The Smashing Pumpkins headlined Lollapalooza on Friday, July 31, with surprise appearances by Olivia Rodrigo and Yungblud that became one of the most talked-about moments of the festival.
The show marked the Chicago band's return to the top of the festival lineup after 32 years, since it last headlined Lollapalooza in 1994. Billy Corgan's group filled the set with references to its career and its influence on alternative rock.
Yungblud opens with a 1993 track
British singer Yungblud was the first guest to join the band onstage, performing "Luna" from the 1993 album Siamese Dream. Yungblud, who had played his own set at the festival hours earlier, said the experience felt like a dream come true.
Rodrigo performs a 1995 classic
Corgan later introduced Olivia Rodrigo as a very, very special guest. Wearing a sheer dress and knee-high stockings, she joined the band to perform "Thirty-Three" from the 1995 album Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness, in one of the night's most celebrated moments.
Rodrigo's appearance highlighted how 1990s alternative rock has shaped her music. Both her albums, SOUR and GUTS, debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, while Yungblud recently won a Grammy for Best Rock Performance.
The Smashing Pumpkins will next launch the Rats in the Cage tour on September 30 in Columbus, Ohio, marking the 30th anniversary of Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness.
