Chicago Park District and Lollapalooza Announce the Expansion of the Luxembourg Chairs in 2027 as the City Celebrates the Buckingham Fountain's 100th Anniversary!

Based on the success of the pilot program, the chairs will become a permanent, seasonal amenity beginning next year

CHICAGO, IL – Today, the Chicago Park District and its partner Lollapalooza, are excited to announce that following the overwhelmingly successful pilot at the Buckingham Fountain, the Luxembourg movable chair program will return as a permanent seasonal amenity in 2027. The expanded program will feature an additional 100 seats on the fountain table! The expansion will debut next May as part of the Buckingham Fountain’s 100th anniversary celebration.

“We are thrilled to join Lollapalooza to announce the expansion of the movable chair program at Buckingham Fountain in 2027,” said Chicago Park District General Superintendent & CEO Carlos Ramirez-Rosa. “One of the most beloved and recognizable destinations in our city, the fountain has delighted visitors for generations. What better way to celebrate its rich history and inaugurate its centennial year than to build on the momentum of the successful program and allow even more guests to enjoy the unique experience.”

The Chicago Park District highlights the expansion on Instagram and encourages residents and tourists to check out the video content and see how the Luxembourg chairs made a splash in Grant Park this summer!

The program expansion, made possible through a generous $70,000 contribution from Lollapalooza producer C3 Presents to cover the additional 100 chairs, will double the number of chairs on the fountain table from 100 to 200, allowing even more visitors to take a seat. The contribution builds on Lollapalooza’s initial $30,000 investment toward the cost of the 100 chairs that debuted this year.

“Lollapalooza is proud to call Grant Park and the City of Chicago home, and we’re excited to continue building on our partnership with the Chicago Park District in ways that benefit the park and the people who enjoy it year-round,” said Tim “Tuba” Smith, Executive Producer for Lollapalooza. “It’s been great to see how these chairs have given people another way to spend time together and enjoy the park. Expanding the program builds on that success and reflects our continued commitment to investing in Grant Park and being a strong partner to the residents of Chicago.”

The 100 commercial grade, metal chairs, similar to those featured at the Luxembourg Garden, Tuileries Garden, Palais-Royal Garden in Paris and Bryant Park in New York immediately generated significant enthusiasm among fountain visitors. Based on the survey created to evaluate the pilot, the chairs received an overall 95% satisfaction rate, including respondents representing neighborhoods across the city. Among the feedback shared in the survey, the most common requests were to add more chairs and make the program permanent.

The Buckingham Fountain Movable Chair Program represents one of the first recommendations implemented from the Grant Park Framework Plan: Chicago’s Front Yard Reimagined. The plan sets forth a community-driven vision for the historic park over the next 20 years. The Grant Park Framework Plan takes a comprehensive look at the park, including assets, usage, accessibility, connectivity, safety and advances five core themes: Preservation & Landscape, Recreation, Events, Mobility and Safety & Logistics; and includes both near-term and long-range recommendations to guide future public and private investment.

A gift to the people of Chicago from Miss Kate Buckingham as a memorial to her brother Clarence, the Fountain is often considered the most identifiable landmark in the city. Dedicated on August 26, 1927, the fountain was built at a cost of $750,000 and has since become a favorite backdrop for tourist snap shots, wedding photographers and filmmakers.
The Luxembourg chairs are available daily, 8 a.m. to 11p.m., May through October, except during major events hosted in Grant Park. To learn more about the Luxembourg chairs at Buckingham Fountain, visit the Chicago Park District website.