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We now know how a Lollapalooza attendee who became stuck in a mudpit up to her knees and then was fenced off by festival staff finally got out of the unusual situation.
Videos and photos of the New Jersey woman, whom some have dubbed “mud girl,” have continued to circulate well after the annual festival concluded in Chicago last Sunday.
Why Lollapalooza Gated Off Girl Stuck in Mud
Chloe Banha was prepared for just about anything as she left New Jersey for Chicago to attend Lollapalooza, her third time going all four days of the festival. But no one, including Banha, could have been prepared for the mess Grant Park became after heavy overnight rain leading into the third day of Lollapalooza.
Banha was undeterred by the mud. She embraced it while others tried (and mostly failed) to avoid it.
“My friend, Kait (Ortiz), and I noticed that everyone was avoiding the mud, so we made the best of it,” Banha told Loudwire. “In all of the festivals I’ve been to, there is rarely any space to dance in front of the artists’ stages, so the muddy floor felt like a gift from the festival Gods.”
The more they danced, the more mud caked around their boots. Ortiz eventually found a large puddle to wash off her footwear, but was surprised by how deep it was once she stepped into it.
“We realized this could be dangerous and didn’t want anyone to get hurt,” Banha said. “While Kait went to get help, I realized my boots were tall enough that I could jump in the hole and not get wet.”
Banha stepped into the deep puddle until Ortiz returned with members of the Safefest team. The festival’s safety crew worked to surround the hole with a small fence. “It wasn’t until the fence came that I realized I was stuck.”
Escaping a Lollapalooza Mud Pit
Despite wearing heavy boots that were made for wet and muddy conditions, Banha was unable to get out of the muddy hole on her own. She was stuck on the south end of the festival grounds as fans headed to the T-Mobile stage to watch alt-rock band The Neighbourhood.
“All the people walking by were so kind and funny. Some people danced with me; some people took pictures or videos; some even dipped their feet in the hole.”
It finally took what Banha described as a “little wiggle and a helping hand” from Ortiz and the Safefest team to free her from the mud pit. And yes, her boots remained on her feet so she could enjoy the rest of the festival.
“The Neighborhood is a band I’ve been dying to see for years and being stuck in a hole for their entire performance made that experience even more memorable.”
Banha herself became a memorable part of Lollapalooza for both those in attendance and those who chose to stay home and catch up on social media.
“It was crazy to see how many pictures and videos of me in the hole made it online. The last day of Lollapalooza, I was even approached and asked if I was the girl in the mud hole.”
READ MORE: 7 Big Rock + Metal Moments That Happened at Lollapalooza 2026
More photos and videos from Banha’s Lollapalooza experience can be found on her Instagram and TikTok.
Given the weather conditions, things certainly could have been a lot worse during Lollapalooza this year.
Keep reading for a look back at some of the most disastrous music festivals of all time.
15 Most Disastrous Music Festivals in History
Here are some of the most disastrous music festivals in history, many of which proved unacceptably arduous for attendees, but a handful of others that unfortunately turned tragic. You might remember many of these instances — others you may not know about yet. Keep reading to find out.
Gallery Credit: Philip Trapp
