A Reddit user in r/lollapalooza recently shared a compelling haul of vintage Lollapalooza memorabilia, spotlighting wristbands, credential cards, and festival maps spanning several years around 2013 to 2016. This collection reveals a personal timeline of their festival journey—from first attending in 2013 with a rare "secret sale" 3-day pass for just $75, to later moving to Chicago and balancing volunteering with general admission attendance.
Key Highlights:
- The 2013 wristband and credential included in the collection mark that year as the user’s festival debut. That year, official early-bird 3-day passes typically cost around $200, with regular pricing at $235, making the poster’s $75 secret sale find an exceptional deal.
- Subsequent years feature wristbands and day passes for various access levels, including volunteer and staff credentials.
- Drink sponsor wristbands and festival maps appear alongside the access passes, illustrating the layered festival experience and branding over time.
Contextual Insights:
- Lollapalooza’s early-bird passes in 2013 famously sold out very quickly, underscoring the rarity of discounted “secret sale” wristbands.
- Volunteering at Lollapalooza, often through organizations like Dream.Org, offers fans a way to participate in the festival run-up and enjoy the show while giving back to the community.
- The diversity of wristbands reflects Lollapalooza’s complex access system, with different colors and markings distinguishing between GA attendees, staff, media, and volunteers.
This memorabilia trove clearly resonates with longtime fans, offering a nostalgic snapshot of the festival’s evolution and personal stories intertwined with its culture. It underscores how those small collectibles—wristbands, passes, and maps—become archives of shared memories across Lolla’s iconic Chicago grounds.
Source: r/lollapalooza