by MINNEAPOLIS – The University of Minnesota’s annual Spring Jam wasn’t your typical student festival this past weekend.
Instead, Lot 37 – where the event was held – was pretty quiet compared to previous years.
The cold weather and bland musical guests kept students from coming to the festival that’s usually supposed to be filled with games, drinks, a beer garden and students.
But there were only 100 students at Spring Jam while I was there on Saturday night.
Since the COVID-19 pandemic, the Student Events and Entertainment (SUA) team has struggled to bring in “headline” musical artists to perform, leaving Spring Jam pretty empty compared to pre-pandemic levels.
Back in 2018, Lil Yachty came to headline Spring Jam. Students filled the area to come and listen to one of the biggest stars at the time.
Now the U doesn’t bring in your typical headliners.
This year’s lineup featured artists that many students have never heard of like Eem Triplin, Kailee Morgue and Minnesota’s own Durry.
The lack of students at the U’s spring festival makes for a tough vibe, leaving many feeling like they’ve wasted their time.
“It’s dead in here,” said University of Minnesota student David Okematti.
That’s not all to say that Spring Jam was a complete let down. Many students still enjoyed their time at the festival – making sure plenty of drinks kept their energy high.
SUA has not commented when I reached out for this year’s attendance numbers. But overall, it’s obvious that Spring Jam isn’t what it used to be.
