Ariana Grande Is Headlining Lollapalooza, Proving Her 2019 Domination Won’t End Anytime Soon

Ariana Grande might already be the biggest superstar of 2019, and given Wednesday, March 20's big announcement, it doesn’t look like that is going to change anytime soon. Ariana Grande is headlining the Lollapalooza 2019 lineup, taking place Aug. 1 through 4 in Chicago’s Grant Park. Joining the singer as Lollapalooza headliners this year are Childish Gambino, Tame Impala, Twenty One Pilots, and The Strokes.

Lollapalooza teased a handful of other performers in an adorable dog adoption video Tuesday before unveiling the full line-up on Wednesday. Other top-billed performers at the annual music festival include Kacey Musgraves, Lil Wayne, The Chainsmokers, J Balvin, Flume, Meek Mill, and the incomparable performer Janelle Monáe.

The news of Grande headlining Lollapalooza is just the latest achievement in what has been a landmark year for the singer. Her new album, Thank U, Next, a personal follow-up to last year’s Sweetener, was a smash success out of the gate, hitting the top spot on the Billboard 200 with the biggest streaming week ever for a pop album. Prior to its release in February, it was announced that Grande would also headline Coachella this year, making her only the festival’s fourth female headliner in history, after Björk, Lady Gaga, and Beyoncé.

Most recently, on Monday, the singer kicked off her Sweetener World Tour, and it just might give fans a preview of what to expect for her festival performances this year. Her new show is already receiving rave reviews from critics and fans alike for its stunning visuals and hit-filled setlist. She’s even helping young concert-goers register to vote in the 2020 election while on tour. How thoughtful!

Grande was a wise choice for Lollapalooza for multiple reasons. Not only is she the most in-demand artist of 2019, she’s also the first female headliner since Lana Del Rey performed in 2016. The festival garnered a lot of criticism in 2018 for its lack of female headliners, as reported by the NY Daily News, especially in light of Beyoncé’s historic Coachella performance. On last year’s lineup poster, fans had to look at the fourth line to find the first female performers, which included CHRVCHES, St. Vincent, and Dua Lipa. 2018’s breakout female singer, Camila Cabello, was placed on the fifth line despite her impressive stats.

Thankfully, it looked like the festival is starting to make some progress. Grande is rightfully the first artist listed on the poster, while Monaé and Musgraves show up on the third line, which is still a little too low for the Grammy nominees, but we’ll take what we can get. Other female artists on the bill include H.E.R., Maggie Rogers, Hayley Kiyoko, Mitski, Rosalía, Lauren Daigle, and a couple of Grande’s friends, like Sweetener Tour opening act Normani and “7 Rings” co-writer Tayla Parx.

Four-day general admission tickets and VIP packages are on sale now at Lollapalooza's website. And given the power of Arianators, they may sell out quickly, so make your plans accordingly. If you only want to go to the fest for a day or two, single-day admission tickets will be available at a later date, so keep on the lookout. In the meantime, all hail 2019 queen Ariana Grande, may her reign be long and prosperous.