Haute & Freddy Delivered Lollapalooza 2026's Biggest Celebration of Self-Expression

Haute & Freddy Delivered Lollapalooza 2026’s Biggest Celebration of Self-Expression

Review and photos by Wendy Davis

Beware, the freaks are back in town! Haute & Freddy, your favorite cookey, misfit, campy LA pop duo, made their second return to Chicago for Lollapalooza.

Celebrating the release of their debut album, Big Disgrace, Haute & Freddy already scored a spot on the Lollapalooza stage on July 30th, 2026! The next day, they threw the perfect aftershow at Chicago’s Thalia Hall. Ruffles, glitter, clown makeup, and shimmery party hats as far as the eye could see. This was not just a late night concert, but a celebration where every weirdo was not only welcome, but essential to the circus.

The energy in the room was electric as soon as it filled up. These were not your typical concertgoers; these fans were ready to play and knew how to commit to a theme. With every person dressed in their own take of circus-core fashion, it was clear that this was about to be a party. The show kicked off right at midnight with a brief animated projection telling the story of two performers who ditched the big top to pursue their own musical careers. Then, on came Freddy to the drums and Haute in her platform purple velvet boots and ruffled clown collar.

Kicking it off with “Anti-Superstar”, this crowd was ready to rally! Immediately, hands were in the air, every lyric being screamed with passion from every corner. The set flowed from the dreamy, dancing-in-your-room vibes in “Sophie”, to the electric, punchy energy of “Fields of Versailles”.

Above all, this band had an A+ in songs that celebrate femininity and self-expression, ones that you can’t help but scream the lyrics to with the people you love the most – exactly what this show was made to do. Everyone let their walls down with everything, from some subtle clown face paint to massive yellow wigs and striped stockings. Pairings that may raise an eyebrow in any other context, but here, it was perfect.

The energy picked up even more with the song “Freaks”, as two jesters in dramatic makeup and huge red wigs joined the stage. The Fou Fou Ha clown duo worked the crowd as the show pivoted to invite more audience participation. Haute took a pause to admire the sea of costumes and invite a handful of fan participants on stage for the next song.

She selected a king, a queen, a pope, two knights, and a woman in a red beret for a hilarious on-stage pantomime of “Scantily Clad”. The group danced and sang together in front of the sea of people, all jumping along with them. Afterwards, Haute admitted to being so excited that she forgot to tell the volunteers what to do on stage, but the moment was so beautifully harmonious, it needed no direction.

A few hours prior to the show, the band hosted an activation at the venue, where fans could write in fun facts about themselves that the band would draw from a hat during the show. Haute pulled from the hat and called out a fan named Leo, who wrote that they like to do acrobatic tricks in their free time.

Haute demanded that Leo demonstrate, so the crowd gave them some space, and Leo proceeded to do a full-on dance on their hands, with their feet twirling in the air. Haute & Freddy squealed and jumped with joy on stage, in amazement. “Well, that was a lot more exciting than the song that we’re about to play, but here it goes…” she followed.

Haute & Freddy’s late-night aftershow was a full-on party, filled with joy where every freak (in the best way) was acknowledged and celebrated. It was a room where dancing the pain away was not only literal, but spiritual. A temporary oasis far away from all the friction in the world outside those doors. A space where compliments to strangers flowed naturally, friendships were made, and every freakish outcast was an essential piece to the puzzle. For one night, that camaraderie that Haute & Freddy created was more than enough to remind us what life is really about.