In October, the future of 80/35, one of Iowa’s biggest annual musical festivals, was “not currently determined,” but even at that time it seemed unlikely the festival would return. That’s because the statement about 80/35’s future was part of the Greater Des Moines Music Coalition’s (DMMC) announcement that it was shutting down, and the coalition ran the festival.
Any remaining ambiguity about whether there would be an 80/35 this year ended this week.
“As far as I know the event will not happen in 2025, but the possibility remains that another operator could step forward and resurrect it in the future,” former DMMC board member Justin Schoen told the Business Record in an email.
Even before the Business Record’s report, sites that track music festival cancellations listed 80/35 as one of this year’s casualties. But those listings were based on October’s announcement from DMMC that said, “While the future of the 80/35 Music Festival is not currently determined, it will no longer be operated by the DMMC.”
DMMC was formed in 2005, “with a mission to build a stronger and more diverse music scene in a community that was lacking in music venues, events, festivals, and support for local talent,” as it explained on its site. Over the years the nonprofit hosted many local music events, offered summer music camps and organized music business education seminars. And in 2008, it launched the 80/35 Music Festival.
From the start, 80/35 focused heavily on local musicians and artists, although it featured notable national touring acts, too. It had free, unticketed stages, as well as a paid-admission stage for headlining acts.
The two-day festival became a summertime fixture in downtown Des Moines, and quickly came to be seen as a sign that downtown was experiencing a revitalization. But like almost all other music festivals, it was hit hard by COVID-19. 80/35 was cancelled in 2020 and 2021, due to the pandemic.
When it returned in 2022, Little Village’s Lily DeTaye said, “the festival was able to retain the same energy it has always had: Midwestern hometown vibes all dressed up to welcome a star-studded lineup.”
But that energy didn’t extend to the economics of the festival. As Axios Des Moines reported last year, “DMMC had nearly $300,000 more in expenses than in revenue at the end of 2022, according to its latest tax filing,” and its “net assets dropped nearly 67% that year — from $441,000 to $149,000, per the filing.” By the end of 2023, DMMC’s reported assets had dropped to $35,514, according to its tax filings.
The festival underwent a major change in 2024, moving from downtown Des Moines to Water Works Park. DMMC said the move was necessary because of ongoing construction in downtown and “unsustainable” production costs.
The move did not prove popular. In his review of the relocated 80/35 for KRUI, Glenn Houlihan found the new location problematic.
“While the 1,500 acres of open woodland has obvious natural beauty, that doesn’t make it an inherently suitable location for a music festival, especially one renowned for its comfort and convenience,” Houlihan said. “The setting instead was incredibly uncomfortable and inconvenient. While there were elements that did work, such as the Hammock Village and Biergarten, these were overshadowed by an ill-conceived layout and a severe lack of cooler spaces.”
That lack of cooler spaces was a particular problem, since the July festival coincided with a week of extreme temperatures.
“I appreciate that organizers can’t predict a heatwave, but hosting an Iowa music festival in July in a giant field with minimal shade isn’t ideal,” Houlihan said. “Between the heat, humidity, and ravenous mosquitos, attending the festival became a sweaty, itchy, chore. This was a crushing disappointment considering how smoothly previous years have functioned.”
Still, the music was good, and Houlihan praised the“immensely talented local artists” the festival featured.
In its final statement last year, DMMC noted how much had changed since it began in 2005.
“Today, central Iowa’s music scene is thriving, with dozens of venues, successful events, and an exceptional and sophisticated pool of local talent. The landscape has changed significantly, and we believe the many other music-related organizations and businesses in central Iowa are well-positioned to continue the work to foster our local music culture, and strive to position Des Moines as a nationally-recognized music city.”
A year later, the central Iowa music scene continues to thrive, despite the loss of 80/35.
