The Smashing Pumpkins closed their Lollapalooza 2026 headline set with a string of surprise guests, including Olivia Rodrigo, Yungblud, and former bassist Melissa Auf der Maur. The July 31 performance on Chicago’s Bud Light Stage marked the band’s return to Lollapalooza for the first time since 1994.
Billy Corgan and company delivered a 17-song hometown set that spanned the band’s catalog, from 1993’s Siamese Dream to 2000’s Machina/The Machines Of God. The guests arrived one by one, turning the set into a generational summit.
Yungblud Brings the Energy
Yungblud had already performed his own high-octane set earlier in the day when he returned to join the Pumpkins. The Doncaster singer performed Luna, the closing track from Siamese Dream, and told the crowd: “This is a fucking dream come true!”
The pairing made sense: Yungblud has frequently cited 1990s alternative rock as an influence, and his presence on stage bridged the gap between the Pumpkins’ original fan base and a younger crowd that discovered the band through streaming and festival culture.
Olivia Rodrigo Sings Thirty-Three
Later in the set, Corgan paused to introduce a very special guest. Olivia Rodrigo emerged to sing Thirty-Three from 1995’s Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness. Corgan played acoustic guitar while Rodrigo handled vocals, drawing cheers from the rain-soaked Chicago crowd.
The moment quickly became one of the most shared performances of the festival weekend. Rodrigo and Corgan’s pairing was especially notable given Rodrigo’s own alternative-leaning pop style and her public appreciation for 1990s rock acts.
Melissa Auf Der Maur Returns
The final guest was Auf der Maur, the band’s former touring bassist. She returned to play on the set closer The Everlasting Gaze. Her appearance was not entirely unexpected; she had played the same song with the band two nights earlier at an intimate pre-Lollapalooza show.
“And now I’d like to bring out a very, very special guest: Miss Olivia Rodrigo!” — Billy Corgan, Lollapalooza 2026
Why It Matters
The Smashing Pumpkins’ Lollapalooza return proved that 1990s alternative rock still draws massive festival crowds, but the guest appearances also showed how 2026 festivals have become cross-generational events. Having Rodrigo, Yungblud, and Auf der Maur on stage together was not just nostalgia — it was a deliberate statement that the Pumpkins’ catalog remains relevant enough to attract the current pop moment’s biggest names.
For more on this summer’s festival highlights, see our coverage of Charli XCX’s Lollapalooza tour.
