In 1990, Perry Farrell was struck with a stroke of brilliancy. Jane’s Addiction, his band, was embarking on their farewell tour across the United States and Canada, and Farrell decided that they must go out with a bang. Now here we are, 25 years later, and to this day, on the very last weekend of July, often times leaking into August, that bang can be heard resounding from what is known to us Chicagoans as Grant Park, but has inherited the grand, internationally recognized name: Lollapalooza. What better way to celebrate the 25th anniversary than to add an extra day of festivities?

Chicago is nothing if not embracing. When it comes to Lollapalooza, we embrace the artists, we embrace the crowds, and we most definitely embrace the extra revenue. The two main contributing factors in deciding to host a fourth day of Lolla were the onslaught of artist divvying for a slot of time during which they could perform, and also the allure of earning millions of dollars for the Chicago Park District through entertaining taxes, and the festival itself. In fact, in 2015, the Chicago Park District earned $4.4 million from the festival and the city received $2.2 million in entertainment taxes, according to the city budget and C3 (the group that plans Lolla). Those numbers are anticipated to rise this year. Not to mention all the vendors and small business owners that personally benefit from selling their food and products in Lolla’s Chow Town. Lollapalooza has a multitude of economic benefits.

What is more than the money though, is the heart and soul of Lollapalooza: the music itself. This year, 170 bands will be performing in comparison to last year’s 140 gigs. More music, more fun, more pleasure, and yes, more total exhaustion. But what is better than falling asleep after a long, four day weekend with a smile on your face and good songs on your mind?

Four days of Lolla is worth every penny, and is a great idea all around for the city of Chicago. So buck up folks, we got a long, sweaty, loud, wild, music-filled, adventurous weekend heading for us this summer, and yes, there is no doubt it will be crazy and completely exhausting, but you can be assured that the memories you make there, and the experience you have will make it totally worth it.