Olivia Rodrigo and Yungblud Join Smashing Pumpkins at Lollapalooza

A Generational Summit in Chicago

The performance on Thursday, July 31—reported by some sources as a Friday—marked a significant homecoming for The Smashing Pumpkins. It was the band's first time headlining the Chicago-based festival since 1994, when they performed alongside acts such as the Beastie Boys, Green Day, and A Tribe Called Quest. Billy Corgan, the band’s frontman and a lifelong resident of Chicago, prepared for the event with a week-long celebration titled “Pumpkinpalooza.”

This lead-up included a sold-out "underplay" performance at the 2,500-capacity Riviera Theatre, a dedicated merchandise pop-up shop near Grant Park, and a mobile version of Madame Zuzu’s, the teahouse Corgan operates with his wife, Chloé Mendel. The festival set itself served as a bridge between the foundations of Grunge and modern alternative music, bringing together three generations of artists on a single stage.

Yungblud Performs Siamese Dream Deep Cut

The first guest of the evening was YUNGBLUD, who arrived on stage less than an hour after completing his own high-energy festival set. Clad in all-black to match Corgan, the British musician joined the band to perform “Luna,” the final track from the 1993 breakthrough album Siamese Dream. While Corgan provided backing on guitar, Yungblud took over the lead vocals, handling the track's signature falsetto and euphoric verses.

"This is a f—ing dream come true."

— Yungblud

The collaboration highlighted the lasting impact of Siamese Dream, an album that has been certified four-times platinum. Yungblud’s appearance followed his recent success at the Grammys earlier this year, where he won Best Rock Performance for his cover of "Changes," and his One More Time collaboration EP with Aerosmith, which reached the top 10 of the Billboard 200 in November.

Olivia Rodrigo Joins for Mellon Collie Classic

Shortly after Yungblud's departure, Corgan introduced the next surprise guest as the stage transitioned into a red-light atmosphere. Olivia Rodrigo appeared in a sheer baby doll dress and knee-high stockings to perform “Thirty-Three,” the fifth single from the 1995 double album Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness. For this rendition, Corgan switched to an acoustic guitar as the two performed while rain fell over the crowd.

"And now I’d like to bring out a very, very special guest. Miss Olivia Rodrigo!"

— Billy Corgan

Rodrigo has frequently cited nineties alternative rock as a primary influence on her work. Her own commercial success mirrors that of the Pumpkins; her albums SOUR (2021) and GUTS (2023) both debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, and she has secured multiple chart-topping hits including “Drivers License,” “Good 4 U,” and “Vampire.”

Legacy of Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness

The choice of "Thirty-Three" highlighted the band's commercial peak. Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness remains the only Smashing Pumpkins album to reach No. 1 on the Billboard 200, debuting with 246,500 units in its first week. It eventually earned a diamond certification from the RIAA for sales exceeding 10 million copies and received seven Grammy nominations. The album produced major hits such as “1979,” which reached No. 12 on the Hot 100, and “Bullet With Butterfly Wings,” which won the 1997 Grammy for Best Hard Rock Performance.

Reunions and Future Projects

The Lollapalooza appearance also featured a reunion with Melissa Auf der Maur. While some reports indicate she joined the band during the main festival set to perform “The Everlasting Gaze” from the 2000 album Machina/The Machines of God, other sources state this collaboration took place during a Lollapalooza aftershow earlier in the week. Auf der Maur previously served as a touring bassist for the group in 2000. The aftershow also featured an unexpected appearance by actor Barry Williams, known for his role as Greg Brady on The Brady Bunch, who performed the 1970s hit “It’s a Sunshine Day.”

Looking ahead, The Smashing Pumpkins are scheduled to begin The Rats in the Cage tour on September 30 in Columbus, Ohio. The tour is designed as a 30th-anniversary celebration of Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness combined with a career-spanning set.

Olivia Rodrigo also has several upcoming projects. She is set to perform at her new all-female festival, Daisy Chain Fields, on August 29 in Irvine, California. The lineup for that event includes Stevie Nicks, Bikini Kill, Mitski, Chappell Roan, and Doechii. Furthermore, Rodrigo is scheduled to launch her Unraveled Tour in early 2027, where she will perform songs from her latest album, You Seem Pretty Sad for a Girl So in Love.