This is 80/35 Music Festival's 14th and final year at Western Gateway Park downtown

This year's 80/35 Music Festival will be its 14th and final year at Western Gateway Park in downtown Des Moines.

Organizers for 80/35 are planning a fresh future for the festival. A future site for 80/35's 15th anniversary is set to be announced on stage during this year’s fest.

“(The) 80/35 (music festival) and Western Gateway Park are forever linked in the rebirth of Des Moines’ downtown core,” festival director Mickey Davis said in a news statement Monday. “Since the first 80/35 in 2008, which took place in the field that later became the John and Mary Pappajohn Sculpture Park, the festival has grown with and adapted to a changing downtown."

Construction that is slated to take place next summer in the park and "unsustainable" production costs have led to moving the festival, Davis said. But don't cut up the sad boy summer playlist just yet: 80/35 fans have one last chance to enjoy the festival in its current format at the Western Gateway Park setting on July 7 and 8 before it moves to a new home.

The new festival will be located in Des Moines and will maintain the music coalition's commitment to an urban experience accessible by multiple modes of transportation, Davis said.

This summer's 80/35 will include changes based on findings from the Des Moines Music Strategy, a report that documents the financial outlook of the local music economy in Des Moines. The music coalition committed to paying $400,000 directly to members of the local music economy through 80/35.

More: Big Boi, The War on Drugs among top 2023 acts at 80/35 Music Festival in Des Moines

Davis said the music coalition and 80/35 planning team want to showcase diverse artists and pay them a living wage while keeping the festival as accessible as possible by maintain affordable ticket prices during the weekend.

The Greater Des Moines Music Coalition has produced 80/35 each July except in 2020 and 2021, which were cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

This year, rapper Big Boi and rock band The War on Drugs headline the festival.

More: Des Moines Music Coalitions' new executive director a familiar face from Social Club role

Tickets and more information is available at 80-35.com.

Jay Stahl is an entertainment reporter at The Des Moines Register. Follow him on Instagram or reach out at [email protected].

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: 80/35 will leave Western Gateway Park in downtown Des Moines after 2023