Not since Lady Gaga became mother to all fame monsters in 2010 has Lollapalooza hosted a pop star of similar stature, but Ariana Grande more than made up for the gap with the continuation of her “Sweetener” World Tour. In addition to highlighting tunes from last year’s project of the same name, the extensive trek has since expanded to include fresher cuts from 2019’s “Thank U, Next,” along with radio dominators from the last half-decade.

As Ariana Grande encored with a rainbow of pride flags and her current project’s title track, an eye-popping fireworks display sent everyone home on a hyped-up high over not only what they just witnessed from the headliner, but raring to go for whatever next year’s Lollapalooza may bring.

Even in the outdoor setting, Grande’s gigantic vocals soared across Grant Park with tightly choreographed dance routines, though it was admittedly hard to see her and the surrounding action given the generally dim red lights above. Thankfully that didn’t hamper the appeal of her freshly dropped and debuted single “Boyfriend” (enhanced by special guests Social House), while “7 Rings” easily ranked as one of this festival’s loudest-ever sing-a-longs.

In between the tunes, Grande’s transitions were generally slow and clunky, but she did pick up considerable steam by the trifecta of “Dangerous Woman,” “Break Free” and “No More Tears Left To Cry.” As she encored with a rainbow of pride flags and her current project’s title track, an eye-popping fireworks display sent everyone home on a hyped-up high over not only what they just witnessed from the headliner, but raring to go for whatever next year’s Lollapalooza may bring.

Country-leaning troubadour Kacey Musgraves commended attendees on their bravery, in spite of the risks that can come with huge crowds (which were constantly patrolled and kept safe), while keeping girl power coming with connective cuts from the “Album Of The Year” Grammy winner “Golden Hour.” Though the Texan never abandoned any southern roots, her crossover appeal keeps right on increasing thanks to a wider world view than is traditionally represented in the genre, along with the right balance between delicate acoustic strums and delectable dance beats.

As far as guitar gods go, Slash offered a non-stop shred fest featuring Myles Kennedy And The Conspirators (whose front man is also synonymous with Alter Bridge fame). The guys brought a full-throttled dose of hard rock and metal from their collaborative collection “Living The Dream” and thrilled with a snarling rendition of Guns N’ Roses’ “Nightrain.”

In the DJ booth, Diesel spun several flavors of the hottest tracks past and present, while surely attracting much of his sizeable crowd based on sheer celebrity status. Even those who didn’t already know this was the musical alter ego of NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal, his towering height alone was a dead giveaway, but he definitely had his chops down behind the computers and turntables too.

Hot on the heels of opening up for The Rolling Stones, roots rockers The Revivalists were especially on fire as they raced up and down Lolla’s extensive runaway. The New Orleans’ natives brought a double dose of drums, horn blasts and a pedal steel guitar to the proceedings, alongside a pile of recent smashes from its coming of age collection “Take Good Care.”

As if all that and the prior three days of Lollapalooza weren’t enough, this year’s event boasted a steady stream of green initiatives, while providing several platforms for creative expression beyond simply the arts courtesy of expanded cultural, gaming and shopping experiences, plus elevated culinary delights throughout the flavorful Chow Town. No wonder why it’s the premiere destination for artists and music lovers alike who keep on carving out an annual community within the confines of a truly great global city.

Andy Argyrakis contributed to this review.

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Lollapalooza returns to Grant Park July 30 through August 2, 2020. For additional details, visit Lollapalooza.com.

For additional information on Ariana Grande, visit ArianaGrande.com.