Fourth time’s the charm for Lolla Berlin 2018

The fourth edition of Lollapalooza Berlin, held on Saturday 8 and Sunday 9 September, was a sell-out success, welcoming 70,000 festivalgoers a day to its new home, the Berlin Olympic Stadium (Olympiastadion).

Lolla Berlin, organised by FRHUG Festival GmbH, a joint venture between Hörstmann/Melt! and Festival Republic, moved to the Olympiastadion/Olympiapark for 2018 – the fourth venue in four years – after an otherwise successful 2017 event was marred by problems with public transport.

The 2018 event was headlined was headlined by the Weeknd and Kraftwerk, with other performers including Imagine Dragons, Liam Gallagher, Dua Lipa, David Guetta, the National, Kygo, Rag’n’Bone Man and German rapper Casper. It was the biggest-ever event of its kind to take place at the stadium.

“It would be great if Lollapalooza can play here for a very long time”

According to festival director Fruzsina Szép, there is a “firm commitment” from the city for Lolla to stay at the Olympiastadion next year, although its long-term future depends on the festival weekend not clashing with football fixtures for Hertha BSC, who play their home games at the stadium.

“We are having very good conversations with Hertha about it,” she tells the Berliner Zeitung. “It would be great if Lollapalooza can play here for a very long time.”

The festival was forced to evacuate its original home, the disused Tempelhof Airport, when the site was converted into temporary housing for refugees in early 2016. A move to Treptower Park followed in 2016, which was opposed by many local residents and even ten states of the former USSR, as the park houses a Soviet war memorial.

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