US Festival Hinterland Unveils Refund Scheme For Extreme Heat

4 February 2025 | 1:56 pm | Mary Varvaris

Under the newly announced scheme, punters can request refunds if temperatures are predicted to reach 90 degrees Fahrenheit on any day.

Concert crowd

Concert crowd (Supplied)

As Australians experience an increasingly hot summer, it’s not all that surprising to see a music festival—albeit in the US—take heat seriously and offer refunds when the temperature exceeds 90 degrees Fahrenheit (approximately 32 degrees Celsius).

Hinterland is a multi-day music festival in St. Charles, Iowa, held every August—the end of summer in the Northern Hemisphere. The festival has announced that it will offer refunds on potential days of extreme heat through a “90 Degree Guarantee” scheme.

Under the newly announced scheme, punters can request refunds if temperatures are predicted to reach 90 degrees Fahrenheit on any day. NME reports that the event was criticised last year for insufficient water on-site. In Iowa, summer temperatures typically trend over 100 degrees Fahrenheit (38 degrees Celsius).

In a statement posted to social media, festival organisers wrote: “As global temperatures continue to rise every year, Hinterland is committed to ensuring the safety and well-being of our attendees.”

The festival also outlined how the 90 Degree Guarantee will work in a series of informative photos.

“If on Tuesday 7/29 at 10am CT, www.weather.gov forecasts 8/1, 8/2, or 8/3 to have a true temperature of 90° or higher for the 50240 zip code, ticket purchasers will have the option to request a return of their festival admission ticket for that day,” the “How It Works” section of the 90 Degree Guarantee explanation reads.

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“Returns requests are only available for the day/s the forecast is 90°F or higher. 3-Day ticket holders can request a return for specific day/s at a rate of one third of the total 3-Day ticket price.”

To be eligible for the scheme, ticketholders must fill out the 90 Degree Guarantee Ticket Return Request Form at the Hinterland Festival website before 1 pm CT on Tuesday, 29 July.

This year’s edition of Hinterland Festival will take place from Friday, 1 to Sunday, 3 August. It’s set to host headliners Lana Del Rey, Kacey Musgraves, and Tyler, The Creator. Other acts performing at the festival include Clairo, Bleachers, Remi Wolf, Sierra Ferrell, Scowl, and Australia’s own Royel Otis and Glass Beams.

Meanwhile, people living in Victoria, New South Wales, and South Australia have been experiencing heatwave conditions over the last week. ABC reports a spike in emergency calls and uncontrolled fires still burning in Victoria’s Grampians regions.

If you’re heading to a festival this summer, remember to hydrate, take breaks in the shade (or misting areas if you can find them), use sun protection, and look after each other in the heat.