The 2025 Mission Creek Festival is almost upon us, featuring a host of exciting acts to commemorate the long-running dynamic arts celebration. Spanning several venues around Iowa City, it can be hard to track where the festival’s most blockbuster acts will be staged.
Worry not, reader. This list will point you where you want to go when the festival begins on April 3. Whether you’re looking for literature, rock and roll jams, or something more experimental, there is an event for you.
Lit Walk – Friday, April 4 at 5 p.m.
The annual Lit Walk features three rounds of various local and out-of-town writers at Iowa City hotspots, including Willow & Stock and Prairie Lights. This free event is a great way to explore new literature through readings and support small, beloved businesses in the area.
Rachel Kushner in Conversation with Kim Gordon – Thursday, April 3 at 6 p.m.
Acclaimed author of “Creation Lake” and “The Mars Room,” Rachel Kushner is the opening act of this year’s Mission Creek Festival. The most star-studded literature event of the festival, this conversation is available with a festival pass. Kushner will be discussing her work with Sonic Youth band member and recent musical guest on Netflix’s “Everybody’s Live With John Mulaney,” Kim Gordon. These two artists of different mediums but equal renown are sure to deliver a satisfying and rich discussion.
Mannequin Pussy – Friday, April 4 at 7 p.m.
Philadelphia punk rockers Mannequin Pussy will take the stage with Mabe Fratti at The Englert Theatre on the second night of the festival. Their music, described by the band as a “galvanizing shout that demands to be heard,” is the best played loud in a crowd. The roof of The Englert Theatre will be thoroughly raised by the time Saturday rolls around.
Small Press & Literary Magazine Book Fair – Saturday, April 5 at 12 p.m.
This annual book fair is hosted around the second floor of Spare Me! Bowling Alley in the Chauncey Building. Perfect for anyone looking for literature outside the major national publishing houses, this fair highlights award-winning authors and publishing at a local and national level. Iowa City publications like Ink Lit, Brink, Earthwords, and more will be in attendance.
Neko Case in Reading and Conversation with Melissa Febos – Saturday, April 5 at 6:30 p.m.
Returning to the Mission Creek Festival after a blockbuster performance last year, Neko Case will discuss her new book “The Harder I Fight The More I Love You” alongside author Melissa Febos. Case brings her precise witty and candid songwriting to the realm of literature in this retelling of her rebellious, emotionally wrought life story.
Jazz and Rock at Riverside – Saturday, April 5 at 7 p.m.
Riverside Theatre is the destination jazz and rock fans will want to be at on the last night of the festival, as three acts will perform on the close-up stage. Sun Centauri, an experimental jazz/R&B artist will open the evening of music. Dawn Richard and Spencer Zahn will perform songs from their collaborative album “Pigments.” This experimental blend of music falls into the themed night of music that doesn’t quite fit a single genre. Drummer Mark Guiliana performs adventurous, acoustic jazz and will close out the trilogy of performances. Guiliana has worked with the likes of David Bowie, St.Vincent, and Matt Cameron from Pearl Jam.
On March 25, Mission Creek announed its headlining act — Julien Baker & TORRES — will not be performing due to “an unforseen medical situation,” according to the Mission Creek Festival Instagram page. The organization is working to fill the duo’s festival spot.