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Smashing Pumpkins Roll Out Week of ‘Pumpkinpalooza’ Events In Lead-Up to First Lollapalooza Headlining Slot in 32 Years
The Smashing Pumpkins are marking their first Lollapalooza headline slot in 32 years with a week-long celebration called "Pumpkinpalooza" in their native Chicago. The Chicago band last played the festival in 1994, during its original touring incarnation, and will now close out the North stage on Friday 31 July, underlining how far both the band and the festival have come since then.
The celebrations include a sold-out underplay show at the 2,500-capacity Riviera Theatre on 29 July, a merchandise pop-up near Grant Park running from Wednesday to Friday, and a travelling version of frontman Billy Corgan's Highland Park teahouse, Madame Zuzu's, serving matcha and exclusive merchandise. Chicago bar the Aviary will also offer a bespoke cocktail for the occasion. The band's 90-minute Lollapalooza set will run alongside performances from Charli xcx, Lil Uzi Vert and Yungblud, and precedes their autumn "The Rats in the Cage" tour, which begins on 30 September in Columbus, Ohio, and marks the 30th anniversary of their album Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness.
In short
- Smashing Pumpkins headline Lollapalooza for first time in 32 years
- Chicago week of "Pumpkinpalooza" events precedes 31 July festival set
- Autumn tour to follow, marking Mellon Collie's 30th anniversary
Explained simply
Smashing Pumpkins are a Chicago rock band who achieved major success in the 1990s. Lollapalooza is one of America's most important music festivals, held annually in Chicago, and attracts hundreds of thousands of attendees.
The band last appeared at Lollapalooza in 1994, when it was a touring festival. Their 32-year absence from headlining the event reflects both changes in the band's path and the festival's evolution into one of the year's biggest music events.
Smashing Pumpkins remain creatively active and are marking this return by celebrating their landmark album Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness, which reaches its 30th anniversary this year. This convergence of their Lollapalooza headline slot with the album's anniversary demonstrates the band's enduring relevance to longtime fans and new audiences alike.