ST CHARLES, Iowa — This weekend’s Hinterland Music Festival is in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons. Local 5 asked festival organizers how many people attended the festival, but they couldn’t provide numbers.
People passing out, overcrowding and lengthy shuttle wait times are just some of the issues Local 5 has heard from viewers.
On Sunday around 1 p.m., Local 5 saw a very large crowd of people on the festival grounds and a long line down St. Charles Road of other attendees trying to get in the gates.
“They definitely prioritize profits over people,” attendee Braydon Simms said.
Ryleigh Long came from Florida and her friend Sica Hurst came from Washington to attend Hinterland for their first time.
“I’ve seen videos of Hinterland in the past and there was space between people,” Long said. “That is simply not the case. It is packed with people.”
On Friday they said they waited between an hour and a half to two hours at the Wells Fargo Arena to take the shuttle to the festival.
“Coming back, we had to wait another one, two, three hours to get out of there,” Hurst said.
On Day 1 of the festival, attendees weren’t allowed to bring in filled water bottles. That policy changed on day two in response to concerns.
There are a total of four water refill stations on the festival grounds.
“I talked with a girl yesterday,” Long said. “She said there was a girl waiting in line for water and she fainted directly on top of her.”
On Friday, attendees say, multiple people passed out during sets, causing artists to stop mid-song and alert medics.
“If artists are having to stop to say ‘hey people are passing out,’” Simms said. “That’s a big indicator that it’s not being run properly.”
Attendees said the end of each night is a mess trying to leave the festival grounds.
“It gets pretty crowded at the end of the day,” attendee Zoe Eichorn said. “There’s no clear direction in terms of exiting. Everyone kind of piles in hoping for the best.”
On a positive note, attendees say everyone at the festival is willing to step up and help one another.
“People have been so there for each other, sharing fans, sharing cover, sharing food even and making sure people are taken care of,” Long said.
Both Long and Hurst say they don’t plan on coming back to the festival next year.
Local 5 reached out to Hinterland organizers about the concerns. A spokesperson gave the following statement in response:
“Given the summer timing of Hinterland, the heat and sun are always a big part of our planning for the year to ensure we have plenty of water stations and medical personnel on hand to assist if needed. We have crews driving around the entirety of the festival grounds with free water, and attendees are able to bring in their own bottle filled with water, or a factory-sealed water bottle. We're encouraging everyone to continue to refill those at the 17 water stations, each with multiple spigots, throughout the festival grounds and campgrounds. We’re looking forward to having an incredible Sunday with all of the artists, including Chappell Roan, Mt. Joy, and headliner Noah Kahan.”