Hitting the stage for his third appearance at Lollapalooza, Irish singer-songwriter Hozier was an incomparable crowd-favorite as he headlined the opening night of the festival. Beginning his set with his viral hit, “Eat Your Young,” the first single off of his album, Unreal Earth, released in 2023. Screams erupted from the crowd the moment the lights rose, revealing the singer, overlooking the crowd with a grin, adding that he’s thankful to make his midwest return.

As rain poured over Chicago, there was a noticeable shift as Hozier stood alone on stage with his guitar. Vulnerability poured over the sea of fans halfway through his set, as he called for a ceasefire in Gaza.

“It doesn’t matter who you are, it doesn’t matter where you come from. It doesn’t matter if you are an Israeli citizen or Palestinian citizen – you wouldn’t want to see any human being be subject to the kind of terror we have been witnessing.”

The audience screamed in solidarity as “Nina Cried Power,” a crowd favorite from his album Wasteland, Baby! (2019) filled the fields of Grant Park. Ending with his most popular track, “Take Me To Church,” which has accumulated over two million streams, concert goers were transported into a different realm as they smiled from ear to ear, singing and swaying along as the rain surrounded them.

“Peace and safety and security for everybody you know, for everybody in the Middle East, and sincere peace, safety and security which, of course, would mean seeing Palestine free from occupation and free from violence.”

Review by: Jenna Houchin

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