Hinterland 2024
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From August 2, 2024, to Aug 4, 2024, over 12,000 people attended the Hinterland Music Festival in St. Charles, Iowa; there were many concerns at this music festival.
Some of the concerns at Hinterland included insufficient water access, overcrowding and issues with shuttles back to Des Moines. On the first day of the music festival, there were only two aid stations available for concert attendees to fill up their reusable water bottles or get water cups.
Northwest High School junior and Hinterland attendee Sophie Nyguen said, “There was definitely not enough water access for us the first day.”
After the first day, the music festival provided seven more aid stations for concertgoers to get water. They also allowed for attendees to bring in outside water and fill it up at these aid stations. You could also get water cups at these stations for concert attendees.
Junior Jamison Reinders said, “It was much more enjoyable after the first day when there was more aid stations for us.”
A big concern at the festival this August was that there were too many people. At the festival, many expressed concerns about needing more room while trying to watch the performers. Every inch of grass in the Avenue of the Saints Amphitheatre was covered with inflatable chairs and people.
NWHS English teacher Elyse Hall said, “Every year before this, you could stretch out. There weren’t people right on top of you, and you felt like you had your own space. This year, it really felt like there was no space.”
Unlike previous years, Hinterland provided free shuttles back and forth from Des Monies. There were many concerns with these shuttles, as some people did not return to Des Monies until sunrise. There were not enough buses provided, and only about 40 people were allowed to get on to each shuttle for safety reasons.
The performers included Chappell Roan, Noah Kahan and Hozier. Among these people, many performers had to stop their set due to the heat and spectators passing out. On the weekend of the festival, the temperature reached 95 degrees, and many people needed medical aid.