An Iowa summer day can be best described as waking up to the sound of birds chirping and the neighbor kids out playing. The scent of fresh cut grass and the thick feeling of humid air. The day ends with a bonfire and the hum of cicadas. The fireflies light up the sky as the storm clouds start to roll in. They break into a classic summer thunderstorm filled with a hot breeze and heavy rain. The only thing that could make the day better is Hinterland.
Hinterland is a music festival located in St. Charles, Iowa that spans three days. It starts August 1st and ends August 3rd. Across these three days, 25 different music artists will perform their sets. Hinterland has roughly 12,000 people attend each year, but in more recent years, it has gained popularity. In 2024, Hinterland had over 18,000 people attend throughout the weekend.
Last year’s record number of attendees led to significant changes.One major change the festival has made is moving the main stage to a larger area. This creates more space for the festival goers and eliminates overcrowding. They have also added another amphitheater so that shows can be more spread out.
Since the festival is so late in the summer, the heat also poses a difficulty for those attending.To combat the extreme temperatures, the festival board has planted an extensive amount of trees and has added misting fans throughout the venue. More water filling stations have also been added and a new heat policy. This policy allows attendees to have the option to get a full ticket refund on days that are predicted to reach 90 degrees or higher which will help decrease the chances of heat-related medical emergencies. Customers are happy with this policy because tickets aren’t cheap.
Hinterland has several different ticket options available. They offer three-day passes which range from $330 to $1920 depending on what tier the buyer chooses. All ticket packages include access to all three days of shows, shaded tents, and food and drink vendors available for additional purchase. The more expensive VIP and Saints packages include perks like private viewing lounges, dedicated fast lines and exclusive merchandise.
If attending all three days isn’t right for you, there are also single-day tickets. These range from $145 to $950. They offer the same amenities as the three days, but only a singular day of performances. Hinterland also has a plethora of camping and parking options.
Camping passes range from $150 to $1800. These passes allow for a designated camping spot located on festival grounds. These spots make it extremely easy for concert attendees to head to the festival or take breaks throughout the weekend. In recent years, a shuttle from the capitol in Des Moines has been added for additional transportation. Parking passes are also available, but they are extremely limited.
This year, Hinterland has some extremely big names headed to the stage. The headliners are Tyler, The Creator, Kacey Musgraves and Lana Del Ray. These stars alone are enough to draw a crowd, but there are also a lot of other artists that bring people in, like Clairo and Role Model.
Hinterland is a wonderful option for a midwest summer music festival, but it definitely isn’t the only one. Lollapalooza is an even bigger event.
Summer in Chicago is a vibrant mix of cool lake breezes, warm city nights, walks along the lakefront and bustling nightlife. People come together to enjoy deep-dish pizza or grilled street food. Scattered parks and greenery blanket the city on a calm summer night. Millennium Park that houses Cloud Gate, also known as The Bean, is a popular spot for summer festivities, including Lollapalooza.
Lollapalooza is the largest Midwest weekend music festival. It spans four days starting July 31st and ending on August 3rd. During these four days, more than 170 different artists will perform across 8 different stages in Grant Park. This festival continuously sells out every year and attracts over 400,000 people throughout the weekend. Each day attracts about 115,000 people.
Since this festival is so heavily attended, the festival offers several different ticket packages for attendees to choose from. Ticket offers range from $189 and even extend to $25,000. These different packages offer several different amenities.
For one, two and four day general admission buyers can expect access to the shows on the purchased day, food and drink stands at an additional cost, and shaded areas throughout the park. These GA tickets range from $189 to $415. For an additional range of $300 to $775, you can purchase GA+. GA+ , which adds in private lounges, jumbo screens located in the lounges and separate entrances into the festivals.
Lollapalooza has another two types of ticket packages available. VIP tickets range from $635 for one day, to $1670 for four days. These tickets include GA amenities but also an on field viewing section, comfort amenities, transportation and free hair and glitter services. They also offer Platinum tickets starting at $2080 for one day and $4550 for four days. These tickets include everything offered in previous packages, plus front-of-stage-viewing, platinum lounges, complimentary bars and all-day dining.
These tickets grant access to all 8 headliners which include Tyler, The Creator, Luke Combs, Olivia Rodrigo, Korn, Rufus Du Sol, Twice, Sabrina Carpenter and A$AP Rocky. Throughout the morning and afternoon, other notable artists that will perform are Gracie Abrams, Wallows, Doechii and many others.
Hinterland and Lollapalooza have been around for years and continue to supply midwesterners with music festivals. These festivals not only entertain those in the Midwest but also people from all over the world who want to experience the incredible line-ups.
