As summer slowly inched towards its finish line, the days got hotter, the nights got shorter, and the music got louder. Chicago teens stacked outside of Grant Park on Thursday, August 3, waiting in fearless anticipation for the start of the city’s largest, four-day music festival: Lollapalooza.

This is the 26th year the festival has taken over our beloved Grant Park. Though rumored that the addition of the fourth day was solely to celebrate the festival’s 25th anniversary in 2016, Lollapalooza decided to make this additional day a tradition (due to the immense increase in profit). Hoping to match their 400,000 attendees from the previous year, the festival booked a handful of trending artists in a wide variety of music genres.

As a first time Lolla-goer, I based my preparation on advice from festival veterans. From the heavy metal bass heads, to the hippie alternative junkies, all said the same, two words: drink water.

The constant stressing of this simple element seemed to be the first thought to flood one’s mind when asked about the most important thing to bring to Lollapalooza (though “your favorite crop top” was a close second). Camelback stations lined the park, just in case the two water bottles you were allowed in ran out. Smart move, Lolla…

Not smart enough, though. Even with all of the canteen stations and electronic reminders to hydrate, many people were sent to the hospital daily for dehydration. The estimated count of teenagers sent to the hospital is said to be similar to 2016, which reached roughly 268. The majority of this statistic is based off of a combination of dehydration with the consumption of drugs — another flaw of Lollapalooza.

The festival, in the eyes of many parents and professionals, is just a reason for teenagers to get drunk, get high, and maybe listen to some music. The problem of underage drinking and drug abuse is one that Lollapalooza, as a corporation, may never be able to solve. But, in the grand scheme of things, if these teens only cared about the illegal activity, why would they pay 360 dollars to simply have a field to do it in?

Overlooking the nuts and bolts of all that Lolla may seem to “encourage,” at the end of the day, it will always come down to the music. With eight stages and over 170 bands (not to mention ones from around the world, not just U.S. gigs), it is obvious why many choose to spend their summer days in a crowded and claustrophobic space. The hours of leg cramps and sweaty palms are well worth it when your all-time favorite performer is less than 15 feet away from you.

As for lineups, the festival truly made a statement this year. Headliners ranged from the top performers in the rap game to rising alternative rock stars, from DJs to solo acts. Major overlaps forced the crowds to make tough decisions on whose concert to attend. Some preferred to jump from band to band and vibe out towards the back of the crowds, while others (me) camped out for over 10 hours to be front row for their favorite act. No matter what mold you fit into, you were guaranteed satisfaction by the end of the night.

Lollapalooza opened with sunshine Thursday morning, but it closed with a major evacuation. Both Lorde and Lil Uzi only were able to perform about 3 songs before the crew cut the cords. Lorde later posted an apology on her social media. Though it was completely grey outside from the downpour, it was easy to hear the screaming and pattering of footsteps running to shove passed the gates. Grant Park seemed to be evacuated in under 20 minutes.

Crime did leave its mark on Grant Park, just as it has in the past years of the fest. 27 people were arrested, with 11 of those people being arrested on Sunday, the final day. Reasons for arrest include theft, battery, trespassing, and narcotics. On Saturday, a man was put into custody after being found with over 60 cellphones in a backpack. Unluckily, my now-stolen phone was not one of the 60.

Though the festival does have its disadvantages, the conditions don’t take away from the enthralling environment of lively music, creativity, and style that Lollapalooza creates. The idea of thousands of different people coming to the same area, and the same stage, to enjoy and listen to the same music is one that is remarkable. A common theme of “speeches” from performers was the fact that in a world of war and poverty, of hate and ignorance, we are all unified in music. Music penetrates the entirety of our lives — Lolla celebrates that, and that’s the pure beauty of it.