Chappell Roan’s Lollapalooza set is all the internet can talk about. Not only did the “Good Luck, Babe!” singer deliver a stellar performance (as she always does), but her crowd was staggeringly huge — so huge, in fact, that it may have been the largest audience in the entire history of the international festival.

“Chappell’s performance was the biggest daytime set we’ve ever seen,” a spokesperson for the festival told CNN. “It was a magical moment added to Lolla’s DNA.” 

The exact number of people in the crowd watching Roan isn’t confirmed, but a spokesperson told CNN that 110,000 people attended the festival each day this year, and judging from photos of the day Roan performed, nearly all of them were watching her set.

Roan’s performance seemed familiar to many viewers, including Dan Povenmire, the creator of Phineas and Ferb. On TikTok, Povenmire gave a quick pop culture lesson about another iconic moment in concert history.

“So in 1985, Live Aid happened, and it was broadcast all over the world internationally,” Povenmire explained. “The only thing people remember from that concert is Freddie Mercury and Queen, because it was one of the best live performances any of us had ever seen. He just took this huge crowd at Wembley Stadium, he just took it in his hands and he just shook them around for a while and gave us all this amazing show.”

“I feel like I’ve been waiting for 40 years for another performance at a concert or a festival that feels as culturally significant as that,” Povenmire continued. “And then this happened at Lolla last week.”

Cue a clip of Roan performing “HOT TO GO!” at Lollapalooza to a sea of adoring fans, bringing a level of queer starpower that Mercury would have been proud of.

“That’s Chappell Roan. She wasn’t even headlining,” Povenmire said. “Yeah, Chappell Roan is having a moment.”

@danpovenmire

@chappell roan gives a generation-defining performance at lollapalooza. #freddymercury woulda been proud. #yougogirl @Noah Kahan @Lollapalooza #songwriter #liveaid #phineasandferb #doofenshmirtz #disney

♬ original sound – Dan Povenmire

Folks in Povenmire’s comments section seconded the comparison, lamenting the fact that Roan and Mercury never got to meet — the Queen singer died seven years before Roan was born.

“Genuinely Freddie Mercury would have ADORED Chappell Roan,” one commenter wrote.

“I cry when I think about Live Aid and I now cry seeing Chappell perform for huge crowds,” commented another.

“Chappell Roan is not only having a moment — Chappell Roan IS the moment,” added a third. It truly is Chappell Roan’s world, and we’re just living in it.

Related
A sorority’s take on Chappell Roan’s ‘HOT TO GO!’ is stirring up discourse
Here’s why Chappell Roan says she’s not a Swiftie

Help make sure LGBTQ+ stories are being told...

We can't rely on mainstream media to tell our stories. That's why we don't lock our articles behind a paywall. Will you support our mission with a contribution today?

Once Monthly Annually

Cancel anytime · Proudly LGBTQ+ owned and operated