Hinterland 2025, My Beloved

Royel Otis’ Hinterland backdrop that say “Hinterland, You’re So F*cking Gorgeous.”

As someone who has gone to several Hinterlands in the past, going in 2025 was barely even a question for me. Yes, even after the chaos that we saw in 2024 with the lack of water, temperatures over 100 degrees, and heat rash that didn’t leave my body for weeks afterward. And yes, even after I almost passed out at a Stray Kids concert earlier this summer (a story for later). The lineup looked great with some of my favorites, Role Model, Kacey Musgraves, Orla Gartland, Rebecca Black, and more on the list… there was no way I wouldn’t be there.

I was hesitant about how well I’d fare this year after last year’s event, but I came armed and prepared this time around for the worst (AKA bags of ice being rushed out and several people leaving on stretchers). So, how did it go, and what did I do to prepare? Let’s chat!

What was in my bag?

Me with my handheld fan at Hinterland

As I mentioned, I went a little wild with my preparation this year as I would have my younger sibling in tow again, and after last year, the last thing we wanted to do was leave the festival dehydrated and sunburnt. I purchased two mini fans (one for around the neck and another to hold), cooling towels, inflatable chairs, sweat towels, a large can of sunscreen (shout out to my sibling’s partner, Cole), and a collapsible water bottle. What happened next may shock you…. the weather didn’t even reach over 80 degrees!

So I didn’t even end up using having to use even half of the items I brought, but I will say that we did use the fans at the high points of sun throughout the day, and we definitely ran through the suncreen!

Were the changes helpful?

Hinterland has been very transparent throughout the year that they took the backlash of the prior year into account and that they were actively making changes to make it better. I decided that with this in mind, 2025 was the year that would set my expectations for the years to come. I potentially wouldn’t come back if things didn’t go very well this time around. However, I was pleasantly surprised. I don’t think everything was fixed, but I do see the improvements.

What went well:

• Giant fans at the barricade: These were an excellent addition to the pit. Although the weather was way milder than last year, there were still points of high sun where you needed more of a breeze on your face, and this helped make it easier. I honestly didn’t even get my fans out for more than a few minutes the first two days of the festival because of them.

• Water FLOWING: Having the boxed water available and passing it out consistently throughout the Festival was a sight for sore eyes. If you were there in 2024, you know that the water wasn’t passed out in mass until later, and those River Water cans were…. not my favorite. I was so happy to see people not have to yell out for paramedics as often during the festival, and I believe this was a big factor in that.

What needed improvement:

• Pit floor: I did VIP this time around for hopes of better conditions, and in a lot of ways… it was a better experience for me. However, one of the things that I did not love was the way the pit floor was structured. There were holes in the flooring that consistently leaked water and created mud out of the dirt surrounding us. This quickly turned my white shoes into more of a brown color (my bad on the shoe choice though lol). This made it a bit harder to fully focus on the sets at times because we were just worried about being surrounded by a see of dirty legs and shoes. I would love to see that change so that the water flows elsewhere and attendees do not have to stand in mud each day. Shoutout to my tide-to-go stick and my sibling’s washing machine for making my shoes a little less dirty eventually.

• VIP food options: We had two priority food options near us in VIP, and I wasn’t impressed by the selection. We had a less-than-savory teriyaki bowl the first night, and had to venture elsewhere the other two nights. I would love to see more food options in the future that wouldn’t have me walking up that mountain of doom (the walkway up the hill from VIP) throughout the day.

• Parking: Now I am the resident passenger princess, and my sibling drove us in, but even I could tell that the parking was a bit chaotic. Each day, we left about an hour before doors opened, and the traffic was never really too heavy. Leaving, however, was a bit more difficult. I’m not sure if there is much that can truly be done about it since we are in the middle of a small town Iowan field with little area to turn around and exit…. but I do think there are a few things that I think may be helpful. At least on the first night, we did not see any volunteers/employees directing traffic. Instead, we saw attendees helping other attendees out as they tried to get through the path. I do think that it would be important to make sure that team members are assisting with the traffic flow throughout the night. I also think that maybe adding a late-night set or two with acoustic sessions from some of the popular artists might be a cool way to slow down the immediate flow of traffic trying to leave the festival. I know they do a late-night show for campers, but I think that this can be expanded on and not only bring even more music to fans, but maybe lessen some headaches. I recommend everyone stay a little longer after the final set if they drove in to beat the immediate traffic!

• Diversity in artists: I was glad to see some great diverse music acts on the list this year, but I think that it can get even better. I hope that now that we’ve seen artists like Tyler in the headliner slots that we can see more POC in that leading spot, or at least additional performers placed throughout.

Overall, it was great to see them take the criticism to heart and make several changes to make the Festival a better experience. I really enjoyed this year, and I will be back again for sure. I am hoping for perfect weather again!

What were my highlights?

This is my favorite part to discuss. What did I love about Hinterland 2025?

The artists: Of course, the music was fantastic. My must-see acts were Clairo, Bleachers, Gigi Perez, Role Model, Orla Gartland, and Remi Wolf, and they were all fantastic! Remi, in particular, blew my mind. Her energy on stage is infectious, and I cannot wait to see her again! That warm-up exercise she made us do before the performance will remain in my head rent-free. Another highlight was Jack Antonoff saying that Hinterland was better than Glastonbury. Not sure if he meant that… but it had me smiling regardless throughout their chaotic set. Clairo’s set was so extensive, and I loved that she brought her whole team into her introduction, red wine glasses and all.

The Merch: The merch t-shirt for VIP was great this year. I loved the yellow, and the gemstone design was sick! I was able to snag a “Diva” t-shirt for the diva himself (Role Model… or Gracie Abrams or Sabrina Carpenter… whatever he goes by today) as well, and I was very happy with my purchases. Also, I grabbed one of those cute, $55 keychains for my sibling for their birthday. In their defense, it’s really cute!

The blue butterfly keychain that I purchased for my sibling.

The Verdict

Although there were still some things that I may shift when it comes to my overall experience, I had a great time at Hinterland. And I will be going again!

As I count down the days until the 2026 Festival, here is my dream lineup of artists for next year.

Dream 2026 Hinterland Lineup:

• Keshi

• Lizzy McAlpine (again to headline!)

• Peach PRC

• Bebadoobee

• Alemeda

• Japanese Breakfast

• Rachel Chinouriri

• Rayvn Lenae

• Audrey Hobert

• Jensen McRae

• Conan Gray

• Alessi Rose

• Griff

• Cat Burns

• Aly & AJ

• SZA

• Maisie Peters

Here’s a playlist of some of my favorite songs from these artists! Until 2026, Hinterland it’s been nice to know ya!