Maha Music Festival has been a tradition in Omaha since 2009, showcasing different musicians, local talents and other elements that define the city. However, after the 2023 edition of the festival, a sudden announcement was made to cancel the 2024 festival.
Festival organizers cited the event’s cancellation to both the rework in the festival’s structure, and the rising costs of holding a music festival, but said that the festival would return in 2025 at the Riverfront, the location of the first two editions of the festival.
On August 2nd, 2025, Maha returned to the Riverfront at the renovated Heartland of America Park. The festival returned to a one day format, after its expansion to two days back in 2018. Many other features of the festival were toned down or removed to ease back into the event, such as the ferris wheel’s absence, a smaller community village, a lack of comedy and poetry tents, and a more confined grounds area.
The lineup for 2025 was handled by 1% Productions, which led to a mainly indie and alternative focused arrangement. Acts included local band Little Brazil, alt rock band Silversun Pickups, synth-pop duo Magdalena Bay, rock group Band of Horses, indie and country singer Waxahatchee, and the alt rock pioneers, the Pixies.
While many enjoyed the restoration of the festival, critics in the replies of Maha’s social media accounts took note of many of the aspects that felt lacking in its return. Many noted that the local feel of the festival had gone down, with just one local act this year as opposed to multiple in the past.
The sized down community village, lack of aforementioned comedy and poetry tents, and the removal of the staple festival volunteers caused a decreased sense of community to critics. Others noted that the diversity of the festival had gone down.The festival lineup used to have genres such as rock, hip-hop, and hardcore, but has been dominated by white rock bands.
Despite some flaws in the return of Maha, many attendees of the event were just glad to return to the festival after its absence. “This is the payoff, right? And thousands of people in the park enjoying a day of live music,” an attendee in an interview with KETV said.
The unity of Maha across the city attracted all types of people, including Westside students. Junior Whitney Ingvoldstad was one of such students, and a multi time attendee to the festival.
“I’ve been going to Maha for the past 3 years, and it’s always been my favorite day of the summer. The best part of the concert would be getting to see artists I have always loved, and new ones that I get to discover. The festival is super fun to go to with friends and family. I really love that we get to have such an important concert in Omaha. It really shows the city’s growth and brings everyone together,” said Ingvoldstad.
Festival organizers may be looking to improve after the criticisms of the 2025 festival, as a survey was sent out asking what music genres, artists, acts and local restaurants attendees would like to see in the future. The commitment to improving and restoring the festival to its previous form can ensure that it can stay as a city staple for years to come.
