Written by Molly Hardacre
With ISU’s fall semester just around the corner, I think there’s no better time to look back on one
of the highlights of our summer, which was getting the chance to cover Hinterland Music
Festival 2026 with the KURE crew. After last year’s experience, we knew we were in for a good
time, but this year somehow managed to top it. Between insane sets, nonstop moshing,
questionable weather, and enough water to keep us alive through the Iowa heat, Hinterland
gave us a day we won’t be forgetting anytime soon.
To kick things off, Noel, Dzevad, and I headed over to the Bel Air Ballroom in Des Moines to pick
up all of our essential media credentials, graciously provided by the team (thank you Hinterland
staff!). It was especially cool finally getting to see the venue in person after interviewing Sam
Summers the year before and hearing all about the space. Once we had our photo passes,
wristbands, and parking permits secured, it finally felt official; we were going to Hinterland!
After grabbing a quick Caribou coffee (because there was absolutely no way we were surviving
the day without some kind of caffeine), we made our way down to the St. Charles campgrounds.
One of the biggest differences we noticed this year was just how much more streamlined
everything felt for media. We were lucky enough to have shuttles running from staff parking
down to the media area, along with a steady supply of water, cooling fans, and, perhaps most
importantly, an air-conditioned room where we could safely stash our camera equipment and
cool down between sets since running was going to be a big part of our weekend. Once we got
settled in and acquainted with the other photographers and members of the new Hinterland
University program, we headed down to the main stage for the first set of the day: Porch Light.
To be completely honest, none of us had heard of Porch Light before Hinterland. But the second
they walked onto that stage, we immediately understood why they were there. Their energy was infectious, and the crowd was more than ready to welcome them as the festival’s opening act. There’s something especially fun about photographing an artist you know nothing about and then realizing five minutes into their set that you’re having a phenomenal experience. Needless to say, they were a fantastic introduction to the weekend!
Then, right after, came Frost Children. While bouncing back and forth between the press area and the main stage, we actually caught the duo getting ready before their set, and they looked immaculate. But once 2 PM rolled around, there was no time to waste. We hustled down to the photo pit and prepared
ourselves for whatever was about to happen. And then Angel walked out carrying a giant golden
flag that set the tone for the rest of the performance, that things were going to be insane.The
subwoofers were absolutely pounding, the lights were flashing, and once Lulu joined Angel on
stage, the crowd completely lost it. Their layered techno production paired perfectly with the
chaotic visuals, and the energy in the pit was unreal. People were crowd surfing, moshing,
dancing, and generally doing everything you’d expect from a Frost Children set. It was loud and
exactly what we needed to kick the day into high gear.
After a quick breather, it was finally time for my personal favorite artist of the entire lineup: Jane Remover. I’d already seen Jane twice before, but as basically everyone at KURE would agree, twice is nowhere near enough. Seeing her live is an entirely different experience, and getting the chance to photograph her at Hinterland had been a dream of mine for a while. Her DJ teased the crowd for what felt like an eternity
before Jane finally came out, and the anticipation was almost unbearable.
Once she hit the stage, the barricade started shaking from the sheer amount of energy coming
from the crowd. Then the opening notes of “Music Baby” hit, and suddenly the entire audience
was chanting B-O-Y B-A-B-Y.
After shooting the first three songs, I made my way out of the pit and straight into the crowd
because there was absolutely no way I was missing the rest of this set. And oh my god, was
that pit active. The moshing was so intense that at some points it felt less like a concert and
more like we were all collectively being thrown around by the music. Payton and I even
managed to clear the pit a few times, only to immediately collapse back into everyone when the
beat dropped. Definitely one of the most intense and genuinely fun moshing experiences I’ve
ever had.
By the time Jane’s set ended, we were completely cooked. We needed the break and so much
more water.
As someone who attended Hinterland last year, one of the biggest things I noticed this year was
just how much the festival had stepped up when it came to taking care of attendees. There were
water stations everywhere, misting fans throughout the grounds, and staff members handing out
water during the hottest parts of the day. It was obvious that the team had put a lot of thought
into making sure people could actually enjoy the festival without melting into the Iowa grass.
While we were cooling down, Dzevad showed me a tweet from Jane saying she had lost all of
her signature tank tops in transit and had to wear a t-shirt instead. Naturally, we found this
hilarious, but it also made the whole experience feel even more memorable. Getting to see an
artist you’ve followed for years in a baby tee because their luggage decided to disappear was
pretty funny.
Once we had recovered, it was time to come down from all that energy with one of the most whimsical sets of the day: Oklou.
Our favorite charming little French girl absolutely transported us and everyone else in the audience somewhere else. Her set was dreamy, airy, and almost otherworldly, with fog machines filling the
stage and accentuating the ethereal quality of her music. There was even a little swing set onstage and a synthesizer recorder that somehow made the entire performance feel like we had stepped into
a futuristic fairy tale. Then I heard the opening notes of “Harvest Sky” which almost made me do a backflip.
I was singing along and swaying through the entire set, completely absorbed in the futuristic,
dreamy soundscape she created. Toward the end of her performance, Oklou joked about how
sad she was that she couldn’t find a shirt to wear to Hinterland that said, “It’s not paradise, it’s
Iowa.” Honestly, I’m going to need her to come back next year just so she can finally get that
shirt. Oklou 2027? 👀
Dzevad, Noel, and I also had a good laugh about how different Oklou looked in person
compared to what we had pictured. Since the only image we really had in our heads was the
choke enough album cover, we were expecting her to look a little more… disheveled, for lack of
a better term. Turns out, she looked absolutely fantastic. Our apologies to Oklou for judging her
solely based on an album cover.
At this point, we were running on fumes. After hours of shooting, dancing, moshing, and
attempting to remain hydrated, it was definitely time to refuel. We could hear Audrey Nuna and
Ashnikko echoing across the campgrounds as we grabbed some much needed food and
hearing the music carried from so far away really drove home just how massive the festival had
become.
After a quick dinner of some surprisingly delicious chicken, we hauled ourselves back toward
the main stage as quickly as possible because we absolutely could not miss beabadoobee.
Her set was beautiful from the second we saw it, with that giant radio tower backdrop already
making a statement before she even walked out. Warm, almost sunset-like lighting washed over the stage, creating this dreamy atmosphere that perfectly matched her music. She also debuted
a new haircut with blonde highlights and showed off two brand-new tattoos she said she had
gotten right here in Iowa which is a pretty fun souvenir to leave the state with.
Getting to hear “Apple Cider” and “Take a Bite” live was definitely a bucket-list moment for me.
Her vocals were incredible, and after photographing the first three songs, we headed up to the
hill to watch the rest of the performance. And then it started raining (agh!).
But instead of ruining the moment, the drizzle somehow made everything even more
atmospheric! The lights reflected through the rain, the crowd settled into the hill, and the entire
set took on this hazy, almost cinematic feeling. After spending the entire day sprinting between
stages and getting thrown around in pits, it was exactly the kind of peaceful moment we needed
before the final set of the night.
And then, after beabadoobee wrapped up, it was finally time for the headliner KATSEYE.
Now, Noel and Dzevad aren’t exactly the biggest KATSEYE fans, but I’ve been following the
group since “Debut,” so getting to photograph them at Hinterland was a pretty huge moment for
me. Unfortunately, two of the members weren’t able to make it to the festival, which definitely
put a bit of a damper on things (Manon, girl please come back!) but the rest of the group minus
Sophia and Manon absolutely made up for it. Throughout the entire day, I had seen devoted KATSEYE fans camping out at the barricade for eight-plus hours just to secure their spot. So when the opening teaser for “Pinky Up” started playing, you could practically feel the anticipation explode through the crowd.
But nothing was comparable to the girls when they came out. They looked phenomenal and the
crowd was screaming probably the louder than any other crowd I’ve ever heard in my life. The
rain that had started during beabadoobee’s set had turned into a full-on downpour so photographing them in those conditions was definitely a challenge.
Somehow though, the rain made the whole thing even more dramatic. Between the lights, the performers, and the thousands of people screaming along in the rain, I think all of us were feeling pretty Gnarly. Unfortunately, the final challenge of the night was finding our way back to the car. Somehow,
after spending the entire day navigating the festival grounds, we managed to get completely
turned around trying to leave. Oops.
Eventually, though, we made it back (thank you again Hinterland staff!). We waited for the
crowds to clear, looked through the ridiculous number of photos we had managed to capture,
and finally headed back to where we were staying. At that point, we were exhausted, sweaty,
soaked, and desperately in need of a shower. But as tired as we were, I remember laying down
that night and thinking one thing:
“I couldn’t be more excited to get up tomorrow and do it all over again.”
That’s really what made this experience so special. Hinterland was a chance for KURE to be
part of something that continues to grow every year, to meet incredible photographers and
artists, and to experience some truly unforgettable performances from the pit instead of just
watching from the sidelines.
Huge thank you to the entire Hinterland team for taking such great care of us and giving KURE
the opportunity to cover the festival again this year. Additionally, a massive thank you to Emily
Ginsberg for helping make it all happen for us.
Now that fall semester is right around the corner, we’re already looking forward to another year
of music, more late nights, more questionable decisions in the mosh pit, and hopefully another
trip to St. Charles.
Hinterland 2027? We’ll be there.
