Lindsay Perrin organizes mud wrestling

Lindsay Perrin’s impromptu “lesbian mud wrestling” meetup at Lollapalooza became one of the weekend’s most-circulated side stories after heavy rain turned Grant Park into a mud field on Saturday, Aug. 1. Perrin, a 38-year-old from Indianapolis, told People she came up with the idea hours earlier after seeing video of the soaked festival grounds and posted a same-day Instagram invitation for what she called “Scissor Slam 2K26.” The event drew hundreds of onlookers, according to People, and local coverage showed it taking shape between the Allianz and T-Mobile stages. Rain had already delayed the festival’s third day by four hours, with gates opening at 3 p.m. after flooding in the park. ### How did this start so fast? Perrin told People the idea began as a joke while she was walking with a friend and saw footage of the muddy grounds. She said she quickly decided the conditions could be turned into a communal spectacle and made a graphic around lunchtime inviting festivalgoers to join later that day. Block Club Chicago reported that Perrin, an Indianapolis resident, said the post on Instagram drew more than 120,000 views. (aol.com) The Columbia Chronicle, which photographed the event, reported that Perrin said the post went up around 12:30 p.m. Saturday and reached nearly 170,000 views. ### Where in Lollapalooza did it happen? (aol.com) Grant Park’s mud was concentrated enough on Saturday for festivalgoers to turn one patch into a makeshift ring. Block Club Chicago reported that the gathering formed between the Allianz and T-Mobile stages after Perrin’s social-media callout spread during the day. The Columbia Chronicle placed the action at about 6:30 p.m. on Aug. 1 and described women throwing and tackling each other into the mud. (blockclubchicago.org) Its photo coverage showed Perrin declaring winners while contestants emerged coated in mud. ### What did people actually see there? People said hundreds of festivalgoers, including LGBTQ+ and straight attendees, formed a circle around the event after Perrin shouted for “lesbian mud wrestling.” The outlet said Perrin had expected a much smaller turnout. (blockclubchicago.org) Vice described one mud-pit fight that turned into a make-out session as the crowd cheered. (columbiachronicle.com) A Yahoo item citing TMZ footage described the same moment as two women trading body slams before a kiss. ### Why was the mud itself already a story? Lollapalooza’s third day opened late after morning rain and flooding in Grant Park, according to Block Club Chicago. The outlet reported that crews had been seen pumping water out before gates opened and that woodchips were later spread across the park. (aol.com) Consequence reported on Aug. 5 that attendee Chloe Bahna went viral after becoming stuck knee-deep in mud and needing help to get out. (vice.com) The outlet said the same rain-soaked conditions that produced the wrestling scene also created the hole that trapped her. ### What has Perrin said about it since? People reported on Aug. 5 that Perrin linked the event to queer community-building and said creating spaces for queer joy mattered to her. (blockclubchicago.org) The outlet said Perrin came out publicly on May 1, 2022, and has since organized queer events in different places. Block Club Chicago and the Columbia Chronicle both documented the Aug. 1 gathering on the ground, while People’s Aug. 5 account and Vice’s video write-up extended the story beyond the festival. (consequence.net) Those reports, along with the viral “mud girl” clip, are where the next wave of attention around the episode has centered. (aol.com)