Why Sioux Falls Lallycooler Music Festival Is Calling It Quits

Bad news, Sioux Falls music fans: it looks like Lallycooler has officially played its final encore.

After two years of bringing some well-known musical acts to the Sioux Empire, the Lallycooler Music Festival will not return to Sioux Falls next summer.

Organizers announced the news Friday, September 18, putting an end to what had been an ambitious attempt to establish a major summer music festival right here in the Sioux Empire.

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According to Dakota News Now, organizers shared the disappointing news on social media, thanking the artists, staff, volunteers, and, most importantly, the Sioux Falls-area music fans who bought tickets and showed up over the past two summers.

If you attended either festival, you know Lallycooler certainly wasn't short on good times and great music!

The festival made its Sioux Falls-area debut at Great Bear Ski Valley, giving concertgoers the unique experience of watching a variety of different artists perform against the backdrop of one of the area's most scenic outdoor settings.

That first year featured country superstar Sam Hunt and international pop star Pitbull.

Not exactly your average Friday and Saturday night in Sioux Falls.

For its second year in 2026, Lallycooler moved from the hills of Great Bear to the Sioux Falls Birdcage. This time, Darius Rucker and Jason Derulo headlined the festival.

While the venue changed, the goal remained the same: bring big-name entertainment to Sioux Falls and give local music fans a major summer event they could experience without having to leave town.

Unfortunately, the numbers didn't quite cooperate.

According to Dakota News Now, attendance declined during the festival's second year, and ticket sales weren't strong enough to make a third year financially sustainable.

That's a tough reality for any large-scale concert event.

Putting on a festival featuring nationally known performers takes a lot of money, planning, people, and, of course, ticket buyers. While Lallycooler brought a unique mix of artists to Sioux Falls, the market demand ultimately wasn't strong enough to keep the festival going.

So, after two summers, Lallycooler is calling it a day.

For those who already purchased passes for next year's planned event, there's at least some good news: organizers say ticket buyers will receive a full refund within seven business days.

It may be the end of Lallycooler in Sioux Falls, but I have a feeling it won't be the end of big-time summer music events coming to the Sioux Empire.

For now, we'll have to wait and see what's around the corner next.

5 Things South Dakota Gave the World

South Dakota may not get much respect. We get a blizzard and it's a footnote on the national scene, but if Florida gets a bit chilly it's breaking news. But, maybe it's fine to be forgotten about. We kind of like being left alone on our quiet piece of the plains.

South Dakota has given a lot to the world though. Not just giant mountain carvings and settings for HBO shows, but awesome things that the rest of the world should thank us for.

Gallery Credit: Ben Kuhns