Empire State Review Contributor 
On Saturday, August 2, 2025, the Maha Festival triumphantly returned to its original RiverFront home at the newly renovated Heartland of America Park, marking the first time since 2010 the beloved indie music event has occupied this scenic downtown venue.
After a one-year hiatus in 2024—a difficult but necessary pause to reassess its operating model amid rising costs and sponsor losses—the nonprofit festival staged its 16th annual edition, now reborn under the guidance of its four founding organizers: Mike App, Tre Brashear, Tyler Owen, and Mike Toohey.
Founded in 2008 and first held in 2009, Maha was created by Omaha music enthusiasts to bring national indie acts to their hometown, tapping into the city’s independent music legacy rooted in Saddle Creek Records and local bands such as Bright Eyes and Cursive. After relocating to Aksarben Village in 2011 following Missouri River flooding, the festival flourished for over a decade—until organizers paused it in 2024 due to financial shortfalls and sustainability concerns.
In 2025, Maha scaled back to a one-day, single-stage format, streamlining operations and shifting execution to 1% Productions to maintain volunteer-free logistics—an adjustment aimed at cost-efficiency and long-term viability.
The festival’s headliner, alternative rock icons Pixies, delivered a major draw. Joining them on a robust and critically acclaimed lineup were Waxahatchee, Band of Horses, Silversun Pickups, synth-pop duo Magdalena Bay, and local stalwarts Little Brazil—who inaugurated Maha with a performance in 2009.
According to board president T.J. Twit, Pixies topped the chart as the band most likely to attract a sizeable crowd and restore financial balance to the festival’s model. The leaner lineup balanced commerce and culture—generating strong sales while honoring Maha’s indie roots.
Organizers disclosed that the 2025 Maha Festival budget was slightly over $1 million, with approximately two-thirds covered by sponsorships and donations, and the remainder sourced from ticket and day-of-show sales, including food and beverages. Local sponsors—many of whom had previously backed the event—renewed commitment once the original founders rejoined the board. Key supporters included Buildertrend, Creighton University, Kiewit, the Douglas County Visitors Improvement Fund, and Google among others.
The return of founders App, Brashear, Owen, and Toohey played a pivotal role. A longstanding internal split had led Tyler Owen to create a for-profit rival, Outlandia Festival, in Bellevue in 2022. But diminished ticket sales for Outlandia and Maha’s own 2024 suspension prompted reconciliation. The founders reunited under the Maha banner, blending passion with pragmatism to revive the event where it began.
As Owen reflected: “It was always a good idea and always good for the community… I feel happy it can survive.”
Hosted at the Heartland of America Park, the festival now benefits from panoramic river views, improved amenities, and central access in downtown Omaha. The event also featured a Community Village, highlighting local nonprofit groups, artisans, and entrepreneurs—a component designed to deepen civic engagement and highlight Omaha’s creative ecosystem.
Attendees were treated to food truck offerings, artist booths, and festival programming starting at 2 p.m., with a family-friendly atmosphere including free admission for children under 10.
With demand strong and VIP tickets sold out by summer, Maha enters 2026 with momentum. Organizers view this year as a critical reset: a leaner scale, financial prudence, and reinvigorated leadership aimed at sustaining Maha for the long term. The combined vision of community programming and national talent may serve as a model for regional festivals wrestling with rising production costs and shifting audience expectations.
The Maha Festival 2025 milestone reflects more than music—it represents Omaha’s indie spirit, collective resilience, and the potential for local culture to thrive through adaptation, partnership, and renewed philanthropy.
