Hinterland 2026 was a seismic cultural event.
Not since 2022 — when MUNA first visited St. Charles in a set that featured special guest appearances from Phoebe Bridgers and Lucy Dacus — has Hinterland lasted four whole days. This year's four-day festival, which featured headliners KATSEYE, Lorde, Kali Uchis and Mumford & Sons — and welcomed back its last four-day act MUNA — made clear that the Midwest’s fastest-rising, FOMO-fueled festival sought to attract new fans to the 'land.
International acts were a special delight this go around, with artists like country-twinged Irish pop star CMAT, English singer-songwriter Paris Paloma, Filipina-English rock fave Beabadoobee and Puerto Rican hip-hop sensation Young Miko helping globalize Hinterland’s sound. We can’t remember this — or any — festival ever being this female-forward (as praised by the IG account @bookmorewomen) or representative of Asian and Latin artists.
This weekend we heard R&B, indie sleaze, rap, folk, dance and pop of all kinds: hyper-pop, electro-pop, bedroom pop, K-POP (courtesy of Audrey Nuna), USA-POP (courtesy of KATSEYE) and many more interesting sub-genres.
Now, let’s get into the music!
Thursday
Porch Light
For the second year in a row, the Hinterland festival kicked off with a female-fronted pop-punk band — Minneapolis five-piece Porch Light. Heavy rock instrumentation supported Jackie Uhas’ powerhouse vocals, complete with a couple breakup ballad moments and Porch Light’s hit single, “Oxygen.” The early crowd gave Uhas’ larger-than-life belt the hype it deserved!
Frost Children
After living through a horrifying stalker experience, St. Louis sibling duo Frost Children ditched the US and flew to Tokyo, where they stayed up 24 hours working on their new EP, Tweaker Poem. Now they're back and bringing the energy and fashion to Hinterland! They had total control of the audience — it was like the pit had a giant trampoline underneath it. The bass vibrated through all of St. Charles during “Creep” and we felt it all afternoon!
Oklou
Hailing from all the way across the pond (Poitiers, France), Oklou put Hinterland into a trance. Her angelic voice cooled us down after the hype electronic sets. Her band pulled out every instrument you'd find in an elementary classroom and fused the instrumentals into deep bass and soft lo-fi beats. As she sat in her own personal swing latched to the ceiling, Oklou made us feel like we were floating down the Des Moines River. We never want her to stop serenading!
Audrey Nuna
Audrey Nuna’s stage presence at Hinterland was just as incredible as her shoulder pads. The KPop Demon Hunters star took to the stage with a hoard of matching dancers to deliver a standout early evening set. Her music defies labels — it was rap, it was rock, it was pop, it was R&B — and more than anything, it was captivating.
Nuna gave her biggest fans a treat in her performance of “How It’s Done” from her role as Mira in Demon Hunters, delightfully accurate to her on-screen version. Her sung vocals were outstanding and her rapping had the audience hyped. “I’m pouring a lot of new energy into old things,” Nuna explained as she worked through a setlist that spanned multiple of her eras. She even shouted out her family in the crowd, who had traveled out to Iowa from her native New Jersey.
This set was one to remember!
Ashnikko
We got an up-close look inside Ashnikko’s purse during their set! They've been frolicking around the country for their SMOOCHIES tour and brought all the whimsy to Hinterland.
Growing up in Greensboro, North Carolina, Ashnikko has been turning heads with their eccentric performances and provocative lyrics, and their sound is a perfect mix of rap and pop. Their song “Slumberparty” blew up on TikTok in 2021, crowning them as a 21st century queer icon. Their set was straight from Alice In Wonderland, and Hinterlanders could not take their eyes off of Ashnikko: those hips truly don't lie!
Beabadoobee
Elevated on a rustic countryside set (much like the roads taken to Hinterland), Beabadoobee (freshly tattooed by Des Moines’ own @inkbychenny!) started her vivacious performance with a single you’ve been hearing on Studio One lately: “Sun Has Set.” It was the first of many fan favorites including “Take A Bite” and “the perfect pair.”
Her set was one of only two Thursday sets to feature a full band of live instruments, with Bea front and center on rotating electric guitars. Her show rocked harder than her studio recordings, brimming with infectious, bubbly energy, and made for a memorable performance as the sun set over the first day of Hinterland 2026!
KATSEYE
Hinterland has never seen anything like this before. KATSEYE has been a global phenomenon in the making, originating in 2023 from Pop Star Academy, a reality talent competition. Through the course of the competition, international members Daniela, Lara, Megan, Sophia, Yoonchae and Manon found their place together here in the US.
KATSEYE is essentially an American KPop group; their sound is bubbly, sensual and intense, all at the same time. The energy they bring to arenas and festivals is infectious, and every audience member is guaranteed to be hitting all of the dance moves right on. KATSEYE kicked off their set with “PINKY UP” and kept the energy high throughout their set. Their world debut of “Animal” on the Hinterland stage had seasoned Hinterlanders (and their kids!) screaming their lungs out. Of course, “Gnarly” was the most anticipated song of the whole day, and they absolutely rocked it.
Thanks for the Iowa love, KATSEYE!
FRIDAY
Miniland
The site formerly known as Hinterkids became Miniland in 2025, emphasizing that it's a place for anyone to come hang out and chill, regardless of age and regardless of whether or not they have children.
In addition to the arts and crafts available, Miniland also hosted several local bands, which was exciting news, as Iowa artists had been absent from the Hinterland lineup for several years. The duo Crooked Torus took the Miniland stage Friday afternoon and hit us with some barebones, up-tempo indie rock. Even though there's only two of them, Crooked Torus cranked out some big sounds that were perfect for their well-crafted songs, and were the perfect accompaniment to a chill time at Miniland.
Wisp
Wisp was the perfect person to be playing against these cloudy St. Charles skies.
It's been only 3 years since she began playing music professionally, having dropped out from San Francisco University after deciding computer science was not the way to go. She was an instant hit, and her song “Your face” went viral on TikTok and pushed her up to #8 on the Billboard Hot Hard Rock Chart for 15 consecutive weeks. She's set to join Beabadoobee for her Powerlines Tour, and she’s celebrating the one-year anniversary of her debut album, If Not Winter! Wisp’s set would fit perfectly into a gothic noir, with her visuals flashing images of medieval art and buildings. She jammed out on her Hello Kitty electric guitar to “Your face,” rounding out the set just as the rain cleared.
SOFIA ISELLA
Covered in dirt and black eyes, SOFIA ISELLA took the Hinterland stage by storm Friday afternoon for a haunting, ethereal set. “For the next twenty minutes we have together, I want you to be so ugly,” ISELLA pleaded. Her dancing and crooning was nothing short of feral, comparable to Florence and the Machine or Ethel Cain, but undeniably original.
She played an array of instruments, from electric guitar to violin and even banjo. Despite looking like she just crawled out of a swamp, ISELLA’s music was largely electronic and otherworldly. Fans were especially enthused when she crowdsurfed around the pit, and even more so when she unbuckled her belt to reveal her Iowa flag underwear. The wind that picked up during her performance set the perfect mood for her larger-than-life sound.
Paris Paloma
British singer Paris Paloma was one of this year's “new to us” artists, and after her Friday afternoon performance, we're all in. She was in total control of the stage from the moment she walked out in a very impressive dress, and after letting loose with the first lyrics of her first song, everyone in the pit was captivated. Plenty of folks were much more familiar with her music than we were, singing along to her “love letter to artists, and hate letter to AI” and songs about “being in love with my body” and men who defend billionaires online.
She even teamed up with SOFIA ISELLA!
Her second album is coming in September. We're anxiously waiting.
MUNA
“Last time we were here, it was, like, one of the hottest days we’ve experienced, so we’re going to play a hot one for you!”
MUNA’s high energy set had the whole Hinterland crowd dancing the overcast blues away! Lead singer Katie Gavin stole the show in a zebra print dress almost as hot as her dance moves, and the entire band of sapphic rockstars looked the part.
MUNA played hits new and old, from the title track of their latest record, “Dancing On The Wall,” to their eternal smash hit, “Silk Chiffon.” Their sunny, politically-conscious pop rock warmed up an audience full of windbreakers — the vibes were immaculate.
Lorde
Lorde’s headlining set on Friday was well worth waiting in the cold rain. Hordes of passionate festival-goers in plastic ponchos were treated to her first-ever Hinterland show, starting with her breakout hit “Royals” and followed by her latest, “What Was That.” She, along with her band and dancers, pranced around a set of laser beams, heart rate monitors and glass boxes. Lorde also had the best cool girl vibe, performing fan favorites new and old during a set with some of the highest production value Hinterland has ever seen.
“I love a rain storm in the summer — there’s some electricity to it!” Lorde said to an adoring crowd that was thankfully NOT evacuated due to lightning. She even gave a shoutout to the Iowa Writer’s Workshop!
Saturday
CMAT
“I'm from a place called Dunboyne and the most famous person there is me!”
CMAT knocked our socks off on Saturday! She and her Sexy CMAT Band hail all the way from Ireland and have found so much love in Iowa. CMAT, a queer country pop artist, boogied into our hearts back in 2022, and is doing it all over again with her newest album, Euro-Country.
Hinterlanders two-stepped to “I Wanna Be A Cowboy, Baby!” and leaned all the way in for “I Don't Really Care For You,” with her band frolicking around the stage in pinks and greens. CMAT is such a remarkable performer, with her voice edging on the operatic. She ran a victory lap through the crowd and was showered with admiration.
Santigold
Santigold dominated the Hinterland stage for a rousing, artistic set early Saturday evening. Her entire team dressed in white as she sang hypnotic battle cries next to her deadpan backup dancers. Those dancers became instructors when she then brought audience members on stage to learn choreography for a dance contest. She also brought a huge amount of festival-goers onstage to dance during her finale!
Despite some minor technical issues, Santigold’s set reminded Hinterlanders why we love this festival so much — she had the crowd dancing carefree to genre-defying anthems new and old. She may have first stolen our hearts nearly two decades ago, but her politically-conscious tunes have only become more captivating and relevant to her audience today.
The Format
After a hiatus of over 15 years, the duo The Format is back with a third record, Boycott Heaven. Their performance at Hinterland has been a while in the making: after multiple attempts over several years to make the schedule work, the festival and the band's schedules finally lined up.
It's also a homecoming of sorts for the band: lead singer Nate Ruess is an Iowa native, and The Format hadn't played here for about 20 years. The songs from the new album are pretty pointed, reflecting the band's feelings on the state of the world right now, but they put those feelings into a cathartic performance that was also great fun. Many Hinterlanders will remember Ruess from his time with the band fun., but we're hoping some folks will go back and check out The Format's three albums now.
Mumford & Sons
Mumford & Sons, the band that did as much as anyone to make the banjo cool, headlined Hinterland on Saturday night and started us off with ... a heaping dose of electric guitar!
They then immediately played “Little Lion Man,” one of the songs that put the band on the map with its unforgettable chorus. Mumford & Sons has a well-earned reputation for their live shows, and for really putting in the work. They're still doing it: lead singer (and band father) Marcus Mumford lamented having to miss CMAT and Geese (elsewhere on the Hinterland lineup) because of their demanding tour schedule. He also (jokingly?) asked the VIP section if they needed anything, and called everyone up front “the pit bitches.”
Many of the songs from this performance were from Mumford & Sons’ newest album Prizefighter, but there were plenty of old favorites too — and yes, plenty of banjo. The most thrilling moment of the set came an hour in, when Mumford took going into the crowd to a whole other level, making it as far as the ADA tent. It was a truly magical way to wrap up the third day of Hinterland.
Sunday
Haute & Freddy
The last day of Hinterland is always an exciting time, but it's also a struggle, and you need an act to pump the crowd up to get the day started. Enter: Haute & Freddy.
You've heard the Los Angeles-based pop duo on Studio One, but there's a strong visual and theatrical element to their live show that doesn't come across on the radio — or the Internet. It's not all glitz and flash, though: Haute & Freddy has plenty of great, powerful and life-affirming songs that will be perfect for “scream singing” during your next commute.
Audrey Hobert
As with Chappell Roan a couple of years ago, we might be catching Audrey Hobert at the exact right moment.
Fresh off of a star-making performance at Lollapalooza, Hobert rolled in to Hinterland Sunday afternoon with easily the most dramatic opening appearance of the festival so far. Wearing a massive overcoat that would make David Byrne jealous, Hobert sang with plenty of sass and attitude and immediately took charge.
“We just came from Lollapalooza, but this feels like more my speed,” said Hobert, to great applause from the afternoon crowd. A lot of her songs are about feeling awkward, breakups and other relatable topics, and she certainly struck an emotional chord at Hinterland. “I like this place called Iowa,” said Hobert near the end of her set. ”Who's from here? Consider yourselves lucky!” And then she made the most dramatic exit of the festival, bringing out a trampoline for her hit “Sue Me!”
What a week for Audrey Hobert, indeed.
Suki Waterhouse
Is Suki Waterhouse a singer who's also a model, an actor who decided to try singing, or something else entirely? When she's this awesome, who cares!
In fact, we got a little bit of all three during this set, which began with a dramatic recreation of being shot with an arrow (it made sense at the time). Waterhouse’s performance brought to mind old Hollywood and the great pop stars of the '80s and '90s, and her stage presence is very uniquely hers.
She showed a lot of her personality as she her way through her new album Loveland, and she was clearly having a lot of fun! Nobody is quite doing the same thing Suki Waterhouse is doing right now, and it's hard to imagine someone doing it better.
Wet Leg
British indie rockers Wet Leg treated the Hinterland crowd to a standout set late Sunday afternoon.
Lead singer Rhian Teasdale brought the attitude with her tongue-in-cheek vocals behind her see-through, neon green guitar. It was sweltering hot during Wet Leg’s set, but the band kept the energy up for a super fun set that rocked HARD.
Early bangers like “Wet Dream” and “Angelica” fit in perfectly with songs like “pokemon” from last year’s sophomore record, Moisturizer. Naturally, the crowd was eager to sing along to their smash hit, “Chaise Longue” and their closer, “mangetout!”
Geese
Geese delivered a delightful, straightforward indie rock set early Sunday evening. Lead singer Cameron Winter’s “slacker” vocals paired perfectly with Dominic Digesu’s punchy bass, Max Bassin’s precise drumming and Emily Green’s larger-than-life shredding.
When classic rock fans complain that nobody’s making any good music these days, they need to listen to Geese — the band’s '70s-inspired post-punk art rock appealed to a wide range of Hinterlanders basking in the shade of the new permanent main stage. A few mosh pits broke out, multiple crowd-surfers made their way around and the vibes were immaculate through hits like “Taxes” and “Cowboy Nudes.”
Kali Uchis
Hinterland 2026 closed with a fantastic bilingual headlining set from Kali Uchis.
The queen of Latin R&B arrived in a carriage through the crowd, revealed through feathers by her insanely talented dance crew. She teased Hinterlanders with a taste of “telepatía” and “Moonlight” before embarking on an elaborate musical journey through her Spanish language hits. From sultry chair dancing to lying in bed, being carried around on a throne to being fed grapes, Uchis’ pink-filled performance had an incredibly high production value that her audience adored.
Later in the set, she played a bunch of her English bangers back-to-back: “Speed,” “Loner,” “Dead to Me,” “After the Storm” and “See You Again,” her smash hit with last year’s Hinterland headliner Tyler, the Creator. Uchis’ crew brought out loads of set pieces throughout the performance, but the show ended with her in front of a simple lighted heart as she sang a full rendition of “telepatía.”
Uchis made Hinterland history with her crowd kiss cam segment, and, of course, as the first-ever Latin headliner of the festival. It was the perfect end to an eventful and memorable Hinterland weekend.
See you in the Hinterlands again next year, July 30 — Aug. 1, 2027!