Shawnee Cave Amphitheater — Attraction in Carbondale

Attended the Weekend at the Cave festival on June 24 & 25th. Overall a nice experience at a fantastic venue but there is room for improvements.

This is a beautiful place for a concert. The stage is set under a rock formation and creates a natural amphitheater. This is such a unique and unexpected Illinois treasure. I doubt anyone would regret experiencing this place at least once.

Just a few things to mention for anyone new to the place. The cave is at the bottom of a narrow winding road. Therefore you have to park about a mile down the road in a field and ride a shuttle bus to the event. So pack light. We just took a folding chair and a few necessities. The seating area is just open with astroturfing. You pick your spot and setup camp. It’s actually pretty cool. We upgraded to VIP. In my opinion, it was worth it. The seating is so close to the stage, free water, and air conditioning bathrooms. The night shows are so cool with all of lights dancing on the rocks. The sound is so good!

Now for some things that I think could be better: At the end of the night the lines to get a shuttle back to the parking lot is so long! We waited 1.75 hours Saturday night. Sunday night was much better but this has to improve .Next time I’ll skip the on-core to get to the front of the line.

There is no medics on site. The ambulance was called a few times I know about and it took a considerable amount of time to arrive. Considering the heat, drugs, and alcohol this should be a higher priority in my opinion.

Staffing should be more. Not enough around the entrance and parking areas. A lot of confusion for us new comers and no one around to explain it.

In summary, I love the natural beauty and concert experience. I will be returning but hope they step...

I recently attended an event at the Shawnee Cave Amphitheater and left feeling extremely dissatisfied and concerned. This venue needs a lot of work and must prioritize the safety and comfort of its patrons.

First and foremost, I did not feel safe or valued at this venue. The tickets were grossly overpriced considering the lack of basic amenities and security measures. There was no visible security presence anywhere on the premises, which is a serious oversight given the size of the crowd. Additionally, I did not see a medical tent anywhere, a critical component for any large gathering.

Water, a basic necessity, was completely unavailable. Despite promises of water in the VIP section, there was none to be found. This is not only unacceptable but dangerous, especially in warm weather. To make matters worse, the VIP tickets were oversold. With no security to monitor access, the VIP section was flooded with people who did not have VIP tickets, rendering the extra expense for VIP perks completely worthless.

While the natural beauty of the rocks and land provides a wonderful backdrop for music events, this is overshadowed by the venue's serious deficiencies. Without immediate and significant changes, including improved security, guaranteed access to water, and proper crowd management, I cannot recommend the Shawnee Cave Amphitheater. Until they make these crucial improvements, this venue remains a major...

While planning for our camping trip to Southern Illinois for the recent eclipse we found this music venue. They were having a 4 day music event for the eclipse. I bought tickets for the Saturday night concerts - 5 bands played from 4-11. Wish I had gotten tickets for Sunday as well. The venue is fairly unique- when you drive into the property there is lots of parking as well as acres of primitive camping that is available during the events. The stage is down in a geological area just below the camping area and is under a very large rock outcrop or shelter which adds to the experience and the sound. The event was well managed and had ample food trucks and vendor services Hope to return...