Hinterland returns with new stage, extra room and traffic flow
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Hinterland in 2025. Photo: Courtesy of Hinterland
Hinterland is back this summer with new features, including a permanent stage and an eclectic four-day lineup, July 30-Aug. 2.
Why it matters: No one really expects to see Lorde out among farm fields, and we get to proudly say they're our farm fields.
How it started: Booking artists for this year's lineup started in 2025, beginning with getting Lorde as the headliner for Friday, Hinterland founder Sam Summers tells Axios.
- Summers decided to make the festival four days this year after finding out girl group Katseye was available for Thursday.
- "I have an 8-year-old daughter, so I'm very familiar with that scene, and it's one of her favorites," Summers says.
- Mumford & Sons, playing Saturday, is a folk nod back to Hinterland's early days. Summers also wanted to book a Latin artist and got Kali Uchis for Sunday.
How it happens: Booking friends and like-minded artists on the same day makes it easier to get a yes from everyone.
- The backstage environment is similar to a fun summer camp, Summers says, including a bar, coffee, a juicery, catering, massage, a barber, an IV tent, and a mental health tent.
There are several new features this year, including:
🎤 A permanent stage: Hinterland is on Summers' farmland in St. Charles, and the new massive stage is visible from the interstate, he says.
🌾 More room: He added 130 acres to expand car camping, which has become increasingly popular. There will also be trail improvements and easier access to the campfire stage, a late-night intimate concert space for campers.
- Summers, who's also a gardener, is planting a sunflower field for festivalgoers, and he's growing a cornfield for "secret" and more intimate performances in the future, a la "Field of Dreams."
🚗 New traffic flow: After last year's slow drive home for festivalgoers leaving after Lana Del Rey's set, Hinterland has set up a new route with Iowa State Patrol to use the Bevington exit and reduce interstate backups.
Friction point: In the festival's early days, about 80% of attendees were Iowans. Now, half come from out of state, a shift Summers attributes partly to the pop lineup. He's still working to win back longtime locals who've drifted away.
- "I haven't solved that," he says.
- Local food has also taken a hit. Three years ago, Summers outsourced food and bar operations due to the high stress of handling them, but higher vendor rates drove away local trucks, a problem he wants to fix.
What's next: Dream artists Summers wants to book someday include Olivia Dean, Charli XCX, The 1975 and Zach Top.
If you go: Hinterland runs July 30-Aug. 2. Tickets start at $155 for one-day admission or $390 for four days.