Set against the iconic Chicago skyline in the Jay Pritzker Pavilion, the Millennium Park Summer Music Series has been one of Chicago’s most beloved cultural traditions in the summer music scene since 2004. The Chicago Tribune, Chicago Reader, TimeOut, and WBEZ/NPR featured concerts held on Mondays and Thursdays from June 26 through August 7, 6:30 to 9 p.m. The concerts are designed to be accessible to a wide variety of listeners, offering free admission, wheelchair accessible seating, and providing American Sign Language interpretations for every performance. Although this festival features many musical cultures, attendance remains relatively low compared to other music festivals such as Lollapalooza. In my opinion, a majority of people are influenced by trends in opposition to being original.
Approximately 400,000 people attend Lollapalooza over the annual four-day festival, and approximately 300,000 people attend the Millennium Park Music Series over the 16 performance days scattered throughout 43 days, according to WTTW. The difference in the number of attendees of each festival defines the contrast in demand. Their concepts are similar in that they are both summer music festivals that attract audiences from all over the country—showcasing a variety of music, genres, and artists.
However, if you were to ask someone if they know about the Millennium Park Summer Music Series in comparison to asking them about Lollapalooza, they would probably be much more familiar with Lollapalooza. Lollapalooza’s lineup over the years has included many contemporary and trendy artists such as Tyler, the Creator, Olivia Rodrigo, Sabrina Carpenter, Gracie Abrams, SZA, Kendrick Lamar, and The Weeknd. These artists have had much of their most well-known music become popular through social media platforms such as TikTok and Instagram.
As for the Millennium Park Music Series, the lineup is decided through the procedure of identifying a diverse variety of musical acts, as well as focusing on local, culturally diverse, and under-the-radar artists. Having a full lineup of small artists can limit the amount of exposure the festival gets. Big names, such as the ones that are highlighted during Lollapalooza, are much more likely to be appealing to a larger audience because some people perceive that attending the concerts of these popular, well-established artists can be seen as a social status that they will post online or tell others about to feel validation.
People tend to focus so much on what a majority of people do and say instead of trying to think for themselves. From what I observe, younger generations in particular are drawn to following the most current opinions, ideas, and vogues to feel validation or because they don’t know how to create thoughts of their own. These trends and opinions are passed around on social media and, in my opinion, are very generalized in our society.
I don’t think that following trends is a bad thing, but I believe it is when it gets to the point where people aren’t able to think for themselves anymore. Many posts on social media ask questions such as “What’s our opinion on ____?” People can’t be themselves and instead engage in these trends that last a few months before dropping them completely to find something else at the same time that everyone else does. These people go with opinions and ideas that they don’t deliberate at all because they feel like they are more validated when they agree with the majority. The majority were people who listened to a loud voice and decided to believe it. False rumors and drama spread like wildfire for the reason that people don’t reflect on what is being said before repeating it to others.
Ultimately, the dissimilarity between the two summer music festivals contemplates more than just the difference in lineups and attendance sizes. The dissimilarity echoes the larger picture of the cultural habit of being drawn to whatever is most conspicuous, publicized, and most socially validated. I don’t think that it’s wrong to appreciate and indulge in what is trending. I believe that it becomes a problem when trendiness completely dictates our choices, opinions, and tastes.
This year the series showcased a diverse range of genres from jazz to pop, and indie to classical. The lineup was curated by the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE) to reflect Chicago’s diverse musical roots and global connections. Artists from around the world showcased their music, including those from Colombia, Canada, the United Kingdom, and more. This year’s schedule includes Colombian swing‑jazz fusion singer Monsieur Periné, Colombia‑born Afro‑Caribbean artist Lido Pimienta, UK reggae legends Steel Pulse, Chicago indie rock band Horsegirl, and Latin soul pioneer Joe Bataan.
However, the programming diversity can be limited or unbalanced on some days. Oneexample of that is that some evenings feature fewer diverse genres or styles. Highlighting a more varied range of genres in one night might make the festival more enticing for the audience.
The Pavilion is designed to allow the listeners to choose between sitting on the lawn and having a picnic, or sitting in the many rows of seating with a clear view of the stage. Sitting in the seating area creates an immersive musical experience, while sitting on the lawn allows for conversations with the music, providing a relaxing atmosphere. However, sitting on the lawn will give you a less musically immersive experience because sound doesn’t always carry as well the further you are from the stage.
For the reason that the festival is free, there is limited seating for people who would like to be close to the stage to get the most captivating experience. The seating area has availability for 4,000 people, and the lawn offers seating to 7,000 at maximum capacity. Visitors and attendees include Chicagoans from all neighborhoods in the city as well as tourists from around the country.
Beyond entertainment, the Millennium Park Music Series supports small local to global artists, spotlights underrepresented voices, and highlights Chicago’s role as a leader in cultural diversity. With each year, it becomes more than just a concert series — it becomes a celebration of music, people and culture.
Whether it’s music artists, shopping trends, or viral controversies, the opposition is to withdraw from the constant cloud of influence and to reflect on yourself alternatively. Do you truly believe the things that were put into your head because you actually do, or you just say you do? Do you actually like these trendy items because you genuinely enjoy them, or because everyone else seems to? In stepping back from these constant influences, we can progress from only echoing the loud voices and developing our own.
