What to know about Middle Waves 2024 at Parkview Field

Fort Wayne's destination music festival, Middle Waves, is back June 15 after taking 2023 off to transition to new ownership under the Embassy Theatre.

• Last summer: the Embassy bought the festival and hosted a hype event called “Ripple” at Parkview Field.
• This year: the festival is returning to the ballpark for a one-day, five-act experience, headlined by Grammy-nominated Alvvays (indie rock). 
• To learn more: We spoke with The Embassy’s Chief Marketing Officer Carly Myers who says her team’s focus is on establishing sustainability for Middle Waves and expanding its lineup in coming years.

Here are a few quick things to know: 

• So far, Middle Waves has hosted four, two-day, all-ages music festivals in Fort Wayne in 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2022, focused on indie, hip-hop and rock music. It used to be volunteer-run and has drawn up to 5,000 festival-goers at its height, bringing artists, like Lizzo (2018), to town before they made it big. Beth McAvoy, a founding member of Middle Waves, told us last year that her team felt it was time to transition to The Embassy’s ownership to make the festival more sustainable.
• The Embassy plans to preserve the original vibe and focus on indie and pop rock. In fact, McAvoy now sits on the Embassy’s board and helped with the initial transition. Myers says community input has also been valuable. “The majority of people who responded to our surveys about Middle Waves want it to remain an indie and pop rock festival,” she says. “That’s why we tapped into indie-rock bands more than anything in this year’s lineup.”
• Most of the five bands this year were chosen by popular demand and have connections to Indiana. Along with Alvvays, the festival features Pom Pom Squad (indie rock/grunge), which has never been to the local region before. Other bands, like Houndmouth (alternative blues) and Murder by Death (indie-Americana) have Indiana connections. “A lot of people in Fort Wayne love them, and Murder by Death has the regional pull of being based out of Bloomington,” Myers says. The band, Overlook (rock), was formerly based in Fort Wayne before relocating to Nashville.
• Middle Waves will return next year as an annual event and transition to a new permanent location. Watch for announcements this summer or early fall, Myers says. (Previous Middle Waves have been held at Headwaters Park and the Foellinger Theatre campus.)
• VIP and VVIP tickets sold out quickly this year. Myers says her team sold 100 of each VIP and VVIP, offering perks like air-conditioning, snacks and private bar. Due to space limitations, they can’t add more at Parkview Field this year, but they intend to expand VIP/VVIP at their future location. General admission tickets ($40 for adults, $10 for kids) are still available and can be purchased at the Embassy’s Box Office or at Parkview Field’s ticketing office on-site the day of the festival.
• The Embassy has seen “overwhelming support” for Middle Waves within its organization and across the city. Myers says her team has been upfront with their board that the Embassy is taking a $100,000 loss on this year’s festival to invest in Middle Waves. Along with corporate sponsorships, they’ve also seen support from city organizations, like Downtown Fort Wayne, Visit Fort Wayne and Greater Fort Wayne Inc. who have a vested interest in the event’s success. In fact, Downtown Fort Wayne is hosting a (free) “After Waves” party at The Porch Off Calhoun next to Pint & Slice on June 15, 11 p.m.-1 a.m., to keep the celebration going.

When you go:

• Logistics: The music begins at 3:45 p.m. on June 15 with the band Overlook, but Parkview Field’s gates open at 3 p.m. so you can arrive early. Free parking is available in the Silver TinCaps parking lot. For evening (after 5 p.m.) and weekends, free parking is available at all Downtown metered parking spaces. Click here to view the downtown parking map.
• Activities: Once bands start playing, there will be 30-minute breaks between sets activated by DJ Double K. There will also be four zones of activities along the concourse: a live art zone, a game zone (with adult and youth games), a creativity zone with a drum circle and other instruments, a vendor zone and other activities that play into the festival theme, including flower crowns, a glitter bar, temporary tattoos and more. 
• FAQs: There’s a FAQ section the website. “A lot of people who go to festivals want to know what they can bring, if pets are allowed, and if it will happen rain or shine. We explain all of that online,” Myers says.
• Contact: If you want to get involved with Middle Waves next year, as a vendor, performer or volunteer, contact middlewaves@fwembassytheatre.org.