Lollapalooza returns to downtown Chicago from August 3-6 and will see performances from Billie Eilish, Kendrick Lamar, Karol G, Lana Del Rey and many more over a jam-packed weekend at Grant Park. Also performing at the iconic festival will be British singer-songwriter Maisie Peters, who hits the stage on Sunday before heading on her extensive North American tour.
Peters rose to fame in 2019 following the release of her critically-acclaimed debut album “You Signed Up For This.” The rising star has gone from strength to strength with her new album “The Good Witch” clinching No.1 in the U.K. album charts. She has also racked up one billion streams and has famous fans like Taylor Swift, who say “My ears have been blessed” after hearing Maisie covering “betty.”
Maisie toured America last year, including a sold-out date at Chicago’s Lincoln Hall, but Lollapalooza will mark her U.S. festival debut. The British singer will also have a warm-up show at the Official Lollapalooza Aftershow at House of Blues in Chicago the day before hitting the stage at Grant Park.
Maisie isn’t sure what to expect for her first American festival date, but is looking forward to the experience and believes it is the perfect way to kickstart her American shows. “We’ve done Lolla Paris and Lolla Sweden and now we are going to do the mothership in Chicago, which I’m really excited for. I think it’s going to be a fun weekend.
“I love festivals and I love the spontaneity of them, so I’m super-excited for Lollapalooza. It is one of the things that I am most looking forward to in these coming months. I like Chicago a lot as a city; we have played a lot of shows there. I’ve played it on every single North American tour I’ve done so I’m excited to be coming back… Deep dish, perfect!”
Maisie Peters/Photo: Courtesy Elektra
Alongside her own headline tour, Maisie will be supporting Ed Sheeran during the North America run of his Mathematics Tour, including huge dates at the SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles and the Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas. Ed Sheeran has taken the rising star under his wing, signing Maisie to his Gingerbread Man Records in 2021 and bringing her on tour as his support act all over the world.
Maisie describes watching Sheeran perform as “hugely inspiring” and that the touring experience has made her grow as a performer. “The way he involves the crowd and the way that he makes it as much their night as his night is so cool and my band and I really took that forward with our shows,” she says.
“We try to make it an inclusive night where everyone can have a lot of fun and I’ve learned how to do that on a large scale with shows like Wembley.”
From Lollapalooza to stadium shows to more intimate concerts, Maisie Peters will be performing in front of all kinds of different crowds in the upcoming months, but the British singer-songwriter can’t wait for the experience. “I’ve done such a variety of different crowds in the last two years, I’ve played with Ed Sheeran in stadiums to 100,000 people and I’ve also played in bars to thirty people,” she says. “I’ve just done everything so nothing can faze me now no matter how big or how small. I enjoy the variety, it keeps it interesting and keeps the songs and the shows feeling fresh.”
Last month, she claimed her first No.1 on the U.K. album chart with her sophomore album “The Good Witch,” becoming the youngest artist to hit number one since Olivia Rodrigo’s “Sour” in 2021. Maisie describes this achievement as a “great feeling” but also a “relief” for her team and collaborators who have been an integral part of the journey since the beginning. “I was just really happy for my team, my band, my manager and co-writers. I’ve worked with all of them for six or seven years and we’ve all worked so hard and everybody has put so much into it and there have been so many sacrifices made. I’ve written hundreds of songs with some of these people, so to get this achievement and to share it with them was so cool.”
The Brit worked on “The Good Witch” during her whirlwind 2022 touring schedule and would use her days off to write songs and gain inspiration. Of this process, Maisie says: “It was good to go between the two things, it’s good to use the left and right side of your brain. Playing shows and touring and then going to the studio and writing kept both things fresh.”
Maisie Peters plays at the Official Lollapalooza Aftershow at House of Blues Chicago on August 5 and at Lollapalooza on August 6.
Walking the Walk: Thirsty Ears Festival Reinvents Itself The reorganization of the concert is just half of the reimagination of the festival. There’s also an entirely separate component: an audio walking tour of the Ravenswood neighborhood.
Departing the Comfort Zone: Ear Taxi Festival’s Ambitious Return In “Up High” two artists confront a shared fear of heights by performing on pedestals on the ninth floor of the penthouse of the Logan Center. One can only imagine what the rehearsals were like.
