Last year was my first year having the privilege of photographing Hinterland in St. Charles, Iowa. The differences between last year’s festival and this year’s did not go unnoticed. From the new permanent stage to new experiences for attendees and streamlined access for media, Hinterland’s improvements were a big win for everyone this year.
Now in their eleventh year, the Avenue of the Saints Amphitheatre stretched what has been traditionally three days into a four-day festival, adding more artists to the lineups, which allowed fans to spend even more time on the grounds enjoying their favorite artists.
Day 1
Minneapolis-based band Porch Light kicked off Thursday’s lineup. Lead singer, Jackie Uhas is a powerhouse vocalist, and they showed just how a festival should kick off. Pop duo Frost Children, and rapper & record producer, Jane Remover were the next two pairs of artists to take the main stage. The dynamism from these two duos were perfectly slated as back-to-back artists in the lineup.
French musician Marylou Vanina Mayniel, better known as Oklou, was next in today’s lineup. She recently released her debut album, choke enough, in 2025, and she was sensational! Her dreamy set was enhanced by a considerable amount of smoke effects, and a swing suspended from the scaffolding, which she occupied after just a few songs into her set.
Well-known for providing the singing voice of Mira, from the animated film KPop Demon Hunters, AUDREY NUNA and her extraordinary crew of dancers dominated the stage. Her style, genre, and stage presence blended right in with several of the artists on the lineup for the first day of Hinterland.
ASHNIKKO surely knows how to make an entrance! Crawling her way onto the stage through a tiny door felt like something straight out of Alice in Wonderland. Her theatrical style in appearance and stage presence got me hooked. When attending and/or photographing music festivals, I always wind up with a few new favorite artists, and ASHNIKKO definitely made my list. She has such a passion for what she does, and loves interacting with the fans throughout her set.
Another new favorite for me this year was beabadoobe. She kicked off her set with the live debut of “Sun Has Set,” released just this past June. Her aesthetic look of a baby tee, baggy cargo shorts, chunky boots, and even a black leather utility belt was right on par with her style of music. She was sensational!
Prior to the start of the festival, it was announced that KATSEYE bandleader Sofia Laforteza would unfortunately be missing their headline performance on day one of Hinterland. However, that did not stop fans from filling the pit and the fields, waving their “eyelighters” in the air, all the while battling the elements, as the rain decided to make its appearance just moments before KATSEYE began their set. A very kid-friendly group, many young fans were in attendance at today’s festival, and stayed up long past their bedtime for this performance. Once KATSEYE took the stage, several of these kids were propped up on shoulders to get a bit of a bird’s-eye view of their favorite artist.
Day 2
Despite last night’s rain, the staff and crew at Hinterland were on the ready, tending to the festival grounds, battling the muddy mayhem. This festival crew is always prepared, and are on top of everything at a moment’s notice.
The ethereal Saint Evangeline kicked off today’s lineup, with a stage set right out of the Garden of Eden. Larger-than-life red roses and a tree with a lone apple and crafty snake decorated the stage for her otherworldly performance.
After the sensational Wisp, SOFIA ISELLA took the stage by storm! Her persona and stage presence is unmatched. A true visual artist, Sofia appeared on stage draped in baggy pants, and an oversized Hinterland t-shirt with the words “LISTEN TO SOFIA ISELLA” emblazoned on the back. Caked-on mud covered her body and clothes from head to toe. Sofia puts on such an amazing performance, and works the crowd. One lucky fan even received the aforementioned Hinterland t-shirt she tossed into the crowd. Truly a stand-out performer in today’s lineup, and perhaps the entire weekend!
British singer-songwriter, Paris Paloma followed SOFIA ISELLA, and even had her contribute her vocals during her set to sing her 2024 hit, “labour.” Just two years after her debut album, Cacophony, Paris has a new one, Fatal Flaw, being released next month. Several of her shows on this tour are already sold out, so get ‘em while they’re hot!
Tatiana Schwaninger and Graham Perez, better known as Snow Strippers, brought the DJ style, Y2K dance party to the Hinterland stage. The LCD display behind the DJ was flooded with bright colors. The brightness, their movement, and electronic sound ensured that a sensory experience was to be had by all.
American indie pop band MUNA is another band whose current tour has limited tickets available in numerous cities, and I wouldn’t doubt it if those sold out as well. The verve they brought to the main stage amped up the crowd. Lead vocalist Katie Gavin’s aesthetic of her animal print slip dress, knee-high black boots, and red untamed hair was the perfect outfit for her to enter the stage singing “It Gets So Hot,” from their fourth studio album, Dancing on the Wall, this past May, and of course followed up that song with the title track to this new album.
The rain held off for a majority of the day, but returned just in time for Lorde’s headlining set for the evening. Nevertheless, the weather did not stop fans, or Lorde, as they embraced the elements throughout the evening for a high-energy, impactful, and memorable night for all.
Day 3
Irish group, Amble, kicked off Saturday’s lineup. Lead singer Robbie Cunningham’s vocals set the perfect tone for the early afternoon and bright sunshine, a complete contrast of the previous day’s weather.
Rising star, 19 year old Waylon Wyatt is no stranger to Hinterland. He performed here on the Campfire Stage in 2024, and was now on the main stage this year. I’ve photographed numerous country artists, and he is definitely one to watch! He got things going with “Dead Man Walkin’” from his Dustpiles album, released just last month.
Fellow Long Islander (yes, I was born and raised there) Julia Wolf graced the stage next. Her soft, yet dynamic vocals were absolutely delightful! Julia’s breakout single, “In My Room” was officially certified platinum just three days prior to her taking the stage at Hinterland.
Irish singer/songwriter CMAT took the halfway mark of Saturday’s lineup. She is definitely a force to be reckoned with! Her larger-than-life persona dominated the stage, as well as the pit during her performance, as she made her way into the crowd during her set. Fans were ecstatic!
Garbed all in white, which popped against their colorful LCD backgrounds, Santigold took the stage along with her pair of backup dancers. She knows how to work the crowd, and even hand-picked several fans at the end of her set to join her on stage for a little dance party.
Nate Ruess, lead singer for The Format, began “If Work Permits,” which starts out quite mellow. Not being familiar with their music, I had no idea the tempo would pick up the way it did. The sudden burst of energy at verse three took me by surprise (and a pleasant one at that), as it continued for the rest of their set. Such an incredibly fun group, and another new favorite artist for me!
As the evening rolled around, the stunning Jessie Murph slowly took the stage in anticipation from her fans. Watching the LCD screen, fans gazed as she made her way from backstage with her entourage, while a video cam was aimed at her, and projected onto the screen. À la her style on stage, Jessie came out donning a light blue silk nightgown and robe. Keeping with her tradition, she invited a male fan on stage, sat him down, had him remove his shirt, and proceeded to paint his bare torso during the song, “Dirty.” Absolutely AMAZING performance overall!
Headlining the third night of Hinterland, Mumford & Sons dominated the stage, and the crowd was not lacking at all! Smoke and strobes filled the air, and the folk-rock band from England closed out the main stage party on Saturday night.
Day 4
Synth-pop group Haute and Freddy kicked off the lineup for the final day of Hinterland. Such a colorful and entertaining troupe! This theatrical creation of a group by vocalist Michelle Buzz (Haute) and percussionist Lance Shipp (Freddy) is unmatched. Fairly new to the scene, only performing together since 2024, they provide such a unique blend of vintage circus aesthetics with baroque-inspired attire. They released their debut album, Big Disgrace, this past March. It’s truly no surprise that they have such a rapidly-growing fan base; present party included.
Samia comes from a family full of entertainers. Her father is American actor and singer Dan Finnerty, and her mother is American actress, producer, and director Kathy Najimy. Samia’s dynamic vocals cause her to stand out for sure! She’ll be on tour throughout September and October as a supporting artist for Role Model, who graced the main stage here at Hinterland just last year.
Another artist with ties to the entertainment industry was none other than Audrey Hobert. The breakout artist took the stage in “disguise”, donning an exceptionally long trench coat and novelty Groucho glasses. Standing atop a stool with the trench coat draped over it gave her the appearance of being ten feet tall. Audrey’s quite an entertainer, and fans went crazy watching her gymnastics-style movement and dancing all over the main stage.
Actress, model, and now focused on her music career, Suki Waterhouse’s performance was large-scale, complete with grand piano and an enormous anatomical heart covered in disco ball mirrors, displaying a large keyhole in the dead center of it. Suki got up close and personal with her fans, making her way into the pit during the performance of her first single, “Good Looking.”
Rhian Teasdale, frontwoman and guitarist of Wet Leg is nothing short of a rock star in all aspects. They’ve been bringing their upbeat, synth sound to several festivals so far this summer, and will be continuing to do more throughout Europe this month. They’ll be headlining the Maha Festival in Omaha, Nebraska on August 8th. Hinterland was blessed to have them grace the main stage this year. I’d love to see them return as a headliner for Hinterland in the future.
Brooklyn-based indie rock band Geese made their return to Iowa, having performed in Des Moines for the 80/35 Music Festival in 2022. Lead singer and co-founder Cameron Winter said it felt great to be back in Iowa, and Hinterland was lucky to have these guys on the stage. They’re taking their tour to Europe for several festivals over the next month.
There have been quite a few stand-out performances at Hinterland this year, and Young Miko is without a doubt one of them. The Puerto Rican rapper and singer-songwriter provided nothing short of a high-octane performance from the second she entered the stage, slowly rising up a series of steps up to platform high above stage level. Her fast-paced Spanish lyrics proves that even if you don’t understand the language, there’s still so much of an appreciation for her vocals. Her signature look stood out as well, showing off her Japanese inspired tattoos, as well as her scorpion-inspired accessories.
Headlining the final evening of Hinterland 2026 was Grammy Award-winning artist Kali Uchis. The stage was set with enormous, bright pink steps on either side. Kali made her entrance through the pit, passing right in front of her fans. entering via carriage by her dancers. She put on a dazzling performance (as usual) and the audience buzzing by the end of her set.
Regardless of the unanticipated weather and any other snags that can come with putting together an event of this caliber, the entire Hinterland team outdoes themselves every year, making sure artists, attendees, staff, and crew are accommodated as best as possible in order to ensure a successful festival for all. See you in 2027!
GALLERY: Hinterland 2026 in Saint Charles, Iowa (July 30 – August 2, 2026)
