80/35 Music Festival

80/35 is a two-day music festival in Des Moines, Iowa, named for the interstate junction (I-80 and I-35) that meets in the city. Run since 2008 by the nonprofit Greater Des Moines Music Coalition, it paired a single paid main stage with several free stages spotlighting Iowa and Midwest artists alongside national touring acts, with no on-site camping. Editions traditionally mixed hip-hop, indie-rock, and pop headliners with a deep bill of local and regional bands, and were staged for fifteen years in the walkable Western Gateway Park in downtown Des Moines before a 2024 move to the larger, more wooded Water Works Park.

Attendees consistently point to the depth of Iowa and Midwest talent across the festival's free stages as a highlight, praising the acts they discovered there as immensely talented and describing the annual local-music showcase as a reliable chance to catch new favorites early. The festival's marquee headline sets have also drawn strong praise, with the 2024 hip-hop headliner's Saturday-night performance singled out as one of the best in the event's history. Shaded, tucked-away stage areas have been called cozy, comfortable hangout spots worth spending a full afternoon at.

The most recent edition, held July 12-13, 2024, was the festival's first at Water Works Park after fifteen years in downtown Des Moines. A punishing heatwave pushed the heat index to around 101°F, mosquitoes were a persistent nuisance, and attendees found the new site's sprawling, tree-covered layout confusing to navigate with few places to escape the sun -- a marked step down from the walkable downtown setting, coinciding with a noticeably smaller crowd than in past years. Reception to the music itself ran more positive: a new silent-disco-style "Silent Stage" drew curiosity despite headphone-return lines and audio glitches, and the Saturday hip-hop headliner's set was called one of the best in the festival's history, even as attendees felt the surrounding bill was thinner than usual.