Green Day was headlining the festival 🥹. At that moment, I knew I had to buy the tickets. The GA (General Access) Weekend Pass cost me Rs 10,000 ($ 115), which was definitely expensive, but missing Green Day was not an option. This 2 day music festival featured a mix of international and local artists, and besides Green Day, there were a few more artists I was really looking forward to. The festival took place on March 8th and 9th, and it was, without a doubt, the best music festival I have ever attended 🔥
Back in December, I booked my train tickets from Chennai to Mumbai and back for the 21 hour journey. But as of January, I still hadn’t booked my stay in Mumbai, and to make matters worse, that was also the month I got laid off from work. Terrible timing, considering I was already spending so much on this trip. Cash was tight, but I somehow managed to book a great hostel that was about a 45 minute journey from the festival venue. I stayed at Ostello Mumbai Airport Hostel, which cost just Rs 600 per night and I booked it via Hostel World, a great deal, especially since it was close to the airport (Not That It Mattered To Me Since I Was Travelling By Train)
Traveling solo to a music festival can feel a bit overwhelming, especially when you don’t know anyone there. So, I decided to take my chances on the Lolla India community on Reddit, just to see if I could find some company. That’s when I got a DM from someone saying, "We have a WhatsApp group filled with people like you, some going solo, some with friends and you're more than welcome to join." I joined the group, and honestly, it was one of the best decisions I made. The people there were incredibly helpful, especially those from Mumbai. Any question whether it was about transportation, train routes, or just general festival tips was met with quick, positive responses. It was really cool to see how a bunch of strangers came together just to help each other out. It made my Lollapalooza experience even better, knowing there was a community of like minded people I could rely on.
I left Chennai on March 6th and reached Mumbai on the 7th at around 5 PM. From the station, I took an auto to the hostel and spent the rest of the evening just relaxing and watching a series called ’Dil Dosti Dilemma’ it’s a Hindi Series on Amazon Prime.
The next day, the festival was finally here. I left the hostel and booked a auto ride to Andheri railway station. From there, I took a local train to Mahalaxmi station, which was just a 5 minute walk to the venue. Mumbai's local train system is incredibly well connected, and this was by far the cheapest way to get to the venue. A return ticket cost me just Rs 20, and I booked it at the kiosk at the station itself.
The festival gates opened at 2 PM sharp, but I completely miscalculated my timing and ended up reaching the venue at 11 AM (Way Too Early). With nothing to do, I walked to the nearest Starbucks, about 20 minutes away, and chilled there until 1:30 PM before heading back. Mumbai was scorching hot at 32°C, but there was a bit of wind, making it somewhat bearable. To my surprise, a lot of people had already gathered at the venue by 2 PM, despite the sun blazing down on us.
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Day 1 had 17 artists performing across 4 stages, so I had to plan in advance. The first performance I attended was Frizzell D’Souza at the Keep Walking Stage. She performed her beautiful indie acoustic songs, including "Symmetries," "Foolish Once Again," and "Drown Away." Her voice was magical, and it was the perfect way to ease into the festival and this was my 2nd time seeing her perform LIVE (I Have Been Following Her Journey Since The Start, We Come From The Same Place Basically Which Is Mangalore In Karnataka).
After that, I moved over to the Corona Sunsets Stage to catch Sid Vashi. His performance was a fusion of jazz, electronic, and Indian classical music. He played some of his most popular tracks and some new tunes as well, it was mostly new and the energy of the crowd was unreal.
After Sid Vashi’s set, I took a break to explore other parts of the festival. The venue had multiple experience zones, brand activations, and tons of food stalls. I wandered around, soaking in the atmosphere, and then made my way back to the Keep Walking Stage for Lullanas. Their folk infused set was absolutely mesmerising. They played "Butterflies In Reverse," and "Memphis" (Picked These Up After The Festival And Now i Listen To It On Repeat) and it felt like everyone in the crowd knew the lyrics by heart (Except For Me 😂).
Next up was Isabel LaRosa, and she completely killed it. Her energy on stage was insane, and she sang all her popular tracks, including "Favourite," "More Than Friends" and "Eyes Don't Lie." The way the crowd reacted to her performance was electric. Since I had a long break after her set, I decided to grab a Corona beer which an expensive refreshing mistake 🥲. It was extremely overpriced, but at that moment, I just needed something cold.
I then checked out the H&M Experience Zone, where they were giving away free merchandise. I picked up a calligraphy note written on a vinyl-shaped cardboard and also got a free T-shirt (only for H&M members).
Then, I headed to the RuPay Experience Zone, which was a lifesaver. If you had a RuPay credit card, you got a free 15-minute foot massage, and after all the walking, I desperately needed it. Another perk was access to the mezzanine for an hour, which I made full use of later in the evening.
As the sun began to set, I climbed up to the mezzanine zone, found a beanbag, and chilled while watching Jonita Gandhi perform (She Opened For Shawn Mendes). She was absolutely brilliant, singing a mix of her Bollywood hits and independent tracks like "What Jhumka" and "Sitara," Her voice live was just as incredible as in the studio recordings.
Then, it was time for one of my most anticipated performances of the day!!! Glass Animals at the Keep Walking Stage. The crowd went wild when they started playing "Heat Waves," and I swear, everyone was screaming along. They also performed "Gooey," "Tokyo Drifting," and "Space Ghost," making it one of the best sets of the day. Unfortunately, at the same time, Cory Wong was performing at the Nexa Stage, but I had to make a tough call and stick with Glass Animals.
Right after their set, I rushed over to the Corona Sunsets Stage because it was time for the first headliner of the night which was Shawn Mendes 🥹. At exactly 9 PM, he walked onto the stage, and the crowd erupted. He sang all his major hits: "Stitches," "Treat You Better," "Mercy," "There’s Nothing Holdin’ Me Back," and "Senorita." The atmosphere was electric, and seeing him perform live in India for the first time was surreal. At the same time, Zedd was performing at the Perry’s x H&M Stage. I was torn, but since Zedd comes to India quite often, I decided to stick with Shawn Mendes. However, I still made it to Zedd’s set midway and caught him dropping bangers like "Clarity," "Stay the Night," and "The Middle." The production value of his set was totally insane! lights, visuals, everything was top notch.
As the clock struck 10, both Shawn Mendes and Zedd ended their sets with a massive firework display. I had already positioned myself back at the H&M Experience Zone, which had an elevated view, and the moment I got up there, fireworks exploded over Shawn Mendes’s stage. It was absolutely stunning, and I managed to capture it all on video. Surprisingly, this firework display was even better than the one Coldplay had in Ahmedabad, way more spectacular it was.
When the festival ended for the night, I had to make my way back to Mahalaxmi station, which was packed with festival goers. Getting onto the train was chaotic, but somehow, I made it. Once I reached Andheri, I took an auto back to the hostel. The first day of Lollapalooza was officially over. I was dusty, exhausted, and covered in sweat, but it was hands down one of the best days of my life.
The only thing that would have made it better was having 
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