The Hinterland Music Festival has come a long way since its 2015 debut, which was famously rerouted to Des Moines Water Works Park due to flooding at its St. Charles site. Except for a brief pause in 2020 due to the pandemic, the festival has expanded every year.
The 2026 event, however, featured an absolute explosion of growth. The schedule swelled from three days to four (July 30-August 2), and the grounds increased by 130 acres to a spacious 400-acre footprint. A new permanent 65-foot steel and concrete stage was elevated seven feet above the grade to drastically improve sight lines. To keep fans safe in the Iowa heat, organizers strategically added shaded zones and water stations. The physical transformation was immediately noted when entering: the venue looked grander, felt wider, and seemed easier to navigate, whether hitting the restrooms, grabbing a snack, or just chasing a better view.
Yet, the most remarkable transformation was a subtle, unannounced shift in programming. Hinterland’s 2026 lineup stood out from the typical male-dominated festival circuit. This year’s bookings could be best described as women centered. While management did not offer an official press release on the curation, industry partners and gender equity organizations praised the 2026 roster as one of the most inclusive in North America, featuring nearly 60 percent female and 6 percent nonbinary performers. A casual glance across the valley made it clear that women and nonbinary attendees heavily outnumbered men, perhaps attracted by the large number of talented women performing. The scuttlebutt of the crowd was that this was “a girly fest,” but it was said with pride rather than derision.
This year’s roster of female artists featured a range of artists and different styles, from the global teen-girl group pop of Katseye to the radical punk grrrl pronouncements of the trio MUNA to the dreamy shoegaze of soloist Wisp to the electronic buzz of Snow Stoppers. Each of these artists received enthusiastic receptions from the crowd despite their artistic differences.
Hinterland enjoys a reputation for presenting new acts to the Hawkeye State before they are widely known. Acts such as Chappell Roan, Noah Kahan, Brandi Carlile, and others performed at the fest before their careers blew up. This has also worked in other ways. Well-known performers who had never been to Iowa for various reasons have made their entrance at the festival, such as Tyler, The Creator and Lana Del Rey last year.
This year several acts, including the headliners Lorde, Mumford & Sons, and Kali Uchis, announced from the stage that this was their first time playing in Iowa or even visiting the state. Other artists such as rising stars Waylon Wyatt and Saint Avangeline told their audiences that this was their first festival appearance anywhere. There was a freshness to the performances, as if the big names wondered what Iowans were really like and the newbies marveled that thousands of people really wanted to listen to them.
There was an impressive variety of music presented at this year’s fest, including pop, electronica, hip hop, singer-songwriter, country, rock, and all things in between. The daily lineups purposely offered various genre offerings to keep listeners interested and surprised. Judging the best acts is difficult because as with comparing apples to oranges, trying to find meaningful comparisons between say a highly verbal rap artist and a non-lyrical electronic performer seem specious at best. Also, the different weather conditions over the four days had an impact. For example, Lorde and Julia Wolf can both be described as alt-rockers. Lorde’s set took place during a steady cold drizzle at night while Wolf played on a beautiful, temperate afternoon. To say one was better than the other without noting the details would be inappropriate.
The three best performances I saw are listed below. As the ancient Latin phrase goes, De gustibus non est disputandum, or “In matters of taste, there is no dispute.” One who attended might have experienced things differently than I, but no one can seriously disagree about the quality of these talents on stage.
1. Santigold (Santi White) and her crew gave the weekend’s most electrifying performance. She blended new wave and power punk anthems with heavy reggae and electronic beats. She confidently delivered commentary about capitalism, civil rights, and social pressures through danceable tracks such as “Disparate Youth,” “L.E.S. Artistes,” and “Thought I Was Dead.” The airtight choreography featured White flanked by two spectacular, gray-haired female dancers in loose white outfits, matching the rhythms with performance-art precision. Santigold got the audience involved by pulling a dozen members onstage for an impromptu dance contest judged by the roaring spectators.
2. Ireland’s CMAT (Ciara Mary-Alice Thompson) provided a masterclass in theatrical musical entertainment. She has a powerful voice and a dynamic physical presence. CMAT turned her confessional “Take a Sexy Picture of Me” into a vigorous foot stomper about sexuality, beauty standards, and the psychological toll of body dysmorphia.
3. American singer-songwriter Sofia Isella played a rousing set that had roots in folk and classical music as well as punk rock. She was a steady dynamo who constantly moved and even left the stage to go crowd surfing. Her set had many musical highpoints, but perhaps the most impressive moment of Hinterland was when Isella joined English goth romantic Paris Paloma on Paloma’s slow-burning feminist diatribe, “Labour.” The duo got their audience roaring with approval as they harmonized on the chorus bemoaning the unfairness of social mores.
Dozens of other golden moments and fine shows punctuated the weekend. No doubt other people will cite the headliners or other talented acts such as Wet Leg, Geese, Jessie Murph, the Format, et al, as their favorites. I make no claims for my authority. The 2026 Hinterland Music Festival proved that it is not just growing in physical size, but in cultural significance—making it an event that fills all of Iowa with artistic pride.