The Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) and Metra will add service and capacity to existing train routes to serve the tens of thousands of music fans expected for the four days of Lollapalooza 2025 at Grant Park. Attendees are encouraged to avoid the hassles that come with driving, such as stressful traffic and the skyrocketing prices for downtown parking, by using affordable and convenient public transit.
Starting Thursday, July 31, and running through Sunday, Aug. 3, Metra will provide extra trains on seven of its 11 lines and add railcars for expanded capacity to accommodate the anticipated demand for ridership. Detailed Metra schedules for Lollapalooza weekend can be found at Train Schedules | Metra.
Meanwhile, CTA customers can rely on the Red and Blue lines, as well as the elevated lines in the Loop to get to the festival. Yellow Line service will be extended until 1 a.m., each night, and various bus routes will connect to Metra trains at Chicago Union Station or Ogilvie Transportation Center with Grant Park.
To help Metra riders locate CTA buses at Union and Ogilvie stations, CTA and Metra will post sign boards directing riders to the appropriate bus routes. Buses serving those routes will also have signs in their windows indicating they serve Lollapalooza.
Bus service to the festival includes:
• From Union Station, take the #60 Blue Island/26th, #124 Navy Pier, #126 Jackson, #130 Museum Campus, or #151 Sheridan.
• From Ogilvie Transportation Center, take the #20 Madison, #56 Milwaukee, or #J14 Jeffery Jump.
“Public transportation is clearly the most affordable, most convenient way to travel to Lollapalooza, and Metra and CTA are again working together to make the trip as easy as possible,” said Metra CEO/Executive Director Jim Derwinski. “Added service, Day and Weekend Passes make public transit the easiest choice to get to the festival.”
“Lollapalooza is always a highlight of summertime in Chicago and CTA is proud to provide a reliable and convenient option to and from Grant Park,” said CTA Acting President Nora Leerhsen. “It’s one of our highest ridership weekends of the year, and we are happy that attendees choose CTA as they enjoy a weekend full of music, fun and memory-making.”
CTA riders can take advantage of the agency’s low-cost, multi-day unlimited ride passes: $5 for a 1-day; $15 for a 3-day; $20 for a 7-day— ideal for those attending Lollapalooza for multiple days or attending Lollapalooza after-show concerts. CTA riders also can use Apple Pay, Android Pay, Samsung Pay or any contactless credit or debit card, for pay-as-you-go rides ($2.25 for bus, $2.50 for train).
Metra offers a variety of tickets that can be used by festivalgoers. These include Day Passes, good for unlimited rides on weekdays between your selected Metra zones, $7 Saturday or Sunday Day Passes for unlimited travel on those days, and a $10 Weekend Pass available for purchase only on the Ventra App allowing unlimited travel across the Metra system on both Saturday and Sunday. Ventra App users can save even more money with the new Regional Day Pass option that allows Metra Day pass buyers to add unlimited travel on CTA and Pace for an additional $2.50. Concertgoers are highly encouraged to use the Ventra app for all tickets – but make sure your phone is charged.
All riders must have a ticket to ride Metra trains, and tickets will be checked. On outbound trains, riders may be asked to show their ticket before boarding at downtown stations. Those purchasing student and reduced fare tickets at vending machines must be prepared to show IDs to verify their eligibility for these fares. All customers are encouraged to buy their tickets either through vending machines or the Ventra App before boarding trains.
Customers are asked not to bring backpacks or water bottles on Metra trains throughout the event and to review Lollapalooza’s list of allowed and prohibited items. Metra riders should also be advised that due to the expected increase in ridership, Metra may not be able to accommodate bicycles onboard and conductors can refuse boarding to bicyclists.
For more information on service offered by Metra and CTA, visit metra.com or transitchicago.com.
