Reflecting on Lost Lands 2024: The Good, The Bad, and The Dusty

As a long-time (3 years... does that meet 'long time' criteria?🤔) Lost Lands attendees, this festival holds a special place in our hearts. Having experienced the magic in 2022, 2023, and now 2024, we’ve come to think of Lost Lands as our ‘home festival.’ There's nothing quite like the energy, the music, and the sense of community it brings. Even with the unique challenges faced this year, Lost Lands continues to be our top festival. While it wasn’t without its hiccups, we’re grateful the event went on, and it’s always a place where we can come together, reconnect, and make lasting memories.

This year’s Lost Lands, affectionately dubbed "Dust Lands" by many attendees, was quite the experience, though not without its challenges. Due to a drought in Ohio, the grounds were covered in gravel, a last-minute addition for fire mitigation purposes. While it made perfect sense for safety, the endless clouds of dust kicked up made things a bit uncomfortable. Still, in true Lost Lands fashion, the community came together and embraced the conditions. After all, we were all just happy the festival wasn’t canceled due to the drought, and the organizers did their best to keep things running smoothly.

One of the major highlights this year was the debut of The Crater stage. This new addition blew my mind with its insane lasers and incredible sound quality. It felt like every drop hit harder, and the visual production was absolutely stunning. The stage design was both immersive and high-energy, offering a fresh and exciting experience compared to the other stages. It’s safe to say The Crater will be a fan favorite in future years, and I can't wait to see how they build upon it.

On the other hand, the iconic Prehistoric Stage felt a bit underwhelming this time around. While it was as massive as expected, it lacked the wow factor that usually sets it apart. The stage was essentially a giant screen, which—while impressive in scale—felt somewhat flat without the usual pyrotechnics and fire. Understandably, the drought meant no fire effects this year, which definitely removed an element of excitement that has come to define Lost Lands performances. There were still plenty of lasers, but noticeably fewer than last year. It felt as though the stage sacrificed some of the laser production to make space for the expanded screen. Was it worth it? Not in my opinion. The lasers always add a layer of intensity and atmosphere, and the reduction made the stage feel less dynamic. Without those extra visual elements, some of the sets didn’t hit as hard as they could have, leaving the Prehistoric Stage feeling less magical than in previous years.

In contrast, the Wompy Woods stage this year was hands down the best setup to date. Everything about it just hit the spot. The screens were massive and high-quality, but what really set it apart from the Prehistoric Stage was the overall structure and design. The stage had a perfect balance of screen space and physical elements, with impressive stage architecture and the iconic dino statues seamlessly integrated into the design. It felt like a complete experience visually, offering so much more to look at than just a huge screen. While it did feature a lot of screen space, similar to the Prehistoric Stage, Wompy Woods also had other interactive and immersive elements that kept the energy high and the vibe dynamic. It was the perfect example of how to combine massive visuals with structure and creativity, and it definitely elevated the entire atmosphere of the sets.

Our camping setup this year was in Quiet Car Camping, though not necessarily for the quiet aspect—our main reason for choosing it was to guarantee a closer location to the marketplace. It was a convenient spot, but there were some frustrations with the organization. While quiet car camping came with its own wristband, it didn’t seem to serve much purpose. In fact, there was never anyone checking wristbands to enter the area, so anyone could walk in and out without any issue. This made us question why the separate wristbands were even required. This lack of enforcement was just one example of the security and staffing inconsistencies we noticed this year. There were moments where security checks seemed lax or inconsistent, leading to a bit of confusion. For a festival that usually runs like a well-oiled machine, these small gaps in organization were noticeable and could’ve been handled better.

Overall, despite the dust and a few misses, Lost Lands 2024 was still an amazing experience. The community, the music, and The Crater stage really made it a memorable year. I’m already looking forward to what next year holds and hoping for a return to the pyrotechnic madness that we all know and love. Here's to hoping the drought is over by then!

Pros:

• The Crater stage was a fantastic new addition with stunning visuals, lasers, and incredible sound.
• Wompy Woods had the best setup to date, with a perfect balance of screens, structure, and immersive design.
• The festival was able to continue despite challenging conditions like the drought.
• The Lost Lands community remained as strong and positive as ever, despite the dust and difficulties.

Cons:

• The Prehistoric Stage was underwhelming, with fewer lasers and no fire effects, leaving some performances feeling flat.
• The dust and gravel made the festival grounds uncomfortable at times.
• Lack of enforcement and inconsistencies with security and staffing, including the wristband system in Quiet Car Camping.
• No closing ceremony on the main stage, which was a disappointing way to end the weekend.

What did you all think of this year’s Lost Lands? How was your experience with the new Crater stage? Did the dust and lack of fire effects change how you felt about the performances? Also, were there any security or organizational issues that stood out to you? Let us know your thoughts.