Experts offer safety tips to festivalgoers attending Lollapalooza

People are arriving in Chicago for Lollapalooza. The four-day festival kicks off in Grant Park on Thursday.

While this is the highlight of the summer for so many, there are some important tips to keep in mind ahead of the big weekend. 

You may have spotted some visitors walking with bags and suitcases. One group of friends in town from Missouri made sure to get their merch early. 

"Lorde ..I'm most excited to see Lorde," said Addison Crass.

It's their first time at the festival and they have some non-negotiables when it comes to their safety.  

"Stay with your group, don't leave them. If there's 3 of you, you stay three," she said.

 "Stay hydrated, keep eating, be full because you don't want to pass out in the heat," said Alexis Beiswinger.

Over 100,000 people are expected at Grant Park every day—security preps are already in place.

"Go, have fun, but be safe, and know that it's a very low chance of a threat to Lollapalooza over the next few days, but that threat is not zero," said former CIA officer Matt Osborne.

Osborne, who is also a current Concealed Carry Association instructor, has helped plan security at major events for presidents. He encourages everyone to be situationally aware and to have a plan.

"If something goes wrong, here's where we're meeting, here's how we're communicating if cell phones go down. Not to make anyone scared or fearful, but to empower you to have the best time possible," he said.

Last year, 42 people from the festival were hospitalized. The lowest number in at least six years. Northwestern Memorial Hospital says the ER will have extra staff this weekend.

Typical Lolla hospital trips include Injuries like sprained ankles, heat illnesses and incidents involving drugs and alcohol. 

"I worry most about people that are taking substances that maybe they get from someone they don't know, or they're buying them from someone they don't know," said Karen Walenick Albert, CEO of the Recovery Centers of America in St. Charles. "Monitor your intake of substances, particularly if you're taking something you've never tried before. You don't know how that's going to affect you."

As meth seizures continue to climb throughout Illinois and the Midwest, the Drug Enforcement Administration's Chicago office warns Lollapalooza attendees of counterfeit pills marketed as molly or ecstasy but contain meth. 

And with rain in the weekend forecast, those going are urged to follow potential evacuation orders.

Every year the festival organizers pay to repair the damage done to Grant Park. In rainy years, that tab is usually higher.

Last year, over $1 million was paid in park restoration fees and city overtime costs