Whether you want to hike the Hinterlands, head to the Middle of NOWhere or just enjoy music from the comfort of your front porch, Iowa’s 2026 music festival season has options for everyone. Here’s our guide to the best music festivals across the state (and beyond!) this year.
The best Iowa indie music festivals in 2026
Gays and Faes | May 29-31
South Bear School, Decorah | Tickets
Magic awaits you at the third annual Gays and Faes festival in beautiful Decorah! Bring your own camping gear for a weekend under the stars with a stacked local and regional lineup shared by a supportive community. Full weekend and individual day passes are available for this immersive experience. This year’s lineup includes Murder Kween, Early Girl, VIAL and more!
My Waterloo Days | June 4-6
Lincoln Park, Waterloo | Tickets
Get your early 2000s R&B fix when Mario headlines this year’s My Waterloo Days, an annual celebration of culture and community. Murphy Lee will have you “shakin’ ya tailfeather” to those Y2K memories, and fellow Grammy winners Commodores will take the audience even further back with their iconic Motown sound. If you go, be sure not to miss the My Waterloo Days parade Friday evening!
Capital City Pride | June 12-14
East Village, Des Moines | FREE!
The 47th annual Capital City Pride is the largest Pride festival in Iowa, complete with a pet pageant, a 5k, a silent disco and plenty of family-friendly fun. Drag artists, the queer community and allies alike will take to the multicolored streets of Des Moines’ East Village for multiple stages of live music amongst dozens of local vendors. Don your best rainbow outfit to jam out to Brooke Eden, David Archuleta and more!
Chroma 63 | June 13
Riverloop Amphitheatre, Waterloo | FREE!
This all-ages event is a vibrant celebration of all things underground: skate culture, DIY fashion, zines, poetry and good old-fashioned noise. When you’re done being mesmerized by live painters and loud art, enjoy the festival’s expert-curated lineup of local musicians! Chroma 63’s performer applications just closed — stay tuned for its lineup announcement!
Summerfest | June 18-20, 25-27 & July 2-4
Henry Maier Festival Park, Milwaukee, WI | Tickets
Take a quick weekend road trip to Milwaukee for the world’s largest music festival, boasting 600 artists playing over nine days. Lineup standouts include Ed Sheeran, Muse, Post Malone, Passion Pit and a whole lot more!
Saturday in the Park | July 4
Grandview Park, Sioux City | FREE!
Saturday in the Park is a longstanding tradition. It's a free, one-day music festival held on the Fourth of July weekend at Grandview Park in downtown Sioux City. The lineup for this year’s festival has not been released yet, but previous years have featured artists like Teddy Swims, Sir Mix-A-Lot, Santana and many more. If you’re looking for the perfect way to celebrate America250, this is it!
Middle of NOWhere Festival | July 11
The Cellar Winery, Madrid | FREE!
The Middle of NOWhere Rural Art & Music Festival, or MONfest, is one of the coolest celebrations of homegrown art and music, nestled in cozy rural Madrid in central Iowa. Come out to the Cellar Winery to pick up unique art from dozens of local artists exhibiting at this year’s third-annual festival, and stay to enjoy music from artists like Naethan Apollo, Juliano Dock and The Theys and The Thems!
Minnesota Yacht Club Festival | July 17-19
Harriet Island Regional Park, St. Paul, MN | Tickets
The third annual Minnesota Yacht Club Festival is bound to be its best yet. This year’s three-day soiree features headliners The Lumineers, Matchbox Twenty and The Strokes alongside lineup standouts The Black Keys, Geese and Cage the Elephant. There are no overlapping sets between the two stages, so you get to savor every act!
Hinterland | July 30-Aug. 2
Avenue of the Saints Amphitheater, St. Charles | Tickets
This year’s Hinterland lineup has a little something for everyone — Julia Wolf and Samia for the TikTok obsessed, KATSEYE and Ashnikko for pop stans, CMAT and Jessie Murph for a little sass and Kali Uchis and Young Miko for the Latin lovers, not to mention Santigold and Mumford and Sons for fans of the indie and folk acts that put Hinterland on the map! Hinterland’s grounds have improved even more than last year’s upgrades, with a permanent stage and hiking trails added. Come to one or all four days of this rural Iowa festival that just keeps getting bigger and better!
Maha Music Festival | Aug. 8
Heartland of America Park, Omaha, NE | Tickets
Tickets are going fast for this one-day indie music extravaganza in downtown Omaha! Maha’s 2026 lineup is small but mighty: highlights include Wet Leg, Bright Eyes, Killer Mike and Blondshell. This one’s worth the short drive across the river!
Alternating Currents | Aug. 13-16
Multiple locations in the Quad Cities | FREE!
Alternating Currents is a free four-day event that’ll take you to cool locations all over the Quad Cities! Watch muralists paint, snag the perfect piece of local art, laugh at local comedy, be inspired by the Quad Cities’ largest film festival and, of course, enjoy a bunch of fantastic music! This year’s lineup hasn’t been released yet, but you can keep up to date and plan out your festival experience with the Alternating Currents app.
Ingersoll LIVE! | Aug. 29
2800 Block of Ingersoll Ave, Des Moines | FREE!
Hang out with Studio One in our own neighborhood during this annual, family-friendly block party! Vendors will line the street between two live music stages. On the Mediacom Main Stage, enjoy Des Moines ten-piece, all-teacher funk band Faculty Lounge and high-energy rock-n-rollers Bad Friends! Stay tuned for the Studio One stage lineup!
PorchFest DSM | Sept. 13
Union Park Neighborhood, Des Moines | FREE!
PorchFests have been popping up all over the country, and Des Moines’ annual event is in its fifth year this late summer! Stroll between front porches in historic Union Park to watch 20 local musical acts during this family-friendly free event. This is one of the most laid-back festivals of the season, and one of the most fun to attend!
Lost Woods Festival | Sept. 26
1400 Lone Tree Rd, Cedar Falls | Tickets
Enjoy enchanting music within a whimsical forest at this intimate indie music festival outside of Cedar Falls. This year’s lineup has yet to be released, but other years have featured acts like Hippie Sabotage, Sun Centauri and organizers Salt Fox. Up the magic by biking from a local campground to the event!
Iowa City Songwriters Festival | Nov. 5-7
Multiple locations in Iowa City | Tickets TBA
Studio One is the media sponsor for one of Iowa’s newest and most educational festivals, the Iowa City Songwriters Festival. Enjoy stripped-down performances from talented, notable musicians (like last year’s Jeff Tweedy!) alongside panels and classes on the craft of making music. Applications are open now until the end of May to become an ICSF Scholar. Scholars are provided room and board for a three day master course in songwriting as well as free access to all festival events and exclusive artist engagements. Apply on the Englert Theatre website!
