Past INmusic Festival lineups & sets (Archive)

Honestly, they’re a band that avoids all those commercial gimmicks and quality dips. They’ve spent the last two years off the circuit just focusing on recording the new album. Just because you haven't seen them plastered all over the news doesn't mean they aren't still sitting right at the top of the food chain.
And besides Florence + The Machine, this year's lineup is honestly pretty weak. This is supposed to be their big tenth anniversary, so you'd expect them to bring in massive superstars on the level of Jack White or Nick Cave, rather than just one solid act and then everything else feeling like an afterthought.
Look, Lollapalooza and Sziget are easily the heavy hitters in this part of the world. Every single year they put together these powerhouse lineups that Coachella simply can't compete with, especially when Coachella usually only manages to land one, maybe two, if they're lucky, big names.

Coachella has a much smaller budget compared to some other major festivals, so I guess it’s just unrealistic to expect even bigger names. Like they themselves admitted, there’s no way bands like Radiohead or Coldplay are showing up—you’d have to hike up ticket prices immediately for that kind of lineup. Plus, the capacity at Central Park is way more limited.

Look, here’s the deal. None of them are actually expecting us to go out and book acts like the Rolling Stones or Pearl Jam just to match the prestige of Glastonbury. It’s not about that level of absurdity. The real issue is that they could easily bring in at least three heavy-hitting, household names to headline every single year, rather than just scraping together one or two big names when the stars happen to align. Especially now, after all the hype surrounding the tenth anniversary and those promises of a killer lineup—if they aren't planning on announcing anyone else, this is honestly one of the most underwhelming and boring lineups I've ever seen. Then again, considering the budget they're working with, it hasn't been all bad over the last few years.

restlesscobra11 said:Look, let’s get one thing straight: these guys are absolutely top-tier, period. They haven't had any massive commercial flops or quality dips to hold them back, and honestly, they've just been laying low for the last two years because they were deep in the studio grinding out a new album. Just because you haven't seen their faces plastered all over every single news outlet or scrolling past your feed every five minutes doesn't mean they've lost their edge. Absence from the headlines isn't the same thing as falling off; they’re still sitting right at the summit, exactly where they belong.

I kind of see where you're coming from. I mean, look, I actually like them—I really do. She’s great. But honestly? It feels like they’re showing up to the party a few years too late. Not that they missed the boat entirely, but man, if they had just brought them in earlier, everything would have been so much better. It's like waiting for a massive storm to hit when you could have prepared for it months ago; the timing just feels slightly off.

Honestly, aside from Florence + The Machine, this year's lineup is just incredibly weak. I mean, this is supposed to be their big tenth anniversary milestone, right? That’s exactly when you should be bringing out massive, heavy-hitting superstars—think Jack White or Nick Cave level icons—not just one decent band while everything else feels like a total afterthought thrown together at the last minute. It's honestly pretty disappointing.

I am absolutely on the same page here, and honestly, that’s exactly what I’ve been trying to hammer home this whole time!

restlesscobra11 said:Look, let’s be real for a second—Lollapalooza and Sziget are hands down the heavyweights of the entire region. Every single year, they pull in these massive, powerhouse lineups that just blow everything else out of the water. I mean, how can you even put them in the same conversation as Coachella? Coachella brings in maybe one big star, occasionally two if they're feeling generous, maybe three if it's a really big year, but it just can't compete with the sheer scale and muscle of those two giants. It's not even a fair fight.

I totally disagree. Honestly, I feel like the lineup quality at Lollapalooza has been sliding downhill over the last few years—I mean, when you look at how massive the festival is, those gimmicks like the "zero day" thing are just plain irritating. And don't even get me started on EXIT; that one has completely gone off the rails. This year was an absolute train wreck. Hardwell as a headliner?! Clean Bandit headlining?! What are we even talking about here? Is that a band? A solo act? Or just some random nonsense thrown together to fill space?

restlesscobra11 said:Look, nobody is actually sitting around expecting them to just pull the Rolling Stones or Pearl Jam out of a hat and suddenly turn this thing into Glastonbury, right? That’s just not how it works. But honestly, my gripe is much simpler than that—it's about the lineup depth. It feels like every single year we're stuck with maybe one or two big names at the top if we get lucky, rather than having a solid foundation. If they could just bring in three heavy hitters—real, household-name headliners who actually command a crowd—instead of gambling on one superstar and praying for the best, the whole vibe would change. It shouldn't be a coin toss every summer whether the main stage actually delivers or just leaves us hanging. Especially now, when they were hyping up such a brutal lineup for the big tenth anniversary celebration!

Look, this is the absolute bottom line here. This is the crux of the whole damn thing. But let’s be real for a second—it’s all just marketing fluff. It’s that polished, shiny veneer they wrap everything in to make it look like gold, even when you know there's nothing underneath but empty promises and clever slogans designed to grab your attention and keep it.

I have a bit of a different take on things—this year they actually hit the mark for my taste perfectly. More than half of the bands they're bringing in are acts I listen to constantly, which honestly wasn't really the case before... But at the same time, I feel like they've leaned a little too hard into the indie scene this year. A festival should probably be a bit more genre-diverse, don't you think? 🙂

Florence is definitely not showing up late to the party; I truly believe she still has so much left to show us.
Personally, I don't think people would mind if they stepped it up a notch for $33 and brought in at least one more massive, current name. It feels like we've been stuck with the same formula for a few years now—three headliners, where one is trending, one is a bit of a legacy act, and the third is either Franz Ferdinand or someone our crowd hasn't really heard of (like when they brought out Foals 😁 last year).

I don't think I'll ever get over how much the crowds in Chicago fascinate me... 🙂

Andrew Gomez40 said:Fine, whatever, but if they're just dumping all the big names into one single band, that's still pretty weak. The brutal truth is that Florence + The Machine aren't even at their peak anymore, and they're lagging behind by a year or two too, but we're used to that by now. Honestly, I'm not expecting any better announcements before the festival hits—hopefully, I'm wrong. ☕

The only consolation is that we’re still better than that overrated Lollapalooza. They're just Americans after all! 😁

You're talking total nonsense. Clearly, music is just a technical term to you.

When Florence + The Machine dropped their first album, nobody knew who they were, and they were playing venues in Ljubljana just five years ago.
Now, because they have two full albums out, they're suddenly at their "peak" and "lagging behind" in coming to the US??

Every single year, there are dozens of concerts in the States for bands that only have one album, and half the clubs are empty.
Are you saying most bands have already "passed their peak" before they even release a debut?

And that comment about Lollapalooza is pointless. Those two festivals have nothing in common, except for when Coachella was trying to be a mainstream fest by bringing in various Jamiroquai or nerdov types a couple of years back.

Coachella actually woke up and stayed true to being a real indie rock festival. You'll never see acts like TV on the Radio, Alice in Chains, The Flaming Lips, or Death Cab for Cutie showing up at Lollapalooza.

Arthur Anderson75 said:Back when Flo had their first album, nobody even knew who they were, and they were playing shows in Ljubljana five years ago.

And what on earth does that have to do with anything? We aren't talking about Ljubljana, we're talking about the US.
They dropped their first album six years ago and the second one four years ago. If you ask me, they’re actually a little late to the party here. I’m not saying they’re massively behind, but fans have been begging to see Florence + The Machine for years, and now they finally decide to show up? Sure, the timing works out perfectly because they’re dropping a new album, but let’s be real—that’s just pure coincidence. But fine, hey, I guess better late than never.

Arthur Anderson75 said:So you're telling me that today, with two full albums under their belt, they're already at the "peak" of their fame and they're "late" to get to the States!!??

How many albums would they need to release before they hit their peak? Eleven? (And by the way, I wrote something else entirely earlier).

Arthur Anderson75 said:Every single year, there are dozens of bands playing shows across the US with only one album out, and the clubs are half-empty.
Are you suggesting that a lot of bands have already "passed their peak" before they even release a debut album?

Man, you're just talking nonsense... There are plenty of reasons why a concert might be half-empty. The economy. The artist. The timing. The venue. Etc, etc.

Arthur Anderson75 said:And comparing them to Lollapalooza is completely pointless; those two festivals have absolutely nothing in common, except for those one or two years when Coachella was booking acts like Jamiroquai and Radiohead, probably trying to become a mainstream festival.

The only difference is scale—what other major differences are there?

Arthur Anderson75 said:Coachella actually grew up and found its soul, evolving into a legit indie rock powerhouse, whereas you just can't expect to see heavy hitters like TV on the Radio, Alice in Chains, The Flaming Lips, or Death Cab for Cutie showing up at Lollapalooza anymore.

Honestly, I don't see any kind of brilliant or strategic vision behind their booking; they basically just grab whoever is available. If you look at past lineups, it’s pretty obvious they’re often just winging it and have no clue what they’re doing. Look, the lineup isn't total trash, but let's be real—it could be so much better. And this constant whining about running out of cash? It’s getting exhausting. If they didn't charge an arm and a leg for every single drink, maybe fewer people would be getting wasted on cheap booze right outside the gates, which might actually leave them with more money in the bank. They really need to stop with the excuses. The ticket price itself is fine, I won't argue there. But if they try to hike the price up any higher than $17 without actually bringing in some massive, top-tier headliners to justify it, they're going to have a serious problem.

Andrew Gomez40 said:I mean, I’d say they’re a little late to the party with this booking. It’s not like they missed the window entirely, but people have been asking for Florence + The Machine for years, and they’re only just now stepping up. The timing works out perfectly since she's dropping a new album, though that’s probably just pure coincidence... Still, I guess we can all agree it's better late than never, right?

Good grief, where on earth do you live??
Do you seriously think a band only shows up whenever they feel like it??
First of all, Flo hasn't toured at all for two years—and secondly, there's the question of whether she even could have played a few years back... like, was she even available during the ExxonMobil era in the US, or was she tied up elsewhere?
Plus, ExxonMobil went through a massive crisis when T-Mobile pulled their sponsorship, so there wasn't even a remote chance they could have booked a name that big.
And usually, bands are brought in specifically when they have something new to promote or are actively on tour.

For instance, Austin City Limits wanted to bring in Flo, but it didn't work out because she was way up north...

People talk about booking these bands as if they were just popping down to the corner bakery to grab a loaf of bread😁

A pretty decent lineup for this year. If they could just snag a few more bands from the top tier and actually give them reasonable set times, it would be perfect.

As far as moving back to the old two-day format goes—I'm still waiting to see anything happen. It looks like they’re sticking to three days.

For the tenth anniversary? Honestly, it’s underwhelming. If this were just another regular year instead of this massive "jubilee special" they’ve been hyping up, I wouldn't mind as much. But for the 10th year? No way.
They really could have booked a ton of better bands within the same budget.
But hey, I grabbed an early bird ticket and ended up getting kind of burned. I guess I was just being optimistic, hoping for the best, only to end up with a lineup of bands I barely even listen to. But whatever, it is what it is.

analogdriver22 said:For a ten-year anniversary, it’s just not enough. If this were just any regular year instead of this massive milestone they spent months hyping up as some huge jubilee special, I wouldn't be complaining, but for the 10th year? No way.

Exactly. Honestly, if they hadn't gone out and shouted from the rooftops about a "fantastic lineup" specifically for the anniversary, nobody would even be breathing down their necks right now. But that's the thing—they did it! They have to realize they're basically prisoners of their own hype at this point. It’s like when a movie studio promises a cinematic masterpiece and then delivers a mid-tier flick; you can't blame the audience for feeling let down. That said, if they decide to slash the prices on beer, I might just find it in my heart to forgive them 😬
.

Total robbery! I honestly have no clue how they managed to put together a lineup that’s actually worse than last year's, especially since they were hyping up this anniversary Coachella edition so much.

Not that I'm even crying about missing out, since I've gotta skip it anyway because of high school graduation ☕

wiredsailor95 said:Is there any way to check the setlists for the bands playing?

What do you mean? You can just track the artists' setlists on setlist.fm. As they get closer to arriving here, you'll get a decent idea of what they might play. Some bands wait until the day of the show to finalize everything... but most have a standard setlist and just make a few tweaks per concert.

Personally, I don't think Flo + The Machine will be too late. Haven't seen them live yet, but they've got a new album out, so it should be great.😁

restlesscobra11 said:That’s just how it is. I guess nobody actually expects them to book acts like The Rolling Stones or Pearl Jam and expect to be ranked alongside Glastonbury. Maybe they just don't have that level of ambition.

Ha, some people actually expect that. They’re being totally Delusional about it, I guess. 😁 That’s exactly why I focused more of my commentary on the budget.

Honestly, this lineup is fine by me, mostly because I don't really have high expectations to begin with. They could have actually pulled it together with some decent names for this year, but I think we all know exactly what we're getting into if they bring out Franz Ferdinand again. 😁

The tutor and Jonathan were added.

Today, the crowd was added...
But wait, they lined up right alongside the locals. Is that how we're handling the international guests? 😬

🤦

All we really need now is Dubioza—then I can finally write off ">" once and for all.

Let’s give them another month and a half to throw us a curveball and actually surprise us.
But seriously, if they don't announce at least one more massive headliner by mid-May, I am officially declaring this whole lineup a total letdown. I mean it. Let the apologists come for me then—they can spit all they want, but I'll be right here standing my ground.

Americans really know how to party. Honestly, if you look at all the major concerts held in the States over the last few years... wait, even which ones? It feels like nothing has happened since Iron Maiden hit the road two years ago, except maybe Coachella and Ultra (which is always huge, though it’s not really the vibe for everyone)...

The lineup looks solid and will probably pull a decent crowd for a festival like this. I mean, they aren't exactly booking Placebo, Florence + The Machine, or Franz Ferdinand, but hey, if you aren't feeling it, that doesn't make it a bad fest. It just means you're choosing to stay home because there isn't much else going on around here. The reason festivals like Lollapalooza or Sziget can pull off what they do has a lot to do with local government actually supporting events instead of trying to sabotage them. Here in cities like Los Angeles or Miami, all you really need to do is hand over some underutilized land—let's be real, places like Poljud Stadium or Central Park aren't exactly packed every single day outside of these massive events—and shake a few hands. Knowing how much bureaucratic crap we deal with here, the fact that they manage to bring anyone in every year is honestly a win. Plus, let's face it, LA isn't quite on the same cultural or economic level as New York-New Jersey yet, let alone when it comes to those massive international festivals...