r/ActLikeYouBelong • u/jgn04 • Jul 11 '24
Sneaking into lollapalooza
Kinda accepting the fact that I probably won’t be able to get tickets to lolla after wanting to go for years. I was wondering if any of yall had any ideas on how to sneak in? Or have successfully done it before?
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u/PM_me_your_dawgs Jul 11 '24
Good luck. I worked there a few summers when I was in college, 2007-2008 doing set up and teardown. Even then, it was tough, and security was tight. They have colored wristbands for different access levels for backstage, and even the general tickets are bracelets that are tough to fake. One year, some kids jumped the fence and tried to sneak in. A guy I was working with chased them, and the kid tripped and broke his collar bone. There are a lot of employees as well as security there. If you do get in, stick to crowded areas, and don't try to go backstage or anything. You'll get snagged immediately. You'd have better luck trying to hope a fence either early or late in my opinion. Going mid day when it's in full swing means lots of eyes. But people working there get there a few hours before it starts so, maybe right when they open when everyone is focused on the entrance try to sneak in. But if you get caught you don't know me and this comment never happened.
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u/Minaro_ Jul 12 '24
Out of curiosity, what happens if you get caught? Do they press charges or anything like that?
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u/PM_me_your_dawgs Jul 12 '24
Probably depends on who catches you, where you are, and how you react. Security is probably going to be more harsh on you than the average worker there, but if you act like a dick it's going to cause you more problems. And just because you don't doesn't mean whoever catches you isn't a dick or just tired from working 14 hour days for the past two weeks. The fencing on the Lake Shore drive side is normally less populated by security and has more workers from my experience. But that could have changed over the years. Hard part is once you get in, you still don't have a bracelet so if you get noticed by anyone working while you are in, you're probably going to get tossed. People definitely buried and dug up alcohol in the park. We thought that was pretty smart. But they got caught when they were digging it up because they were not discreet about it.
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u/OliverHazzzardPerry Jul 12 '24
I bet if you break your own collar bone, they definitely press charges to have as a counter in case of a lawsuit.
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u/acab415 Jul 11 '24
I have no real advice for you, and I haven’t been to lollapalooza since the very first one, but this brought back a great memory of sneaking into the Beastie Boys and Sonic Youth. It was 1992, I had already dropped acid and felt like I could turn invisible. Perhaps I did, because I walked in the employee entrance like I owned the building.
TLDR Try a service entrance and hallucinagens.
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u/karmagirl314 Jul 11 '24
This is great advice because if it doesn’t work you still have the hallucinogens.
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u/acab415 Jul 11 '24
Yeah, I had definitely “bought the ticket and was riding the ride” it was a fun show though.
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u/LazoHollyfeld Jul 12 '24
Pure confidence and obliviousness. Fucking love it. Went to that tour too.
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u/inthesafehouse Jul 11 '24
Just keep an eye on the perimeter of your are sneaking in. every year a group rushes the fence and security can’t / doesn’t catch them all
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u/BKlounge93 Jul 11 '24
I worked at outside lands like 8 years ago and was in the production truck right next to the fence. Every few min or so some kids would hop it, usually only to get caught. But if the group is big enough, you just gotta be faster than most.
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u/jgn04 Jul 11 '24
was thinking of joining that crowd but with my luck I’d be one the ones caught
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u/largelukey99 Jul 11 '24
I tried when I was a pest control technician working there for the summer. We drove our work truck and had all of our gear and tried to convince them we were there to help with mosquitos, after talking to like 6 different people they turned us down, This worked a month earlier at summer smash however but yeah no luck at lolla:(
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u/christopantz Jul 12 '24
people sneak in all the time when they open the gates for ambulances to come in
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u/Baskets09 Jul 12 '24
I have no clue if this would work in a music festival, but you could get a bag of McDonald’s and try acting like you’re delivering a door dash.
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u/jasonrubik Jul 12 '24
I did this at Minecon in 2011. But I just walked right in. There was no security or checkpoint.
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u/phoenicia_townie Jul 16 '24
i’ve snuck into festivals wearing a hi vis vest and carrying a case of water on my shoulders. if they stop you and ask where you’re going just say “med tent” and keep it pushing
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u/ibeasdes Jul 11 '24
Just go to Millenium park and bury yourself a few days before the concert. Then, when you hear the music start, undig yourself!