Hinterland Festival Faces Backlash, Promises Big Fixes for 2025

Over the summer, thousands of music fans gathered in Iowa during the first weekend in August for Hinterland, the state's biggest music festival.

The most recent Hinterland music festival drew a crowd of 20,000 to the Avenue of the Saints Amphitheater located just about thirty miles from Des Moines, according to reports.

Big name acts like Noah Kahan, Hozier, Chappel Roan, and Vampire Weekend brought in a massive crowd to this venue that reportedly can only safely hold 18,000 people.

@kerrimacc I might have been roasting for most of the afternoon, but Night 1 of @Hinterland Music Festival was electric ⚡️ #hinterlandmusicfestival #hinterland #hozier @Hozier ♬ original sound - Kerrimac

Now, months after the festival, organizers are addressing the issues that plagued this Iowa music event.

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Hinterland 2024 Concerns: Crowds, Lack of Water, and Safety

One of the concerns that many festival attendees had was regarding just how many tickets were sold. The festival crowd numbers seemed larger than in years past.

During the first night of the festival, I stayed to watch all of the performers. As soon as Hozier wrapped up his set, the crowds of people dispersed to the only two available exits.

By the time I got to the road to cross over, a large group of attendees were waiting for the volunteers to let us cross. They let car after car go by but would not let pedestrians cross for upwards of an hour.

On the final day of the festival, I struggled to maneuver across the hordes of people to go to the bathroom or get water.  I accidentally stepped on people's blankets, legs, and almost knocked over drinks sitting on the ground as I weaved through.

While many locals expected the brutal Iowa summer heat, it's a completely different animal when you are out in the sun all day with little access to water.

Water access was another issue for many attendees on the first day, but over the course of the next few days the festival organizers fixed this and added more water stations.

Hinterland's Instagram Got Wiped

On December 6th, the official Hinterland Instagram was completely wiped of all of the photos and videos from past festivals. Frustrated fans would flock to the Instagram page during the 2024 festival to express their concerns, ask questions, and leave comments openly criticizing the event.

While we don't know the reason for this full wipe, the only thing currently on the page is an official statement regarding changes the Hinterland organizers plan to make for next year.

What Changes Are Coming for Hinterland 2025

In an email sent out to 2024 ticket purchasers, Hinterland officials said,

"We heard your feedback and have made it our mission to improve your Hinterland experience in 2025."

The stage will be moving to a different and bigger location on the festival grounds.

"Our new amphitheater will have an expanded footprint with more space to spread out, more trees and shade structures, and better water access."

Read the full statement here.

There are more changes to come from the Hinterland team to improve the festival experience for all fans.

If these changes can be implemented, I'm sure that this Iowa festival will be a positive event for longtime fans and new festival goers alike.

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