IOWA CITY, IA – (December 13, 2024) — Mission Creek Festival announced today the lineup for its 20th anniversary celebration, taking place on April 3 through 5, 2025, in downtown Iowa City. This milestone year promises an unforgettable experience of music, literature, and community, highlighting independent voices and talents from across the globe and right here in Iowa.
“For two decades, Mission Creek has celebrated independent art and the joy of bringing people together,” said Festival Co-Founder and Artistic Director Andre Perry. “This year, we honor the festival’s lineage and embrace our future. We are showcasing artists that embody the enduring, innovative spirit of Mission Creek and Iowa City.”
RETURNING ARTISTS, NEW VOICES
The festival opens on Thursday, April 3 at Hancher Auditorium. Singer-songwriter Julien Baker (of boygenius) returns to Mission Creek after a stunning sold-out performance at the 2018 festival. This time, as the festival’s music headliner, she debuts a country-rock project with collaborator TORRES. The evening will begin with a performance by LA LOM and the first literary keynote of the festival–a reading and conversation by author Rachel Kushner in support of her acclaimed novel, Creation Lake. Kushner last visited the festival in 2014 during the book tour for The Flamethrowers. Artist, musician, and writer Kim Gordon, who played at the Mill during the 2011 festival alongside Thurston Moore and Chris Corsano, will moderate the conversation with Kushner.
The theme of welcome returns plays throughout the entire festival, including bands who originally formed in Iowa City like The Tanks, Alexis Stevens, and Supersonic Piss, as well as touring artists like Nat Baldwin, Your Smith (formerly Caroline Smith), and Lee County, Iowa’s very own William Elliott Whitmore. This year will also close the loop on a recurring appreciation for the vast work of the Wu-Tang Clan. After a legendary Liquid Swordz performance by GZA in 2009 and a visit by Ghostface Killah in 2017, Raekwon the Chef will be at the 2025 festival, performing his classic album Only Built 4 Cuban Linx at The Englert on Saturday, April 5.
“Mission Creek has always been about hearing new sounds and voices,” said Festival Director Brian Johannesen. “We are bringing in some amazing projects that haven’t been to Iowa City before like Mannequin Pussy, the new project with Dawn Richard and Spencer Zahn, and local artists like Slacker and Sun Centauri.”
LIT CITY
Mission Creek Festival is more than a music festival—it’s also a celebration of all things literature. 2025’s literary lineup includes readings by acclaimed authors, a literary magazine and small press book fair, a zine fair, and special collaborations with literary organizations like The Sun Magazine, Fonograf Editions, and The Iowa Review.
“Every year, Mission Creek becomes a hub for the indie literary scene,” said Mission Creek Literary Director Nina Lohman. “That includes making space for all the incredible writers and presses in Iowa and inviting authors, publishers, and editors from all around the country. It’s a time of discovery, creativity, and connection in the City of Literature.”
The closing literary keynote event will feature musician Neko Case reading from and discussing her new memoir, The Harder I Fight the More I Love You. Internationally acclaimed, locally based writer Melissa Febos will moderate the conversation taking place at the University of Iowa’s Voxman School of Music.
2025 HEADLINERS
The 2025 lineup brings an eclectic mix of artists to Iowa City, featuring performances by:
- Julien Baker and TORRES – Renowned for her emotionally resonant songwriting and stirring live performances, Baker brings her powerful artistry to the Hancher stage in a new collaborative project with TORRES who is known for her bold, introspective lyrics and dynamic performances
- Raekwon – A hip-hop icon and founding member of the Wu-Tang Clan, delivering classic hits with a performance of his pioneering album, “Only Built 4 Cuban Linx”
- Mannequin Pussy – A fiery punk rock band bringing their explosive energy to Iowa City
- Rachel Kushner – One of America’s most exciting writers with mind-bending range, Rachel Kushner’s latest novel about a spy-for-hire who infiltrates an environmental activist group was a contender for the 2024 Booker Prize
- Neko Case – Returning to the festival for a second year in a row, Neko Case will share her talents as a writer, reading from her upcoming memoir, The Harder I Fight The More I Love You
- William Elliott Whitmore – Iowa’s own folk-blues troubadour with his soulful voice and compelling storytelling
- Dawn Richard x Spencer Zahn – A groundbreaking collaboration blending avant-garde electronic and jazz sounds
- Mabe Fratti – A rising star in experimental pop, delivering hypnotic, cello-infused compositions
- Your Smith – Pop artist extraordinaire whose music radiates wit and charm
- Flore Laurentienne – A Montreal-based composer blending classical and cinematic sounds
- Mark Guiliana – One of the most influential drummers of his generation, leading a genre-defying jazz ensemble
- Angry Blackmen – A high-energy hip-hop duo with sharp, socially-conscious lyricism
- Cabeza de Chivo – Masters of blending regional Mexican sounds with modern musical flair
- Supersonic Piss and The Tanks – Two local Iowa bands showcasing the raw power of the regional underground music scene
FESTIVAL VENUES
Attendees will experience performances and events in iconic Iowa City venues such as The Englert Theatre, Gabe’s, Hancher Auditorium, Prairie Lights Bookstore, Public Space One, Reunion Brewery, The Tuesday Agency, Trumpet Blossom Cafe, and Voxman Music Building, as well as special events in unexpected spaces throughout downtown Iowa City. The festival’s intimate and varied venues make every performance feel personal and unforgettable.
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PASS INFORMATION
Celebrate the 20th anniversary of Mission Creek with an exclusive Early Bird Pass until January 16, 2025.
- Early Bird Full Pass – $115 (Available now through January 16, 2025)
- Insider Access Early Bird Full Pass – $215 (Available now through January 16, 2025)
- Student Full Pass (limited qty) – $75 (Available now until sold out)
Day passes and additional ticketing options will be available in February of 2025.
- Regular Full Pass – $150 (Starting February 7, 2025)
- Day Passes – $55-65 (Starting February 7, 2025)
- Literary Capstone Event – $20 (Starting February 7, 2025)
PARTNERS & SPONSORS
Thank you to our festival sponsors and partners: GreenState Credit Union (title sponsor), Hancher Auditorium, City of Iowa City, Think Iowa City, Bread Garden Market, SCOPE Productions, Tuesday Agency, Spare Me!, Honeybee Hair Parlor, Ulysses Modern, Goodfellow Printing, Graduate Iowa City, Iowa Public Radio, James Investment Group, Kim Schillig Realtor, Little Village, Phoebe Martin Realtor, Reunion Brewery, West Music, Dr. Suzanne Stock
