Tate McRae is so back. The Canadian pop diva made her big return to Lollapalooza in Chicago on Sunday, August 2, after playing the iconic music fest two years ago on the Bud Light Stage. It’s safe to say that this time around, her devoted Tater Tots were well fed when she was upgraded to the main stage to close out the entire fest.
Back at Lollapalooza with T-Mobile for another year, I kicked off my Sunday at Club Magenta before heading over to watch Tate headline the T-Mobile Stage. For my second round at Lolla, the lounge was the perfect place to cool off, charge my phone, and grab a drink before Tate closed off the entire fest with her milestone set, all without missing any of the action.
I’ve done my fair share of roughing it at music festivals over the years, so having a safe space to regroup and get comfy between sets felt like the ultimate luxury. Between the custom bandana bar, free drinks from 6 to 7 each day, and a chance to score prizes (including backstage viewing!) at the giant gumball machine, Club Magenta ended up being just as much a part of my Lolla experience as the performances themselves.
And this wasn’t one to miss. It’s been a minute since Tate wrapped her Miss Possessive Tour, which marked her first time headlining arenas, at L.A.’s Kia Forum last November. Now, she’s craving more for her already hugely successful and ever-blossoming career.
You can feel that ambition the second Tate—or, I should say, her sultry alter ego, Tatiana—hit the stage, which was decorated with white polished Greek-inspired columns and concrete stairs. The adrenaline immediately grew as the first drum kick of “Just Keep Watching” echoed through the crowd, sending them into a steady streak of singing along.
Of course, the triple-threat’s got hits. It seemed like all of Grant Park was ready to follow her anywhere as thousands of people sang—no, screamed—every word to songs like “she’s all i wanna be” and “TIT 4 TAT” that introduced Tate McRae to the world. Some, including some hardcore fans to my right, were so committed; they joined in for a bit of her sophisticated choreography as she hit her own marks.
It’s a peak rite of passage for any pop girlie, and this set, which happens to be her first full show in nine months, is a clear sign that Tate’s momentum will continue to catch fire. And I’m not talking about her epic pyros that lit up the stage.
As someone who’s seen her perform from her humble beginnings to her headlining era, believe me when I say every part of this show feels elevated on every level. As her talent and accolades have grown, so has her budget, and it was abundantly clear in her custom Ludovic de Saint Sernin looks, several big-time interludes, and a minimal yet meticulous set design.
Of course, the biggest moments came when she showcased her incredible dancing skills, strutted down the runway, and hit a few splits. Though there was a ton of advanced synchronized choreography that carried her performance, the audience’s attention hardly diverted from Tate. I only snapped out of my own trance when I realized some day-one fans and my sister, who had never witnessed Tate’s pop star glory, were mesmerized by her aura.
Before she stripped down and performed her first megahit, “you broke me first,” Tate took a moment to address the crowd and reflect on everything it took to get her on a stage in front of more than 100,000 attendees.
“It feels very surreal, but I started this all in my bedroom when I was 13 years old with a little series I called, when I wrote a song, ‘Create With Tate,’” she said, looking out into the sea of people who tuned into her siren sounds on stage. “If it weren’t for all those embarrassing, scary videos I put out in middle school, I wouldn’t be standing here with you guys.”
To witness Tate’s evolution has been a bit of a winding journey in itself. When I sat down with her back in 2022 to talk about her debut album, I Used to Think I Could Fly, she admitted she had no idea how people would receive the music she’d poured so much of herself into.
“I’m so nervous,” she said at the time. “I just have no idea how people are gonna receive it. It’s crazy when something so vulnerable and personal gets released into the world because it’s out of your hands. It belongs to the listeners now, and that’s really terrifying but exciting.”
Four years later, those listeners showed up. She’s no stranger to showbiz, as she’s a professionally trained jazz, hip-hop, ballet, and contemporary dancer who came in third place on So You Think You Can Dance: The Next Generation when she was just 13. At 16, her first song, “One Day,” immediately showcased her emotional complexity and songwriting prowess, earning her a record deal. Since then, she’s become a bit of an It Girl thanks to her 2023 turning point, “greedy,” eventually carving a lane for herself as the choreo queen who can hit a clam slam as easily as she can pen a heart-wrenching ballad.
That kind of duality cemented her as a bona fide pop star to watch and even earned her a 2026 Grammy nomination. Her viral medley of “Sports car” and “Revolving door” became the second VMAs performance in history to be nominated for Outstanding Choreography at the Emmy Awards, 30 years after Michael Jackson achieved the same feat in 1996.
Watching her command the jam-packed Lollapalooza crowd with her signature dance breaks, infectious pop hooks, and unshakable presence only added to the stepping stones that thrust her further into the spotlight. And, as she closed out the entire weekend with “Sports car” and dipped her entire body in gold paint, it fully hit me that Tate McRae no longer thinks she could fly. She’s already soaring toward the next evolution of her artistry, which is a path she seems to have chosen for all eternity.
