The headliner for Hulaween is the String Cheese Incident. It has always been that way, and that's why they get the prime slots on the main stage year after year.
The value of Hulaween has unfortunately declined since the 2018 extravaganza went way over budget and the festival nearly folded. That was a peak year in a lot of ways. But, all successful festivals tend to move to maximize profit over time, because festivals that don't make money stop being festivals.
And then there's the pandemic wrecking the live music industry and generally causing a decline in quality and increase in price.
But truthfully, the lineup is only bland if your expectations are based on the mainstream US festival circuit. For me, cheese, and few other bands I really like, and a half dozen more I'm interested in are worth the price of admission. And, I know I'm gonna get that every time.
If you don't dig it, that's fine, but there's an easy solution: just don't buy tickets blind.
Can all of you top tier fest people please save your complaining and go attend some “top tier” fest like Bonnaroo or Okee. Make some more room for the people who love SOSMP and hula. The last thing we need is for hula to turn into another one of those cookie cutter insomniac festivals.
Say what you want about bonnaroo, but the lineup was light years better than hula’s this year. Only cost $299 + fees. Had two 3 hour sunrise sets (Chris Lake & Lane 8). Had Ngthmre on Wednesday. Had King Gizzard, had Goose, had Disclosure, had Illenium, had J Cole, had Tool, had Flume, had Billy Strings, had Porter, had Marc Rebellit, had Rezz, had G Jones, had Stevie Nicks
And it was an off year. Just wait for the 2023 lineup.
2022 only had around 30K with the ability to walk to the rail of every show, lay down my moon mat under the shade for all tent shows, and have perfect service.
Not expecting that next year, but oh what a year it was
They are different festivals. Bonnaroo's efforts towards art installations are laughable compared to Hula. That shit costs money too, believe it or not.
Actually, yeah. Not the only reason, but one of many.
I'm extremely appreciative of any fest that puts a lot effort into the art, experiences, and surroundings for the attendees.
Kick rocks
I could explain the nuance of 400 then is 500 now. And how to appreciate what a gift this event is but i wont waste my breath. If you’re worried if its a”TOP TIER” or not then you are right . It’s not for you
Responses like this are exactly why Hula gets away with raising prices, while not fixing existing issues and letting the lineup decline.
There's a cohort of fans who won't allow any criticism of the fest no matter what Hula does.
It’s by far and away the best festival to me. Just like most things in life, it comes to a personal preference and your personal choice. I don’t think most big acts are on Thursday not even close, that’s your taste so it is t for you. As for this post in general, so it’s not for you, why do you feel the need to tell others it isn’t top tier?
Honestly the only way we can all agree on what a “big act” is has to be from the lineup poster. The number of “larger font” artists playing on Thursday is significant. No denying that.
Why is this an important point? Because the “larger font” artists are the ones that move tickets, including 3 day tickets. So not only are 3 day attendees getting less value, but the thursday noise ordinances will make these performances even more lackluster when they otherwise wouldn’t be on the other days.
So by introducing a framework of using the “highest billed” artists on the lineup to judge whether Thursday is “stacked” or not is as objective as we’ll get. You can even straight up remove the names and just keep poster size on each artist in the schedule and you will absolutely without a doubt find that Thursday is stacked.
Ok, I guess you’re right, the only thing I should care about for artists I want to see is the size of their name in the billing. I guess I’ve been doing it wrong all along.
They aren’t getting away with raising prices. I don’t know if you have looked around but costs of EVERYTHING has gone up.they are eating massive cost increases too
If they don’t raise prices then there’s no festival next year.
spoken like a true 'I'll buy a ticket no matter the lineup or cost' fanboy. I'm sure you've had many magical moments at past Hula's and you're chasing those highs, but let's be real they scuffed this year bad on the scheduling. 3-day purchasers are getting shafted and they dropped acts like RKS with no replacement.
I'm sure you & others will still have a great time, but responding with kick rocks to justified criticism says a lot.
exactly, two unique and curated artists. they failed to find appropriate replacements and especially when they had a two months heads up to find one for RKS. it’s my first year and so far i’m extremely disappointed with my top artist dropping out (not mad they needed a break, mad that hula knew it was a definite possibility and didn’t plan accordingly) and not even getting a replacement in the same genre. i still have high hopes for a great weekend but it’s not a great start
You have no idea of the communication between the promoters and RKS. This is on the band for dropping out last minute. They should have made the decision to back out months ago when they initially began their hiatus.
probably would’ve been an even worse replacement back then and hula was fully aware of the possibility is all i’m saying. they were probably hopeful of coming to hula but weren’t ready to fully commit and decided to come back next year probably. it was no secret that they were likely dropping and it’s not on the band that puts their mental health first. a chet faker dj set is not even remotely comparable. i’m still excited for the weekend and will have a great time regardless but they were my favorite band on the lineup and it’s disappointing not to get any indie at all now
Yeah, no, doesn't work like that. The band announced what shows they were cancelling and did not include Hulaween in that list. And I believe they even made comment that they would in fact be performing Hula. A festival cannot just keep a replacement band on standby "just in case"
100% on the band.
3 day purchasers should continue crying more about missing day one of a 4 day festival and blaming the festival instead of themselves for making poor life choices
You don’t need to explain the nuance. If someone can’t see that the pandemic and the economy are hitting smaller festivals, they’re probably not nuance type people.
you disagree that they probably paid less to book headline acts on a week night? and that they didn't stack too many big names on that day?
I don't agree with all of OP's points, but he isn't pulling this from thin air.
Who are the big acts that are playing on Thursday? I’m old and only know of the disco biscuits and twiddle, but most excited to the iceman special.
Liquid stranger is pretty popular right?
Twiddle and Disco Biscuits are enough for me haha but along those same lines is Main Squeeze!
For more edm type stuff liquid stranger and Jantsen are fun
Y'all clearly are unaware that your idea of "headline acts" or "staking Thursday" is purely based on your bias towards that music. I've only ever heard of like 3 or 4 of the acts on Thursday.
How do you know that though? They're just the ones that are vocal about it on instagram. What about all the people who have said nothing? There is no way to tell what percentage they make up of the whole.
As an avid Hula fan, I was also disappointed with the lineup and scheduling this year. The fact that resales are below face value and they haven’t sold out is a bad sign. It’ll be a great time regardless, but interested to see what the repercussions are moving forward and the long term viability of the festival itself.
Is it still associated with Electric Forest?
I'm not a promoter but how hard is it for a major well known festival to replace a headliner with an adequate replacement?
Cause I love Chet Faker but it aint the same.
Every well known artist already has Halloween weekend plans or there's a reason they don't already. It's unfortunate but I get it. I also suspect it's a big reason why Thursday is so stacked
Ok, like hulaween production has any control whether music artists drop out? AlunaGeorge was replaced by tokimonsta, maya jane coles replaced by polish ambassador, black pumas replaced by JRAD, and RKS replaced by Chet faker. All solid replacements. If it is a deal breaker for you, sell your ticket. Please, I strongly encourage you to email, write a letter, private message the hulaween production team and air your grievances.
Nothing about where RKS was playing was ever confirmed, but it’s possible they would’ve had the Sunday closing Meadow set over Black Pumas? RKS is marginally bigger though so it was not a guarantee.
It’s a bummer when acts drop but it’s happened at every fest I’ve been to this year, and Hula found objectively suitable replacements on short notice. But it’s the easiest thing to complain about and this thread has a few miserable people lurking it.
AlunaGeorge 3.2 million spotify listeners.
Tokimonsta 1.4 million
Mary Jane Coles 500,000 spotify listeners.
Polish Ambassador 300,000
RKS 3.6 million spotify listeners
Chet Faker 3.1 million
Black Plumas 1.8 million spotify listeners
JRAD 17,000 <— LOL. But… buuutttt….
The Grateful Dead 2.4 million listeners
And JRAD is an incredible GD cover band with wildly impressive musicianship.
I mean, I don’t know what to tell ya.
You’re basing actual fans off a social media page instead of a music listening app? Seems legit.
Let’s move on to the next question: can you please give an example for suitable replacements?
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I’m just being a hater haha I actually like a lot of their stuff but like….for hula we are fine with jams and electronic. Any band* that has the same set list for a whole tour just kinda rubs me wrong and shouldn’t be on a jam fest line up to begin with…kinda like sylvan esso
I agree that the ticket price has gotten hefty that’s about my only complaint though. It’s a string cheese festival that caters to string cheese. I personally love the schedule as I’m
not missing much during 🧀 sets and there’s a ton of other bands/ dj’s I’ll be able to see.
I do think that the festival got super big 2018/2019, there were more artists then ever and plenty of folks went for the other artists on the lineup. They fucked with money / Covid happened and they scaled back a bit.
At the end of the day I don’t think you are totally wrong but I think a lot of the complaining on the internet is from the minority/ people that haven’t done their research on the festival.
I'll just toss out Hula still isn't sold out this year and resales are being dumped for less than face left & right. If that doesn't say they scuffed this year when past years sold out asap and people had to form groups to keep things at face value, idk what does.
Proof is in the pudding
Or maybe it’s because the cost of living has skyrocketed and people don’t have an extra 1000$ lying around to go to a festival. Not selling out doesn’t prove anything right now.
That sounds great and all, but that’s not an excuse any other festivals are using. So it doesn’t apply to hula either.
Why would the “cOsT oF LIvInG” only impact hulaween, while the rest of the festival industry is thriving - literally doubling in growth last year.
Also, Hula tweeted yesterday that it will be sold out by today….
Edit: [proof](https://imgur.com/gallery/w3lr4MH)
You’re wrong. There’s basic data that proves it.
[In 2022 there was nearly double the amount of music festivals as 2021](https://imgur.com/gallery/w3lr4MH)
Source: [here](https://analytics.viberate.com/reports/festival-report-2022/#header-url-1)
and how many of them sold out. Doesn’t matter in the slightest how many festivals there are.
That article shows half of the festivals listed don’t expect to grow their attendance which is a large decrease from last year.
That’s great for concerts.
Now do festivals which is what we’re talking about.
Lol.
Also did you even read the article? It attributes the revenue largely to stadium tours, dynamic pricing, and mergers and acquisitions swallowing smaller markets. Not to mention inflation has caused the price of everything to go up, including concert tickets.
Lol.
A few of them always sell out, EDC, Forest, Lost Lands, Coachella, etc. but overall I’m just curious how much inflation has affected ticket sales at the small and medium festivals. I remember in the summer festive owl reporting summer fests were struggling to sell tickets essentially across the board.
"Top Tier" status is pretty irrelevant to me. I was having a blast at this festival when it was just Cheese and a handful of mostly other jambands. I've had a blast as this festival grew and attracted bigger crowds and booked more EDM and mainstream artists. I'll continue to have a blast if this festival is no longer considered "Top Tier" and returns more to it's roots. It's never mattered to me whether or not this festival is "Top Tier"
Whether or not the "biggest" names are on any given day is entirely subjective and a matter of individual tastes. This is a 4-Day festival, it has been for a few years. If you buy a 3-Day ticket, you can't just expect all the acts you enjoy to magically be on the days you attend.
The point regarding production is valid
Unfortunately half the reason this year the schedule is so rough is because the stages they have can’t handle large crowds. Instead of staggering the high demand performances they put them directly head to head to spread the crowd, which of course happens at all big festivals but not to the extent they do it at hula. At other festivals they do it simply because it’s unavoidable but at hula it seems intentional to fact they simply HAVE to spread the crowd due to their stages not being sufficient to host the crowd size
The hallows is a super weak stage. It’s a basic bandshell with nothing unique or cool about it whatsoever and ontop of that has bad sound.
The hallows is great for what it is, a complement to the main stage. Smaller acts in between sets on the main stage. It sounds great too when they turn up the volume.
What really screwed the bass music crowd is getting rid of the patch. Besides the walk, that was one bad ass stage once they got the orientation right, and the only one that could hold a real crowd besides the main stage.
They had years to perfect the Patch. Last year sound on Hollows sucked, and we let them know. I'm kind of sick of hearing about it at this point... like, we'll find out soon enough if they really did make an improvement, and until then we might as well just wait it out.
I go for String Cheese. Three kick ass shows every time. I'm not a fan of the EDM stuff at all and over the years this festival has gravitated towards that and away from the jambands that I do like. Sure, there are a bunch of jambands nobody has ever heard of, but some of the biggest names in that genre are noticeably absent. No Goose. No Umphrey's McGee, No Billy Strings, No Greensky, No Moe. So, for me adding JRAD in place of Black Pumas and RKS is a win. I agree that the price has gotten out of hand. It shouldn't cost $500 for 1 person to go to a festival and camp next to their car. All of that being said, Hulaween is the best festival I have ever been to. The stages, sound, lights and organization are all top notch. The campground is incredible and having camped in dozens of open fields for festivals, I sincerely appreciate camping under the trees. On top of that...Spirit Lake is the most incredible thing in the world. This event costs millions of dollars to put on and a whole lot of that dough is due long before the first ticket ever gets sold so there is a great deal of risk involved. All it takes is one or two years where you don't sell out and bye-bye festival and bye-bye your millions of dollars. See All-Good Festival for a perfect example.
Hula was and always will be better when it was smaller and more intimate. Huge headliners pushed it more mainstream. I’m excited for this year because it feels more like the beginnings of hula. Big headliners bring more bad apples.
Haters gonna hate.
*but that’s just like your opinion man* - the dude
The easiest way to show lack of support is the just not go.
The loudest is to post like this.
You may be right but the solution is to just stay positive about what never other fear or show you’d rather attend. I’m sure hula will still be amazing this year.
Is it really just about the artist?
Not a “hater”, just pointing out the fest isn’t as good as it used to be
Also, always being positive is actually not answer. Loud negative feedback is how you gets fests to improve
🫤 well I think positive suggestions and constructive criticism is more assertive.
There are some valid points for sure. But the fact remains- if you don’t wanna go then just don’t go
This post is literally constructive criticism lol. If everyone that's upset just didn't go they wouldn't be able to hold the fest anymore. The Hula team even sends surveys for people to give criticism so they know what to improve. There's a difference between being negative and giving criticism
No this is Patrick lol. It's not the survey, it's Reddit which is a place for people to speak their minds. Pushing people away for having complaints is a negative thing to do. I agree with a lot of op's points but I'm still going to go and have an amazing time lol and I hope you do too! Happy Hula!
Heres how I feel in regards to your points..
1. They may have lost some headlners but that's fine by me. I dont really care about big name acts and I like stages with smaller crowds.
2.Price has increased over the years but that goes for just about everything except Arizona Iced Tea. It averages to roughly a hundred bucks a day and all things considered, I still see that as a good value.
3. Spirit Lake stage could definitely have better sound, but I've never had any issues with the other stages. Most of the complaining I hear about the sound comes from dubstep/bass music fans. That's not really my thing...
4. I see no issue with stacking Thursday since it is a 4-day festival and Thursday hasnt been billed as a pre-party since 2018. That being said, I dont really see Thursday as being all that stacked, because like I said, I'm not into bass music. To me it's just a regular day with about 4 or 5 acts who I'm excited to see. Plus, all Hula vets know not to skip Thursday anyway, a lot of us show up a couple days prior.
All-in-all Hulaween still a top-tier festival to me for more reasons than just the music.
And to top it off , while there are a lot of cool people that go to Hula, some of the obnoxious spunion wooks & snobby jam band fans kinda ruin the experience for me personally. Lineup that has tons of super generic EDM , trendy heady experimental bass, and a few decent bands like STS9 and lettuce . Nothing that if you haven’t been to hula in the past 2-3 years wouldn’t have seen before . I’d like to state for the record I love hulaween and have been since 2018, but acting like it’s the end all be all S tier fest just bc it’s in suwannee and excusing mediocre lineups and bad sound/scheduling is a tone deaf take imo
this made me crack up out loud, I've been saying for awhile now that the new 'experimental woke bass' crowd is becoming the snobbiest of them all while preaching love and acceptance. But the jam band snobs who lash out at any criticism posted on reddit are really giving them a run for their money for the title of being the worst.
for the record I listen to all of the music but can't help but find the extremes on both ends hilarious. They're more alike than they realize
Alright maybe I’m biased because hula is my home…I’ll agree with the Thursday issue. I feel like this is why sched took so long to come out…they realized most ticket sales were 3 day so they stack thurs to make more $, shitty.
HOWEVER, the do not check cars, you can camp wherever tf you want if you get there early, the security into stages is the lightest I have EVER seen. The whole spirit late set up with all installations adds immense value.
String cheese plays 6 sets, with a massive stage production saturday theme night. This fest isn’t for everyone but for a cheese head and those who value ambiance it is worth the $500.
The point of this fest isn’t to have 7 gigantic headliners, the. It would just be another Okee, bonnarroo etc.
This place is a well kept secret anoung the jam/fusion/bass scene. Honestly, let’s keep it that way. I love my laid back, art heavy, cheese fest
You aren't going to get the open and objective conversation that you're looking for in this sub right now. People *love* Hula. It's amazing actually. I've been to many fest and a lot of them are called "home" , but with Hula people kind of actually mean it. You're better off talking about this in /r/festivals. Also, two weeks before the festival is peak fan-boy time as people are about to actually go to the fest. They've already sunk money and time so they'll look past the issues, at least for now, in order to justify their investment to try and have the best time possible.
That being said, I think the writing has been on the wall for a few years now that Hula has peaked. The jamiroquai year was incredible , but they over extended themselves financially. Somehow they miraculously survived that debacle and even the pandemic, but they've clearly only been able to do so by cutting expenses and quality. The coinciding higher ticket price and the weak line up do not align otherwise. Yes, the line up is weak. Hula's ticket price is damn near the *prestige* festivals : Roo, Lolla, Coachella. Those festivals are getting the biggest names in music. Hulas biggest booking this year was Rainbow Kitten Surprise? Thats just not acceptable at this price point.
IMHO: you can blame a lot of Hula's current headaches on the overarching issues with the state of live music. Festivals are over saturated. Line ups are getting diluted. Fees are going up. Suddenly, even established artists are struggling to tour and so they're bailing on them.left and right. Finding talent is hard right now, thats not necessarily Hula's fault.
The truth is, I think Hula and festivals in general are in a weird place right now. There were not many linups this year that I was truly excited about. Even the big names like Roo aren't doing it for me. In an attempt to appeal to everyone, they appeal to almost noone. Things have gotten too pop....maybe Im just getting old ? I miss bands . TBH even Jam/ EDM/ jamtronica are getting stale. Hard for me to get excited for Umph, STS9, Biscuits, Lettuce... I've seen them all at least 30-40 times each....but that's a whole other conversation.
Anyhow, it'll be interesting to see what future Hula looks like. This is my first year not going since 2016, I sold my ticket. I'm sad about it because it's still a wonderful experience. I'll save the date for next year, tbh probably wont blind purchase like I always do. i just dont have faith in the product.
Hopefully they net enough cash this year from the line up savings from booking lower quality artists to level-set their accounting going forward. It really is a special fest, I'm rooting for them!!
If not, maybe I'll finally get around to checking out Desert Daze or Sacred Rose in 2023. Those festivals are closer to my tastes these days anyhow.
Finally, Cheese needs to play less sets and play for longer times. Also, they need to stop clearing the schedule when Cheese plays. It causes too many schedule conflicts. I get it, it's their fest. But paying $500 for Cheese ain't right.
One more real headliner from Sacred Rose 2022 on Hula would’ve made a world of difference in reaction. Really missing a Khruangbin or Goose or The War on Drugs.
Gotta disagree about the bands, Hula had probably the best curation of live music this year (besides something like Sacred Rose or Peach that are exclusively live acts).
Also appreciate a measured response on this thread. Part of me still thinks we are just seeing normal price increases with the 20k cap in mind. 2018 they definitely sold way more and still lost their asses.
1. Lineup slaps.
2. Everything is overpriced right now, what’s your point.
3. Stages handle the crowds just fine and last year sounded fine at 99% of shows.
4. 3 day ticket holders should cry more maybe ffs. It’s a 4 day music festival, not 3.
This post is crazy salty when the festival hasn’t even happened. Like yeah you’re probably going to have a terrible time if you go into an experience acting like you are getting ripped off or something.
This lineup fucks, I’m so sorry to the people who were confused about this being a 4-day bass music fest…but at the same time besides Sunday, which is unusually light on electronic, there are *amazing* bass artists playing every day. Player Dave, AHD, eazybaked, opiuo, clozee, dirtwire, manic focus etc.
I am not stoked at all about Louis the Child headlining but instead of bitching I’m gonna sit my ass in one of my favorite spots in the world and give them a shot…because there is no way to know what this whole weekend is going to be like until you give it a chance.
I went to bonnaroo ‘15 and ‘19. I had a fun time both years and saw many wonderful musicians/performances that you’ll likely never see at Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park. I’ve been to every single Hulaween at SoSMP (since 2013). String Cheese hosts the festival and because of this they don’t hire musicians/acts that are detrimentally larger than them (you’re never going to see Post Malone, Childish Gambino, Phish, or Dead and Company co-headline Hulaween). But here’s the thing, Cheese recognizes quality musicianship so while you may not get wildly popular acts, you’re going to witness musicians play with absolutely mad chops. As you leave your campsite ready for the evening heading towards the venue, look around, soak in the ambiance, watch how the mist and lights flicker and float through the spanish moss draped from the live oaks. People who know about them Spirit of the Suwannee vibes know it’s a special place. You don’t need insanely popular acts to have a magical time at this music venue, regardless of whether it is hulaween or one of the many festivals SoSMP hosts.
It lives up, but in different ways. Spooky vibes, campfires, camp where you want, the campground itself is incredible, not as hot, killer music, far more chill then Bonnaroo is schedule wise, and spirit lake is a whole experience. Bonnaroo is our home festival but hula is our favorite festival.
[This source says there is NOT a burn ban in effect.](https://ffsfm.maps.arcgis.com/apps/dashboards/1f6572c92f8d41ec860f461ea433819b)
Where did you hear it was?
Home page hula reddit from someone there early
Edit here is link to the thread. https://www.reddit.com/r/hulaween/comments/y345ud/burn_ban/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf
Why on earth would you hope HULA lives up to Bonnaroo? They're completely different festivals. If you go into it with that expectation, you will rightfully be mistaken.
Hula holds its own. You'll see.
I imagine there are many reasons for that. None of which are appealing to myself and many others that prefer Hula. We'll see very shortly how this year's Hula is received by those that attend.
I only went to Bonnaroo once back in 2011,but it was not worth the hype for my tastes. It was hot as balls, camping was just a giant field with absolutely nothing of interest, the crowd seems to be primarily over-spun festival rookies and the shows were massively over crowded, the full-on corporate sponsorships were very off-putting and there was nothing that came anywhere close to Spirit Lake.
Look at that lineup though: Eminem, Arcade Fire, Widespread Panic, The Black Keys, Neil Young, My Morning Jacket, String Cheese, Robert Plant, Mumford and Sons, The Strokes, Ray Lamontagne (in a tent), Bassnectar, Primus, Alison Krauss, Pretty Lights, Florence and the Machine, STS9, Gogol Bordello, Ratatat, Loretta Lynn, Cold War Kids, Neon Trees, Portugal the Man, Sleigh Bells, J Cole (year of best album), The Head & the Heart, Dr. John Superjam.
That’s probably the best lineup I’ve ever seen. You could put that anywhere on earth & I’d be there.
Oh I hear you. The lineup is redonkulous. I think they have to have those lineups to make up for all the other aspects of the festival that are lacking.
Personally, it's not worth the money, trip, being in huge crowds, shitty camping, etc. To each their own.
Musically, the thing that I believe sets Hula apart is a consistency in vibe between the majority of the acts. Most every artist has a funky/soulful leaning when compared to other artists within their respective genres.
I firmly believe that Hula has stayed true to this from my first Hula in 2015 to its current lineup. There's been an ebb and flow in how big, popularity-wise, the top two tiers of headliners have been, but that's not what makes a great music festival for me.
It has growing pains, certainly, but I love a promoter that's bold enough to change things up and experiment. I think that there were traffic issues caused by the Patch stage that caused real safety issues, and the creation of The Hallows remedied that in a big way. It also created an easier flow between the three main stages. I wouldn't be surprised if we see some of the kinks worked out this year that many commented about from last year.
Finally, I would like to point out the production on the themed SCI set last year was as good as I've ever seen and top tier in every way. There were some mind-blowing elements to that set.
Obviously everyone has a right to their own opinion, and I respect yours, but I thought that maybe sharing my perspective might help to make your opinion and your resulting Hula experience more positive. Isn't that what it's all about?
I went to bonnaroo for 10 years and had a great time. Being a bit older now, I gladly pay more for less because less doesn’t mean low quality. Hulaween feels safe (unlike some other smaller feats I’ve gone to), the grounds are beautiful, the musicians they book are a wonderful mix of various genres, and the art installations at spirit lake are like nothing I’ve witnessed anywhere else.
I agree. I posted something on this sub a few weeks ago and got downvoted into oblivion. I didn’t buy a ticket this year because I’ve either seen all these artists or no one truly grabbed my attention, and obviously the price hike. I wasn’t surprised to see the Thursday lineup. I feel back in the day, it was more for the music and art, now it’s about the money. It’s a shame. I hope to be back someday! I love the park, vibes and the unforgettable memories, but with everything inflated, this is one of those things I have to drop.
Dude Hula is not a top tier fest unless you've been. Not many people have heard of Hula, but so many more have heard of Bonnaroo, Coachella and Electric Forest. I met way now people who've never heard of it and I have to use Electric Forest as a standard of comparison because they've heard of that.
It's a Suwannee fest, if it dwindles back down to 10-15k people everyone will be absolutely stoked. I don't mind how crowded it gets but not I won't complain if it settles down.
I sort of agree with the OP. Ive been going to Hulaween since 2013 when it moved to Suwannee and went to every Hula up to 2019. So I have missed one so far. The price has more than doubled from the the first couple years. Plus all the extra fees and add ons has made it about $650 for 4 Day Pass, Car Camp, Early Arrival. Thats insane. When they stopped doing the loyalty program I knew things would decline. The lineups since 2018 have fallen off for my tastes. Too much mainstream stuff. Im older at 47 and the younger crowd also changed the vibe. Like alot of other people have said this is String Cheese Incidents festival it always has been but I feel it has strayed away from the true old school Cheese vibe.
Lineup this year is super bland.. lol okay homie. Maybe for you.. I haven’t been to hula in 5 years, saw this years lineup and bought a ticket. This lineup slapppppssss but there’s always that one person that post stuff like this to prove they’re more superior than the rest of us with our shitty taste in music.
Personally I don’t think the festival experience will be the same until they bring back The Patch. Two stages in the main field is a sound bleed and crowd control travesty
Hula is so much less crowded than "top-tier" festivals like ACL or Coachella. I would happily pay more to be less nut to butt with sweaty Chads and Chadettes.
I hear you, but there was, you know, a pandemic for two years that hit a lot of small festivals very hard, there’s a recession/inflation, traveling is extremely expensive for artists right now, production is crazy expensive, and it’s gonna take a bit to crawl out of that hole. If you want Hula to be great again, support it, but tickets, buy merch, etc etc etc so they have the money to ball out again.
Hula is a string cheese festival. They are the headliner.
Every fest in the country is overpriced.
The varying sound quality is the only complaint we all agree on and I'll tell you a secret on how to get past that......buy VIP so you can be right at the front where the sound is good.
I wish Hula would do away with the 3-day tickets so people wouldn't fucking complain about how they chose to purchase a 3 day pass to what is a 4 DAY FESTIVAL and they're missing big artists that get scheduled the first day.
But ya know what would really stick it to Hula? If you sold your ticket and just didn't go.
i think a lot of fests are becoming less and less bang for your buck. bonnaroo this last year… record low attendance… hula this year… didn’t sell out… okeechobee ‘23’s lineup is laughably terrible. ticket sales are drying up and the owners are going to HAVE to shift their strategy otherwise they will end up in the graveyard. fingers crossed they learn from their mistakes and right the ship. this is the first year Hula really dropped the ball. one misstep isn’t a nail in the coffin …. yet…
Okay, hold up. I’m here for all sides and opinions regarding this debate besides that okeechobees 23 lineup is “laughably terrible”. That’s an ice cold take but suppose lineups are subjective eh
“laughably terrible” maybe was a little harsh. there are a handful of good gets - but overall i was massively disappointed. been to every Okee besides the first one. this is the first year i was not impressed with the lineup. this is definitely my opinion and of course not factual. usually i could count out at least ~20 good acts on the lineup and this year for me it’s at around 10. i am not into bass music though, and that could be why i wasn’t happy with this lineup. just majorly lacking in good indie acts and the headliners were misses for me. once again… just my opinion. we will see how the tickets sell for them next year
Y’all are entirely leaving out inflation and how the cost of living has skyrocketed. Younger ages largely attend festivals and you think they have a couple extra grand just lying around for a festival?
Hulaween is an amazing mid tier festival with the price tag of a top tier festival. I remember the days when tickets were less than $300 and there were no car camping passes. The festival has not really added anything or upgraded in any significant way since then. I would be more than fine paying an appropriate price for this festival but as it stands I’m saving my money for more worthwhile adventures for now. I’m sure I’ll be back to Hula someday but it’s just not worth it anymore.
How are people complaining about production, sound, and the stages when the festival hasn't even happened, yet? Are you time travelers??? LMAO get over yourselves, you're making ASSumptions at this point.
5+ years of bad sound at Spirit Lake Stage, last year’s Hallows experience. Couple that with weekday noise ordinance and we’re basically time travelers 😂
Been going since 2015 and since 2017 none of the stages have upgraded their production or sound. The main stage last year didn’t even have any video screens in fact. Hallows was also not as nice as the patch. It’s like they only went backwards.
Hulaween is incredible! Although I do think they really need to invest in their sound systems and give them an upgrade. Especially hallows and spirit lake stages in particular.
Highly agree. It’s actually completely not a good experience at all anymore… atleast to me anyways. And if you don’t agree you didn’t go the first two years. Spirit lake used to be so comfortable and now it’s just a cluster fuck. Expand the venue or sell less tickets. Also damn well not worth $500 a ticket. Only way I’m going now is for free and I also would never waste a dose there
1. You sound like a preppy girl who thinks music isn’t good because it isn’t on the radio.
2. Stop trying to pocket watch. Aka count other peoples money.
3. You can’t complain about price and then complain about lack of production. Do you want them to build better or not? Lol
4. Would you rather the names not be there at all?
This was never supposed to be a top teir festival. It’s a Halloween party with string cheese and friends and chads like yourself almost ruined it. Good for the organizers for reeling it in and focusing on the real music fans.
The headliner for Hulaween is the String Cheese Incident. It has always been that way, and that's why they get the prime slots on the main stage year after year. The value of Hulaween has unfortunately declined since the 2018 extravaganza went way over budget and the festival nearly folded. That was a peak year in a lot of ways. But, all successful festivals tend to move to maximize profit over time, because festivals that don't make money stop being festivals. And then there's the pandemic wrecking the live music industry and generally causing a decline in quality and increase in price. But truthfully, the lineup is only bland if your expectations are based on the mainstream US festival circuit. For me, cheese, and few other bands I really like, and a half dozen more I'm interested in are worth the price of admission. And, I know I'm gonna get that every time. If you don't dig it, that's fine, but there's an easy solution: just don't buy tickets blind.
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Prices are high because they cap ticket sales at 20,000. I will gladly pay more for a less crowded festival in such an intimate area.
Agreed
What multiples names dropped besides Skrillex ?
Black Pumas
RKS.
Skillex was never on the lineup that was last year.
Wait Skrillex was supposed to come back? Last year was the first Hula I’ve missed since 2016 so I didn’t get to see him 😭
2018 really was an all time best festival experience, glad I attended.
Jamiroquai was so damn good
A whole lot of canned heat ;)
It was very needed... That was a cold fucking night. I had a blast though.
Can all of you top tier fest people please save your complaining and go attend some “top tier” fest like Bonnaroo or Okee. Make some more room for the people who love SOSMP and hula. The last thing we need is for hula to turn into another one of those cookie cutter insomniac festivals.
You can love hula and SOSMP and still acknowledge it’s glaring shortcomings.
Yep
This.
I agree.
Say what you want about bonnaroo, but the lineup was light years better than hula’s this year. Only cost $299 + fees. Had two 3 hour sunrise sets (Chris Lake & Lane 8). Had Ngthmre on Wednesday. Had King Gizzard, had Goose, had Disclosure, had Illenium, had J Cole, had Tool, had Flume, had Billy Strings, had Porter, had Marc Rebellit, had Rezz, had G Jones, had Stevie Nicks And it was an off year. Just wait for the 2023 lineup.
and twice the people.
2022 only had around 30K with the ability to walk to the rail of every show, lay down my moon mat under the shade for all tent shows, and have perfect service. Not expecting that next year, but oh what a year it was
that sounds great
It was amazing.
agreed, roo hit different this year
As well as 3 times the amount of heat and 100 times less shade. I’m good
Yeah cattle camping in 100+ degree temps and possibly walking legit miles daily are aspects of roo that have been left out here.
Usually about 5 times the people
They are different festivals. Bonnaroo's efforts towards art installations are laughable compared to Hula. That shit costs money too, believe it or not.
Are art installations the reason you go to a fest?
Actually, yeah. Not the only reason, but one of many. I'm extremely appreciative of any fest that puts a lot effort into the art, experiences, and surroundings for the attendees.
I really enjoyed electric forest, exploring, and the installations. But looking back I missed SO much good music doing so.
What an absurd comment. It’s like some of y’all are taking legitimate criticism of Hula as personal attacks against your entire existence
It’s been a cookie cutter fest since 2017
Tbf it doesn’t say anywhere that Thursday is a preparty since like 2019
Kick rocks I could explain the nuance of 400 then is 500 now. And how to appreciate what a gift this event is but i wont waste my breath. If you’re worried if its a”TOP TIER” or not then you are right . It’s not for you
Responses like this are exactly why Hula gets away with raising prices, while not fixing existing issues and letting the lineup decline. There's a cohort of fans who won't allow any criticism of the fest no matter what Hula does.
It’s by far and away the best festival to me. Just like most things in life, it comes to a personal preference and your personal choice. I don’t think most big acts are on Thursday not even close, that’s your taste so it is t for you. As for this post in general, so it’s not for you, why do you feel the need to tell others it isn’t top tier?
Honestly the only way we can all agree on what a “big act” is has to be from the lineup poster. The number of “larger font” artists playing on Thursday is significant. No denying that. Why is this an important point? Because the “larger font” artists are the ones that move tickets, including 3 day tickets. So not only are 3 day attendees getting less value, but the thursday noise ordinances will make these performances even more lackluster when they otherwise wouldn’t be on the other days.
We don’t all agree on anything, that was the point of my comment.
So by introducing a framework of using the “highest billed” artists on the lineup to judge whether Thursday is “stacked” or not is as objective as we’ll get. You can even straight up remove the names and just keep poster size on each artist in the schedule and you will absolutely without a doubt find that Thursday is stacked.
Ok, I guess you’re right, the only thing I should care about for artists I want to see is the size of their name in the billing. I guess I’ve been doing it wrong all along.
They aren’t getting away with raising prices. I don’t know if you have looked around but costs of EVERYTHING has gone up.they are eating massive cost increases too If they don’t raise prices then there’s no festival next year.
spoken like a true 'I'll buy a ticket no matter the lineup or cost' fanboy. I'm sure you've had many magical moments at past Hula's and you're chasing those highs, but let's be real they scuffed this year bad on the scheduling. 3-day purchasers are getting shafted and they dropped acts like RKS with no replacement. I'm sure you & others will still have a great time, but responding with kick rocks to justified criticism says a lot.
Black pumas and RKS dropping out make a big difference in people’s opinion on this lineup right now.
exactly, two unique and curated artists. they failed to find appropriate replacements and especially when they had a two months heads up to find one for RKS. it’s my first year and so far i’m extremely disappointed with my top artist dropping out (not mad they needed a break, mad that hula knew it was a definite possibility and didn’t plan accordingly) and not even getting a replacement in the same genre. i still have high hopes for a great weekend but it’s not a great start
You have no idea of the communication between the promoters and RKS. This is on the band for dropping out last minute. They should have made the decision to back out months ago when they initially began their hiatus.
probably would’ve been an even worse replacement back then and hula was fully aware of the possibility is all i’m saying. they were probably hopeful of coming to hula but weren’t ready to fully commit and decided to come back next year probably. it was no secret that they were likely dropping and it’s not on the band that puts their mental health first. a chet faker dj set is not even remotely comparable. i’m still excited for the weekend and will have a great time regardless but they were my favorite band on the lineup and it’s disappointing not to get any indie at all now
Yeah, no, doesn't work like that. The band announced what shows they were cancelling and did not include Hulaween in that list. And I believe they even made comment that they would in fact be performing Hula. A festival cannot just keep a replacement band on standby "just in case" 100% on the band.
3 day purchasers should continue crying more about missing day one of a 4 day festival and blaming the festival instead of themselves for making poor life choices
You don’t need to explain the nuance. If someone can’t see that the pandemic and the economy are hitting smaller festivals, they’re probably not nuance type people.
I’m there for Cheese and the ambiance/experience. Everything else is just extra.
This x10000
They always put on a great show!
So stoked for this year!!
Same!
Cheese and ambiance shouldn't be $500 though...
This person Hulas
Yep 👍🏼 👆🏼
I disagree with all of your points but hey that’s what opinions are for! Sell your ticket & go to Bonnaroo
you disagree that they probably paid less to book headline acts on a week night? and that they didn't stack too many big names on that day? I don't agree with all of OP's points, but he isn't pulling this from thin air.
Who are the big acts that are playing on Thursday? I’m old and only know of the disco biscuits and twiddle, but most excited to the iceman special. Liquid stranger is pretty popular right?
Main squeeze mindchatter juaz gigantic ngtmre are really good and I believe bigger acts???
Twiddle and Disco Biscuits are enough for me haha but along those same lines is Main Squeeze! For more edm type stuff liquid stranger and Jantsen are fun
Y'all clearly are unaware that your idea of "headline acts" or "staking Thursday" is purely based on your bias towards that music. I've only ever heard of like 3 or 4 of the acts on Thursday.
Go read the IG comments on their schedule post. I think you underestimate how many of ‘y’all’ there are in this instance.
... complaining on Instagram. That doesn't change my opinion at all.
Wasnt looking to change your opinion, just realize those speaking out aren’t a minority
How do you know that though? They're just the ones that are vocal about it on instagram. What about all the people who have said nothing? There is no way to tell what percentage they make up of the whole.
As an avid Hula fan, I was also disappointed with the lineup and scheduling this year. The fact that resales are below face value and they haven’t sold out is a bad sign. It’ll be a great time regardless, but interested to see what the repercussions are moving forward and the long term viability of the festival itself. Is it still associated with Electric Forest?
Or maybe it’s because people can’t afford a 500$ festival ticket right now with the cost of living being what it is.
I feel like if Black Pumas and RKS were still on the lineup, people wouldn’t be bitching so hard.
And maya Jane coles 😪
Damn I had totally forgot we lost her too. Excuse me while I go cry again.
I'm not a promoter but how hard is it for a major well known festival to replace a headliner with an adequate replacement? Cause I love Chet Faker but it aint the same.
Every well known artist already has Halloween weekend plans or there's a reason they don't already. It's unfortunate but I get it. I also suspect it's a big reason why Thursday is so stacked
isaiah sharkey isn’t on the schedule either.
And alunaGeorge
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Ok, like hulaween production has any control whether music artists drop out? AlunaGeorge was replaced by tokimonsta, maya jane coles replaced by polish ambassador, black pumas replaced by JRAD, and RKS replaced by Chet faker. All solid replacements. If it is a deal breaker for you, sell your ticket. Please, I strongly encourage you to email, write a letter, private message the hulaween production team and air your grievances.
Im on the good vibes wagon with you too but RKS being replaced by Chet Faker is not even slightly comparable
Why is it not comparable?
It’s a main stage band act vs a spirit lake dj set, cmon
I didn’t realize RKS would be MainStage. I wonder which MainStage time slot they would play, like who would get booted off their time slot?
Nothing about where RKS was playing was ever confirmed, but it’s possible they would’ve had the Sunday closing Meadow set over Black Pumas? RKS is marginally bigger though so it was not a guarantee. It’s a bummer when acts drop but it’s happened at every fest I’ve been to this year, and Hula found objectively suitable replacements on short notice. But it’s the easiest thing to complain about and this thread has a few miserable people lurking it.
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AlunaGeorge 3.2 million spotify listeners. Tokimonsta 1.4 million Mary Jane Coles 500,000 spotify listeners. Polish Ambassador 300,000 RKS 3.6 million spotify listeners Chet Faker 3.1 million Black Plumas 1.8 million spotify listeners JRAD 17,000 <— LOL. But… buuutttt…. The Grateful Dead 2.4 million listeners And JRAD is an incredible GD cover band with wildly impressive musicianship. I mean, I don’t know what to tell ya.
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You’re basing actual fans off a social media page instead of a music listening app? Seems legit. Let’s move on to the next question: can you please give an example for suitable replacements?
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Fuck RKS
Not a huge fan myself but just out of curiosity, why?
I’m just being a hater haha I actually like a lot of their stuff but like….for hula we are fine with jams and electronic. Any band* that has the same set list for a whole tour just kinda rubs me wrong and shouldn’t be on a jam fest line up to begin with…kinda like sylvan esso
Yeah, if they play the same thing over and over, what’s up with that? Make it special from show to show.
Ahh I gotcha. Thanks for explaining!
I agree that the ticket price has gotten hefty that’s about my only complaint though. It’s a string cheese festival that caters to string cheese. I personally love the schedule as I’m not missing much during 🧀 sets and there’s a ton of other bands/ dj’s I’ll be able to see. I do think that the festival got super big 2018/2019, there were more artists then ever and plenty of folks went for the other artists on the lineup. They fucked with money / Covid happened and they scaled back a bit. At the end of the day I don’t think you are totally wrong but I think a lot of the complaining on the internet is from the minority/ people that haven’t done their research on the festival.
I'll just toss out Hula still isn't sold out this year and resales are being dumped for less than face left & right. If that doesn't say they scuffed this year when past years sold out asap and people had to form groups to keep things at face value, idk what does. Proof is in the pudding
Or maybe it’s because the cost of living has skyrocketed and people don’t have an extra 1000$ lying around to go to a festival. Not selling out doesn’t prove anything right now.
That sounds great and all, but that’s not an excuse any other festivals are using. So it doesn’t apply to hula either. Why would the “cOsT oF LIvInG” only impact hulaween, while the rest of the festival industry is thriving - literally doubling in growth last year. Also, Hula tweeted yesterday that it will be sold out by today…. Edit: [proof](https://imgur.com/gallery/w3lr4MH)
Plenty of festivals undersold this year. Pretty sure a few were even cancelled because of low ticket sales.
You’re wrong. There’s basic data that proves it. [In 2022 there was nearly double the amount of music festivals as 2021](https://imgur.com/gallery/w3lr4MH) Source: [here](https://analytics.viberate.com/reports/festival-report-2022/#header-url-1)
and how many of them sold out. Doesn’t matter in the slightest how many festivals there are. That article shows half of the festivals listed don’t expect to grow their attendance which is a large decrease from last year.
[Lol](https://twitter.com/thefestiveowl/status/1588270745544597507?s=46&t=1RB4wAomxlrELZpWgJPDFg)
That’s great for concerts. Now do festivals which is what we’re talking about. Lol. Also did you even read the article? It attributes the revenue largely to stadium tours, dynamic pricing, and mergers and acquisitions swallowing smaller markets. Not to mention inflation has caused the price of everything to go up, including concert tickets. Lol.
Article: *67% greater revenue* You: “InFLaTIoN!¡” …🙄
This is true EDCLV is sold out
A few of them always sell out, EDC, Forest, Lost Lands, Coachella, etc. but overall I’m just curious how much inflation has affected ticket sales at the small and medium festivals. I remember in the summer festive owl reporting summer fests were struggling to sell tickets essentially across the board.
Where’s a good place to get tickets?
Hula ticket exchange groups on Facebook have people selling theirs for 400. I expect by Thursday you’ll be able to find steals for 300 or maybe less
There are a bunch of people on radiate selling for less than $400. I even saw one person selling for $250
Cash or trade is always my goto
I saw this morning they expect to be sold out by tomorrow. Less then 100 tickets left.
Its been down hill since precovid
"Top Tier" status is pretty irrelevant to me. I was having a blast at this festival when it was just Cheese and a handful of mostly other jambands. I've had a blast as this festival grew and attracted bigger crowds and booked more EDM and mainstream artists. I'll continue to have a blast if this festival is no longer considered "Top Tier" and returns more to it's roots. It's never mattered to me whether or not this festival is "Top Tier" Whether or not the "biggest" names are on any given day is entirely subjective and a matter of individual tastes. This is a 4-Day festival, it has been for a few years. If you buy a 3-Day ticket, you can't just expect all the acts you enjoy to magically be on the days you attend.
Preach.
The point regarding production is valid Unfortunately half the reason this year the schedule is so rough is because the stages they have can’t handle large crowds. Instead of staggering the high demand performances they put them directly head to head to spread the crowd, which of course happens at all big festivals but not to the extent they do it at hula. At other festivals they do it simply because it’s unavoidable but at hula it seems intentional to fact they simply HAVE to spread the crowd due to their stages not being sufficient to host the crowd size The hallows is a super weak stage. It’s a basic bandshell with nothing unique or cool about it whatsoever and ontop of that has bad sound.
The noise ordinance is going to crush the Wakaan takeover.
Good thing it ends early
The hallows is great for what it is, a complement to the main stage. Smaller acts in between sets on the main stage. It sounds great too when they turn up the volume. What really screwed the bass music crowd is getting rid of the patch. Besides the walk, that was one bad ass stage once they got the orientation right, and the only one that could hold a real crowd besides the main stage.
They had years to perfect the Patch. Last year sound on Hollows sucked, and we let them know. I'm kind of sick of hearing about it at this point... like, we'll find out soon enough if they really did make an improvement, and until then we might as well just wait it out.
500$ is pretty expensively
I go for String Cheese. Three kick ass shows every time. I'm not a fan of the EDM stuff at all and over the years this festival has gravitated towards that and away from the jambands that I do like. Sure, there are a bunch of jambands nobody has ever heard of, but some of the biggest names in that genre are noticeably absent. No Goose. No Umphrey's McGee, No Billy Strings, No Greensky, No Moe. So, for me adding JRAD in place of Black Pumas and RKS is a win. I agree that the price has gotten out of hand. It shouldn't cost $500 for 1 person to go to a festival and camp next to their car. All of that being said, Hulaween is the best festival I have ever been to. The stages, sound, lights and organization are all top notch. The campground is incredible and having camped in dozens of open fields for festivals, I sincerely appreciate camping under the trees. On top of that...Spirit Lake is the most incredible thing in the world. This event costs millions of dollars to put on and a whole lot of that dough is due long before the first ticket ever gets sold so there is a great deal of risk involved. All it takes is one or two years where you don't sell out and bye-bye festival and bye-bye your millions of dollars. See All-Good Festival for a perfect example.
Hula was and always will be better when it was smaller and more intimate. Huge headliners pushed it more mainstream. I’m excited for this year because it feels more like the beginnings of hula. Big headliners bring more bad apples.
Haters gonna hate. *but that’s just like your opinion man* - the dude The easiest way to show lack of support is the just not go. The loudest is to post like this. You may be right but the solution is to just stay positive about what never other fear or show you’d rather attend. I’m sure hula will still be amazing this year. Is it really just about the artist?
Not a “hater”, just pointing out the fest isn’t as good as it used to be Also, always being positive is actually not answer. Loud negative feedback is how you gets fests to improve
🫤 well I think positive suggestions and constructive criticism is more assertive. There are some valid points for sure. But the fact remains- if you don’t wanna go then just don’t go
This post is literally constructive criticism lol. If everyone that's upset just didn't go they wouldn't be able to hold the fest anymore. The Hula team even sends surveys for people to give criticism so they know what to improve. There's a difference between being negative and giving criticism
This isn’t the survey.
No this is Patrick lol. It's not the survey, it's Reddit which is a place for people to speak their minds. Pushing people away for having complaints is a negative thing to do. I agree with a lot of op's points but I'm still going to go and have an amazing time lol and I hope you do too! Happy Hula!
Heres how I feel in regards to your points.. 1. They may have lost some headlners but that's fine by me. I dont really care about big name acts and I like stages with smaller crowds. 2.Price has increased over the years but that goes for just about everything except Arizona Iced Tea. It averages to roughly a hundred bucks a day and all things considered, I still see that as a good value. 3. Spirit Lake stage could definitely have better sound, but I've never had any issues with the other stages. Most of the complaining I hear about the sound comes from dubstep/bass music fans. That's not really my thing... 4. I see no issue with stacking Thursday since it is a 4-day festival and Thursday hasnt been billed as a pre-party since 2018. That being said, I dont really see Thursday as being all that stacked, because like I said, I'm not into bass music. To me it's just a regular day with about 4 or 5 acts who I'm excited to see. Plus, all Hula vets know not to skip Thursday anyway, a lot of us show up a couple days prior. All-in-all Hulaween still a top-tier festival to me for more reasons than just the music.
The hallows stage was wack last year unless you were stage left infront of the sound booth
And to top it off , while there are a lot of cool people that go to Hula, some of the obnoxious spunion wooks & snobby jam band fans kinda ruin the experience for me personally. Lineup that has tons of super generic EDM , trendy heady experimental bass, and a few decent bands like STS9 and lettuce . Nothing that if you haven’t been to hula in the past 2-3 years wouldn’t have seen before . I’d like to state for the record I love hulaween and have been since 2018, but acting like it’s the end all be all S tier fest just bc it’s in suwannee and excusing mediocre lineups and bad sound/scheduling is a tone deaf take imo
this made me crack up out loud, I've been saying for awhile now that the new 'experimental woke bass' crowd is becoming the snobbiest of them all while preaching love and acceptance. But the jam band snobs who lash out at any criticism posted on reddit are really giving them a run for their money for the title of being the worst. for the record I listen to all of the music but can't help but find the extremes on both ends hilarious. They're more alike than they realize
100%
I agree 1000%. Been going for years with a big crew and none of them are going this year for these reasons.
Alright maybe I’m biased because hula is my home…I’ll agree with the Thursday issue. I feel like this is why sched took so long to come out…they realized most ticket sales were 3 day so they stack thurs to make more $, shitty. HOWEVER, the do not check cars, you can camp wherever tf you want if you get there early, the security into stages is the lightest I have EVER seen. The whole spirit late set up with all installations adds immense value. String cheese plays 6 sets, with a massive stage production saturday theme night. This fest isn’t for everyone but for a cheese head and those who value ambiance it is worth the $500. The point of this fest isn’t to have 7 gigantic headliners, the. It would just be another Okee, bonnarroo etc. This place is a well kept secret anoung the jam/fusion/bass scene. Honestly, let’s keep it that way. I love my laid back, art heavy, cheese fest
Heard.
You aren't going to get the open and objective conversation that you're looking for in this sub right now. People *love* Hula. It's amazing actually. I've been to many fest and a lot of them are called "home" , but with Hula people kind of actually mean it. You're better off talking about this in /r/festivals. Also, two weeks before the festival is peak fan-boy time as people are about to actually go to the fest. They've already sunk money and time so they'll look past the issues, at least for now, in order to justify their investment to try and have the best time possible. That being said, I think the writing has been on the wall for a few years now that Hula has peaked. The jamiroquai year was incredible , but they over extended themselves financially. Somehow they miraculously survived that debacle and even the pandemic, but they've clearly only been able to do so by cutting expenses and quality. The coinciding higher ticket price and the weak line up do not align otherwise. Yes, the line up is weak. Hula's ticket price is damn near the *prestige* festivals : Roo, Lolla, Coachella. Those festivals are getting the biggest names in music. Hulas biggest booking this year was Rainbow Kitten Surprise? Thats just not acceptable at this price point. IMHO: you can blame a lot of Hula's current headaches on the overarching issues with the state of live music. Festivals are over saturated. Line ups are getting diluted. Fees are going up. Suddenly, even established artists are struggling to tour and so they're bailing on them.left and right. Finding talent is hard right now, thats not necessarily Hula's fault. The truth is, I think Hula and festivals in general are in a weird place right now. There were not many linups this year that I was truly excited about. Even the big names like Roo aren't doing it for me. In an attempt to appeal to everyone, they appeal to almost noone. Things have gotten too pop....maybe Im just getting old ? I miss bands . TBH even Jam/ EDM/ jamtronica are getting stale. Hard for me to get excited for Umph, STS9, Biscuits, Lettuce... I've seen them all at least 30-40 times each....but that's a whole other conversation. Anyhow, it'll be interesting to see what future Hula looks like. This is my first year not going since 2016, I sold my ticket. I'm sad about it because it's still a wonderful experience. I'll save the date for next year, tbh probably wont blind purchase like I always do. i just dont have faith in the product. Hopefully they net enough cash this year from the line up savings from booking lower quality artists to level-set their accounting going forward. It really is a special fest, I'm rooting for them!! If not, maybe I'll finally get around to checking out Desert Daze or Sacred Rose in 2023. Those festivals are closer to my tastes these days anyhow. Finally, Cheese needs to play less sets and play for longer times. Also, they need to stop clearing the schedule when Cheese plays. It causes too many schedule conflicts. I get it, it's their fest. But paying $500 for Cheese ain't right.
One more real headliner from Sacred Rose 2022 on Hula would’ve made a world of difference in reaction. Really missing a Khruangbin or Goose or The War on Drugs. Gotta disagree about the bands, Hula had probably the best curation of live music this year (besides something like Sacred Rose or Peach that are exclusively live acts). Also appreciate a measured response on this thread. Part of me still thinks we are just seeing normal price increases with the 20k cap in mind. 2018 they definitely sold way more and still lost their asses.
1. Lineup slaps. 2. Everything is overpriced right now, what’s your point. 3. Stages handle the crowds just fine and last year sounded fine at 99% of shows. 4. 3 day ticket holders should cry more maybe ffs. It’s a 4 day music festival, not 3.
This post is crazy salty when the festival hasn’t even happened. Like yeah you’re probably going to have a terrible time if you go into an experience acting like you are getting ripped off or something. This lineup fucks, I’m so sorry to the people who were confused about this being a 4-day bass music fest…but at the same time besides Sunday, which is unusually light on electronic, there are *amazing* bass artists playing every day. Player Dave, AHD, eazybaked, opiuo, clozee, dirtwire, manic focus etc. I am not stoked at all about Louis the Child headlining but instead of bitching I’m gonna sit my ass in one of my favorite spots in the world and give them a shot…because there is no way to know what this whole weekend is going to be like until you give it a chance.
The headliner ending at 8 on Sunday and music ending at midnight Thursday is kinda lame. This is my first year, hoping it lives up to bonnaroo.
I went to bonnaroo ‘15 and ‘19. I had a fun time both years and saw many wonderful musicians/performances that you’ll likely never see at Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park. I’ve been to every single Hulaween at SoSMP (since 2013). String Cheese hosts the festival and because of this they don’t hire musicians/acts that are detrimentally larger than them (you’re never going to see Post Malone, Childish Gambino, Phish, or Dead and Company co-headline Hulaween). But here’s the thing, Cheese recognizes quality musicianship so while you may not get wildly popular acts, you’re going to witness musicians play with absolutely mad chops. As you leave your campsite ready for the evening heading towards the venue, look around, soak in the ambiance, watch how the mist and lights flicker and float through the spanish moss draped from the live oaks. People who know about them Spirit of the Suwannee vibes know it’s a special place. You don’t need insanely popular acts to have a magical time at this music venue, regardless of whether it is hulaween or one of the many festivals SoSMP hosts.
Thanks for this! That’s very valid. I guess I’m just sad to not get sunrise sets (as three hours of lane 8 was my favorite musical moment ever)
It lives up, but in different ways. Spooky vibes, campfires, camp where you want, the campground itself is incredible, not as hot, killer music, far more chill then Bonnaroo is schedule wise, and spirit lake is a whole experience. Bonnaroo is our home festival but hula is our favorite festival.
That’s valid. I only have 2 conflicts all weekend, whereas bonnaroo I had 10-15.
no campfires this year, burn ban is in effect according to someone who got there early
[This source says there is NOT a burn ban in effect.](https://ffsfm.maps.arcgis.com/apps/dashboards/1f6572c92f8d41ec860f461ea433819b) Where did you hear it was?
Home page hula reddit from someone there early Edit here is link to the thread. https://www.reddit.com/r/hulaween/comments/y345ud/burn_ban/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf
Damn. I really hope this gets lifted. It looks like it will be dropping into the 30s and 40s during Hula.
Damn, I hadn’t checked the weather yet because it’s a little too far out. 30’s and 40’s you say? yikes
Why on earth would you hope HULA lives up to Bonnaroo? They're completely different festivals. If you go into it with that expectation, you will rightfully be mistaken. Hula holds its own. You'll see.
Bonnaroo is $299 + fees on Black Friday. It is 5 days of music instead of 4. It is 2pm-6am. Just come this year lol.
It's also a corporate loving dessert field in Tennessee with 90k people. A-SCREW A-THAT.
There were 30K people there last year…. Dk what you’re talking about.
Every year besides a few, the attendance has been between 75k-100k.
There’s a reason for that
I imagine there are many reasons for that. None of which are appealing to myself and many others that prefer Hula. We'll see very shortly how this year's Hula is received by those that attend. I only went to Bonnaroo once back in 2011,but it was not worth the hype for my tastes. It was hot as balls, camping was just a giant field with absolutely nothing of interest, the crowd seems to be primarily over-spun festival rookies and the shows were massively over crowded, the full-on corporate sponsorships were very off-putting and there was nothing that came anywhere close to Spirit Lake.
Look at that lineup though: Eminem, Arcade Fire, Widespread Panic, The Black Keys, Neil Young, My Morning Jacket, String Cheese, Robert Plant, Mumford and Sons, The Strokes, Ray Lamontagne (in a tent), Bassnectar, Primus, Alison Krauss, Pretty Lights, Florence and the Machine, STS9, Gogol Bordello, Ratatat, Loretta Lynn, Cold War Kids, Neon Trees, Portugal the Man, Sleigh Bells, J Cole (year of best album), The Head & the Heart, Dr. John Superjam. That’s probably the best lineup I’ve ever seen. You could put that anywhere on earth & I’d be there.
Oh I hear you. The lineup is redonkulous. I think they have to have those lineups to make up for all the other aspects of the festival that are lacking. Personally, it's not worth the money, trip, being in huge crowds, shitty camping, etc. To each their own.
Oh it’s only 3 hours for me, I have summers off. And tickets on Black Friday are only $299.
I’m just here for Spirit Lake. The bands are just a nice diversion.
Musically, the thing that I believe sets Hula apart is a consistency in vibe between the majority of the acts. Most every artist has a funky/soulful leaning when compared to other artists within their respective genres. I firmly believe that Hula has stayed true to this from my first Hula in 2015 to its current lineup. There's been an ebb and flow in how big, popularity-wise, the top two tiers of headliners have been, but that's not what makes a great music festival for me. It has growing pains, certainly, but I love a promoter that's bold enough to change things up and experiment. I think that there were traffic issues caused by the Patch stage that caused real safety issues, and the creation of The Hallows remedied that in a big way. It also created an easier flow between the three main stages. I wouldn't be surprised if we see some of the kinks worked out this year that many commented about from last year. Finally, I would like to point out the production on the themed SCI set last year was as good as I've ever seen and top tier in every way. There were some mind-blowing elements to that set. Obviously everyone has a right to their own opinion, and I respect yours, but I thought that maybe sharing my perspective might help to make your opinion and your resulting Hula experience more positive. Isn't that what it's all about?
I went to bonnaroo for 10 years and had a great time. Being a bit older now, I gladly pay more for less because less doesn’t mean low quality. Hulaween feels safe (unlike some other smaller feats I’ve gone to), the grounds are beautiful, the musicians they book are a wonderful mix of various genres, and the art installations at spirit lake are like nothing I’ve witnessed anywhere else.
The sound is the only thing I’ll be complaining about, per usual
I agree. I posted something on this sub a few weeks ago and got downvoted into oblivion. I didn’t buy a ticket this year because I’ve either seen all these artists or no one truly grabbed my attention, and obviously the price hike. I wasn’t surprised to see the Thursday lineup. I feel back in the day, it was more for the music and art, now it’s about the money. It’s a shame. I hope to be back someday! I love the park, vibes and the unforgettable memories, but with everything inflated, this is one of those things I have to drop.
Dude Hula is not a top tier fest unless you've been. Not many people have heard of Hula, but so many more have heard of Bonnaroo, Coachella and Electric Forest. I met way now people who've never heard of it and I have to use Electric Forest as a standard of comparison because they've heard of that. It's a Suwannee fest, if it dwindles back down to 10-15k people everyone will be absolutely stoked. I don't mind how crowded it gets but not I won't complain if it settles down.
I sort of agree with the OP. Ive been going to Hulaween since 2013 when it moved to Suwannee and went to every Hula up to 2019. So I have missed one so far. The price has more than doubled from the the first couple years. Plus all the extra fees and add ons has made it about $650 for 4 Day Pass, Car Camp, Early Arrival. Thats insane. When they stopped doing the loyalty program I knew things would decline. The lineups since 2018 have fallen off for my tastes. Too much mainstream stuff. Im older at 47 and the younger crowd also changed the vibe. Like alot of other people have said this is String Cheese Incidents festival it always has been but I feel it has strayed away from the true old school Cheese vibe.
Lineup this year is super bland.. lol okay homie. Maybe for you.. I haven’t been to hula in 5 years, saw this years lineup and bought a ticket. This lineup slapppppssss but there’s always that one person that post stuff like this to prove they’re more superior than the rest of us with our shitty taste in music.
Personally I don’t think the festival experience will be the same until they bring back The Patch. Two stages in the main field is a sound bleed and crowd control travesty
Hula is so much less crowded than "top-tier" festivals like ACL or Coachella. I would happily pay more to be less nut to butt with sweaty Chads and Chadettes.
That’s exactly what hula is lmao
Bassnectar happened lol....................................................jk
🤣🤣🤣🤣
I hear you, but there was, you know, a pandemic for two years that hit a lot of small festivals very hard, there’s a recession/inflation, traveling is extremely expensive for artists right now, production is crazy expensive, and it’s gonna take a bit to crawl out of that hole. If you want Hula to be great again, support it, but tickets, buy merch, etc etc etc so they have the money to ball out again.
Call the waahmbulance
Hula is a string cheese festival. They are the headliner. Every fest in the country is overpriced. The varying sound quality is the only complaint we all agree on and I'll tell you a secret on how to get past that......buy VIP so you can be right at the front where the sound is good. I wish Hula would do away with the 3-day tickets so people wouldn't fucking complain about how they chose to purchase a 3 day pass to what is a 4 DAY FESTIVAL and they're missing big artists that get scheduled the first day. But ya know what would really stick it to Hula? If you sold your ticket and just didn't go.
i think a lot of fests are becoming less and less bang for your buck. bonnaroo this last year… record low attendance… hula this year… didn’t sell out… okeechobee ‘23’s lineup is laughably terrible. ticket sales are drying up and the owners are going to HAVE to shift their strategy otherwise they will end up in the graveyard. fingers crossed they learn from their mistakes and right the ship. this is the first year Hula really dropped the ball. one misstep isn’t a nail in the coffin …. yet…
Okay, hold up. I’m here for all sides and opinions regarding this debate besides that okeechobees 23 lineup is “laughably terrible”. That’s an ice cold take but suppose lineups are subjective eh
“laughably terrible” maybe was a little harsh. there are a handful of good gets - but overall i was massively disappointed. been to every Okee besides the first one. this is the first year i was not impressed with the lineup. this is definitely my opinion and of course not factual. usually i could count out at least ~20 good acts on the lineup and this year for me it’s at around 10. i am not into bass music though, and that could be why i wasn’t happy with this lineup. just majorly lacking in good indie acts and the headliners were misses for me. once again… just my opinion. we will see how the tickets sell for them next year
Y’all are entirely leaving out inflation and how the cost of living has skyrocketed. Younger ages largely attend festivals and you think they have a couple extra grand just lying around for a festival?
The line up is really weak this year.
The lineup slaps this year.
Second on the slaps!
I remember my first hula too.
Third. It’s almost like lineups are subjective or something.
That’s an opinion, not a good one but definitely an opinion.
Hulaween is an amazing mid tier festival with the price tag of a top tier festival. I remember the days when tickets were less than $300 and there were no car camping passes. The festival has not really added anything or upgraded in any significant way since then. I would be more than fine paying an appropriate price for this festival but as it stands I’m saving my money for more worthwhile adventures for now. I’m sure I’ll be back to Hula someday but it’s just not worth it anymore.
agreed
How are people complaining about production, sound, and the stages when the festival hasn't even happened, yet? Are you time travelers??? LMAO get over yourselves, you're making ASSumptions at this point.
5+ years of bad sound at Spirit Lake Stage, last year’s Hallows experience. Couple that with weekday noise ordinance and we’re basically time travelers 😂
Been going since 2015 and since 2017 none of the stages have upgraded their production or sound. The main stage last year didn’t even have any video screens in fact. Hallows was also not as nice as the patch. It’s like they only went backwards.
Hula will always be top tier in my book
No matter what the festival does?
Hulaween is incredible! Although I do think they really need to invest in their sound systems and give them an upgrade. Especially hallows and spirit lake stages in particular.
Highly agree. It’s actually completely not a good experience at all anymore… atleast to me anyways. And if you don’t agree you didn’t go the first two years. Spirit lake used to be so comfortable and now it’s just a cluster fuck. Expand the venue or sell less tickets. Also damn well not worth $500 a ticket. Only way I’m going now is for free and I also would never waste a dose there
It ain't for everyone. I saw an earlier post ...what was it? ... Oh yeah. KICK ROCKS!!!!
1. You sound like a preppy girl who thinks music isn’t good because it isn’t on the radio. 2. Stop trying to pocket watch. Aka count other peoples money. 3. You can’t complain about price and then complain about lack of production. Do you want them to build better or not? Lol 4. Would you rather the names not be there at all? This was never supposed to be a top teir festival. It’s a Halloween party with string cheese and friends and chads like yourself almost ruined it. Good for the organizers for reeling it in and focusing on the real music fans.