Lollapalooza 2017: Scoring Last-Minute Passes And Watching Must-See Acts Online

CHICAGO, IL — Were general admission passes to this weekend's Lollapalooza sold out by the time you realized you absolutely had to catch Chance the Rapper, Run the Jewels and Wiz Khalifa? Or are you old enough to have gone to the summer event when it was a traveling music festival and wouldn't mind checking out the Killers or blink-182 but not if it means standing outside with thousands of sweaty strangers?

If it was still 1991, the year Lollapalooza debuted, the above challenges would have made it all but impossible to enjoy outdoor event. But thankfully, it's the 21st century, and while no one might be flying to work with a jet pack, we do have the internet. And that means finding last-minute tickets or watching your favorite Lollapalooza act on a laptop or tablet without actually attending performance in person is no big thing. (Get Patch real-time email alerts for the latest news for Chicago — or your neighborhood. And iPhone users: Check out Patch's new app.)

Lollapalooza 2017 kicks off Thursday, Aug. 3, and runs through Sunday, Aug. 6, at Grant Park. Patch lays out what you need to know to experience the four-day festival, whether it's in the middle of a roaring crowd in downtown Chicago or in the middle of your comfortable couch at home.

Lollapalooza 2017 Basics

When: 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 3, to Sunday, Aug. 6

Where: Grant Park, Chicago

Wristband Rules: Wristbands are the "tickets" into the festival and must be worn on the right wrist at all times. Attendees can re-enter the event three times a day after entering the first time. Wristbands must be scanned at the gate when attendees leave if they want to re-enter the same day.

Weather: The festival is a rain-or-shine event, meaning performances will go on even if the crowds are wet from rain showers. And scattered storms are expected during the afternoon and evening for Thursday's opening day. Festival-goers also could experience wet conditions at other times during the four-day event.

RELATED: Lollapalooza 2017 Weather: Rain Expected But Keep The Umbrella At Home

Check out the forecast from the National Weather Service to find out what you can expect when you're at Grant Park, jamming to your favorite musical act.

What You CAN Bring …: Bags are allowed in the festival, but they must be no bigger than 1,000 cubic inches. They also will be subject to search, but those without bags can bypass that level of security for faster entry to the festival. Other items allowed at the event include:

• strollers
• binoculars
• blankets, sheets and towels
• basic point-and-shoot cameras without detachable lenses and other accessories, such as selfie sticks and tripods
• GoPro cameras without accessories
• sunscreen in a sealed, non-aerosol container
• empty hydration packs, water bottles and Yeti-like hydration ramblers no larger than 36 ounces
• two factory-sealed water bottles no larger than a liter each that can be refilled at the festival's free water filling stations

… And What You CAN'T: Naturally, restricted items include those that have the potential to cause a great deal of damage and harm at a crowded event like Lollapalooza, such as explosives, firearms, pocket knives, pepper spray and other weapons. Illegal drugs and drug paraphernalia also are not allowed. Other prohibited items include:

• E-cigs or vaping devices
• umbrellas
• glass containers
• coolers (except those used for medical purposes)
• drones
• non-service pets and animals
• wallet and waist chains longer than a foot and wider than an inch
• chairs, inflatable furniture, hammocks, tents and canopies
• skateboards, bicycles, wagons and scooters (free bike parking will be available at the entrance)
• flags, banners and totems
• professional audio and video recording devices and equipment (video recordings are prohibited)

Go to Lollapalooza's website for a full list of what's off limits.

Last-Minute Tickets

General admission passes for Lollapalooza have been sold out for a while, but VIP and platinum passes are still available. If you're willing to shell out the big bucks, that is. Single-day passes run between $650 and $2,800, and the four-day passes range from $2,200 to $4,200.

RELATED: Who Are The Musical Acts Playing At Lollapalooza 2017?

That high price does include some enviable perks, however, depending on the package. Besides entry to the show, the passes can include shaded seating, catered food, festival merchandise and access to special lounges, viewing areas and air-conditioned bathrooms.

The pricey passes can be purchased on Lollapalooza's website or at the festival box office at Michigan and Balbo avenues from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.

If the VIP and platinum passes are too rich for your blood, you can still try to find general admission passes through alternatives to the festival's official box office. A verified ticket exchange is being offered by ticketsnow.com. (The site also can be used to unload passes you can't use.) Four-day GA passes sold there can be found for as little as $306 and as much as $889. Single-day GA passes run between $137 and $612, depending on the day.

Ticket resale sites, such as StubHub and Vivid Seats, also have secondary market tickets for Lollapalooza.

Public Tranportation

Between traffic and the lack of any official concert parking around Grant Park, driving to Lollapalooza is a liability. Thankfully, the CTA and Metra are expanding their train and bus routes for the length of the event.

RELATED: Metra, CTA Add Extra Services For Lollapalooza

Go to Patch's article on public transportation during the four-day festival for full details, including price information.

Watching Online and the Best Acts to Catch That Way

Lollapalooza will be airing webcasts of many of this year's concerts on RedBull.tv. Unfortunately, the sure-to-be-amazaing set by Chicago favorite Chance the Rapper won't be streaming there, but the site will have plenty of other big-name and local acts, including Lorde, Run the Jewels and Evanston's Kweku Collins.

Whether in person or in front of a screen, these are some of the streaming shows worth catching during this year's festival (acts, times and channels are subject to change; find the complete streaming schedule at Red Bull's website):

THURSDAY, AUG. 3

6:35 p.m.: Cage the Elephant (Channel 1)

7:55: Wiz Khalifa (Channel 1)

9: Lorde (Channel 1)

FRIDAY, AUG. 4

2:05 p.m.: Mondo Cozmo (Channel 1)

2:50: White Reaper (Channel 1)

3:05: The Districts (Channel 2)

3:40: Temples (Channel 1)

4:45: Phantogram (Channel 1)

5:15: Cloud Nothings (Channel 2)

6:50: Tegan and Sara (Channel 1)

7:30: Banks (Channel 2)

7:50: Run the Jewels (Channel 1)

8:55: blink-182 (Channel 1)

8:50: The Killers (Channel 2)

9: Crystal Castles (Channel 3)

SATURDAY, AUG. 5

2:05 p.m.: The Shelters (Channel 1)

2:05: San Fermin (Channel 2)

2:05: Kweku Collins (Channel 3)

2:50: Hippo Campus (Channel 2)

3: Alvvays (Channel 1)

4:50: Léon (Channel 2)

5:30: Whitney (Channel 2)

6:15: alt-J (Channel 2)

6:20: Vance Joy (Channel 1)

7:30: Banks (Channel 2)

8:45: Muse (Channel 2)

SUNDAY, AUG. 6

3:30: The Drums (Channel 3)

4:30: Tove Lo (Channel 1)

5: Milky Chance (Channel 2)

5:30: London Grammar (1)

6: Slyvan Esso (Channel 2)

6:45: Little Dragon (Channel 2)

7:30: The Shins (Channel 1)

7:45: Mac DeMarco (Channel 2)

Need more musical recommendations? Check out the Lollapalooza playlist put together by the Obama Foundation.

A map of the festival grounds at Grant Park and a full schedule, including which stages acts are playing, can be found on the Lollapalooza website.

Aftershows

If you still think the four-day festival won't be enough to quench your thirst for live music, you might want to check out the other venues around the city that will be hosting aftershows for some of Lollapalooza's acts.

RELATED: Lollapalooza 2017 Adds More Than 50 Aftershows Around Chicago

More than 50 aftershows are scheduled for the week, and Ryan Adams, Crystal Castles, Alvvays and Tegan and Sara are some of the talent on tap for these "encore" performances of sorts. Check out Patch's story about the aftershows to find out who else is lined up and when and where they're set to play around Chicago.

UPDATED (2:52 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 3)

Chicago's own Chance the Rapper performs at Lollapalooza in 2016 at Grant Park in Chicago. (Photo by Jeff Schear | Getty Images Entertainment for Bud Light Music | Getty Images)

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