SANTIAGO, Chile (CelebrityAccess MediaWire) — One of America’s most beloved music festivals lands overseas in Santiago, Chile on April 2-3 2011 at O'Higgins Park as the first Lollapalooza International.
Festival visionary Perry Farrell, in conjunction with Chile’s Lotus Producciones, WME and C3 Presents–the promotional partners behind the North American Lollapalooza– are premiering Lollapalooza Chile. Line-up details will be available at a later date.
Similar to its Chicago home Grant Park in North America, O'Higgins Park is a gorgeous scenic locale in the middle of a bustling urban hub. Farrell and the team behind Lollapalooza International promise an eclectic lineup of top talent from around the world.
Farrell also emphasizes that Lollapalooza will partake in a "cultural exchange," by featuring Chilean artists at this summer's North American Lollapalooza in Grant Park.
Since first hitting the road in 1991, Lollapalooza established its legacy providing a traveling platform for groundbreaking acts such as Jane’s Addiction, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Nine Inch Nails, Soundgarden, Smashing Pumpkins, Tool, Alice In Chains, Beastie Boys, Snoop Dogg and countless more.
In 2005, Lollapalooza was reborn as a destination festival, taking over Chicago's historic Grant Park for three days every summer and boasting over 130 acts in all genres. The festival continues to thrive in the Windy City every summer, getting bigger and better every year with acts such as Rage Against The Machine, Radiohead and Kanye West. Last year’s gathering was headlined by Lady Gaga, Soundgarden and Green Day.
A Q&A with Lollapalooza’s creator Perry Farrell:
What inspired you to bring Lollapalooza to what many might think of as an unlikely location of a city in South America?
PF: There are a series of prerequisites when selecting a destination. Number one is space. It must be open and lovely; scalable up to 100,000 patrons. Second is the proximity to the city. We provide the entertainment. The city provides the culture, hotels, restaurants and clubs. Then, most important are the people. The people of Santiago have a passion for contemporary music and lead international lifestyles. Perfect.
We understand you have made a trip to Chile and have seen the park. Can you talk about the beauty of the location?
PF: Yes, O' Higgins Park has a gentle sloping grass viewing area with the Andes Mountains in the distance. There are many trees for shade. One of my favorite aspects to the park is a large round discotheque that houses up to 10,000 people. It is attached to an amusement park with a roller coaster and people scream on it all day. Right now you'll see families spending time in the park. Little kids roaming all over.
Can music fans expect the same eclectic music that Lollapalooza is known for in America?
PF: Yes, we found that there are so many groups and artists that have never been to Chile. It's been fun figuring out with Lotus, C3 and WME, who will be the first to get there.
The promoter in Chile is Sebastian De La Barra of Lotus Producciones. What did you see in him that made him the right choice to bring Lollapalooza to Chile?
PF: When first meeting Sebastian, I noted that he had a disposition reminiscent of the best promoters I have had the pleasure to work with. He is smart, relaxed and having fun in the driver’s seat.
We understand that the festival will also feature musicians and bands from Chile. Can you elaborate on that?
PF: Local talent is essential to rounding out the experience of a Lollapalooza. Sebastian has strong opinions on who will be best. We can not say who just yet. We are also looking to bring some of those artists out to Chicago for a musical foreign exchange.
As with any festival in its first year, there is always a learning curve.
PF: We are confident a massive music audience is awaiting us in Santiago. What we are very interested to learn is how widely spread the demographic will be. In Chicago we have hipsters as well as young parents with children in attendance. It is one of the few places in the world where a generation gap doesn't exist.
According to the press release.
— Crystal Lynn Huntoon
