[NOTE: UPDATED LIST Includes Newly Announced Headliners]
[NOTE: SECOND UPDATE Adds 11 Additional Headliners]
Every year Milwaukee, Wisconsin hosts the world’s largest music festival – Summerfest. Despite running continuously since 1968 and drawing crowds between 800 thousand & 1 million in annual attendance, it’s still a good bet you’ve never heard of it. That’s a shame because you’ve missed some great music.
Milwaukee's annual Big Gig may be your best option if you are seeking an 11-day party filled with a wide range of great music
11 days, 11 stages, 700+ bands pretty much sums up Summerfest. The festival is held on the Milwaukee’s Lake Michigan Lakefront in a specially designed festival park that also includes over 40 food & beverage vendors, offering a variety of local and ethnic fare, plus shopping bazaars and interactive exhibits that appeal to the whole family.
One complaint of festival goers is deciding which acts to watch due to conflicting performance times. For example, on opening night, June 29, while Peter Gabriel will be finishing up his set on the main Amphitheater stage, at 10:00pm the following acts be starting headlining sets on separate stages:
- Buddy Guy (Blues)
- Hall & Oates (Classic Rock)
- Jack’s Mannequin (Alternative)
- Matisyahu (Hasidic Jewish Reggae)
- Max Weinberg Experience (Big Band)
- Meatloaf (Classic Rock)
- Saving Abel (Rock)
Note that this lineup represents only a single time slot on a single night. Plus, this is a partial listing because additional stage headliners are still being announced.
Another great aspect of Summerfest is the affordable ticket prices:
- Daily Ticket – Admission to grounds $8.00 (before 4:00pm) – $15.00 (after 4:00pm) includes all stages except for Marcus Amphitheater shows.
- Amphitheater Shows – Seats range from $39.00-$93.00 including taxes & fees, depending on the show
At these prices, Summerfest is not only the world’s largest music festival, but also the best value of any major music festival. I challenge you to name an event with a wider range of musical talent or a better value for your concert-going dollar:
Below is a partial listing of the bands announced thus far as headliners for Summerfest 2011 (94109120 so far):
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