Summerfest: The World’s Largest Music Festival

Every year, Summerfest delivers one of the biggest celebrations of music, food and fun you can find in the Midwest. What began as a local festival to showcase the Milwaukee community has transformed into the World’s Largest Music Festival, drawing thousands of music lovers to the Lake Michigan shore each year.

Join the fun at this nine-day celebration that features many of your favorite musicians on 11 stages and over 100 vendors offering clothes, art, tasty food and more. Read on to learn more about this legendary fest.

The Music

Summerfest is all about the music. On the grounds, you’ll find 11 stages featuring hundreds of artists across an array of genres including rock, pop, hip-hop, country, indie and more. The music starts early and plays all day, leading up to a different national headliner every night.

Beyond the big-name acts you’ll definitely recognize, you and your group can also discover new bands you haven’t heard before — it’s one of the best parts of Summerfest. The number of stages, acts and experiences for a single admission ticket is unmatched, and it keeps festival-goers coming back year after year.

The Food

If you come to Summerfest for the music, you’ll stay for the food – and this is not your usual festival food. Foodies will rejoice at the fest's unique offerings, with past favorites including wok-fired soba noodles, Irish nachos and a deep-fried turducken, drizzled with cranberry sauce and served on a stick.

Whether you go for seasoned fries from local favorite Saz’s, sample tacos and sweet plantains from BelAir Cantina or a classic Wisconsin brat at Mader’s, it's easy to get your festival fill. Veggie, vegan and gluten-free options are all available, too!

A Full Lineup of Fun

And you won’t have to worry about what to do between concerts – every year, Summerfest hosts a variety of special activities in addition to the music lineup. Families will love the Northwestern Mutual Community Park. The space offers inclusive and accessible play for children ages 2-12, as well as performances by magicians, jugglers and more. Sports fans: head to the Gruber Law Office Sportszone for high-flying and adrenaline-fueled sports demonstrations each day.

Another Summerfest must-do: the Skyglider brings you from one end of the festival grounds to the other with a birds-eye view of multiple stages along the way. Hop in a paddleboat to see the festival from the water, soar above the crowd with a spin on the Ferris wheel, and be sure not to miss the Big Bang Fireworks Show on opening night – this awesome display is a highlight every year, and the perfect way to kick off 3 weekends of fantastic music.

Find more information on performances, food and dates on Summerfest's website. See you in Milwaukee!