All eyes are on Milwaukee as Summerfest — The World’s Largest Music Festival — takes place at Henry Maier Festival Park.
Recording artists across countless genres and parts of the world will perform at the Big Gig from Wednesday, June 26 to Sunday, July 7, aside from a break on Monday, July 1. The festival looks to pack more critically acclaimed artists than ever before. With such a well-rounded lineup across the board, here are just some of the many performances festival goers can look forward to.
To start Summerfest, the first day brings a large EDM presence on the Miller Lite Oasis ground stage capped off by Steve Aoki. While country acts dominate the American Family Insurance Ampitheatre to begin, you can find a little bit of everything at the ULine Warehouse Stage where VOILA will perform hits like “Lately” and “Hundredth Chance.” For classic rock fans, the legendary group Foreigner will have the best performance without a laptop at the BMO Harris Pavillion.
The next couple days offer what is anticipated to be a historic performance by the legendary group Bone Thugs-N-Harmony. With their latest release of Ultima, the group has new timeless classics to offer to an eager Milwaukee crowd. The much younger but not less legendary T-Pain will play in Wisconsin for the second time this year at the Harley-Davidson Roadhouse Stage before The Lonely Island go on at Miller Lite Oasis. Saturday Night Live fans have earned the right to get their hopes up for a joint performance of “I’m On A Boat” featuring actor Andy Samberg, before the first weekend of Summerfest begins.
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The last day of June features the incredible indie rock group The National. The Midwest version of The Strokes will offer orchestral sound behind powerful lyrics to close out the Big Gig for the month.
July features more rap artists in the final six days of the festival, but that doesn’t mean the other genres aren’t well represented. After the brief, one day hiatus, the second half of Summerfest returns on Tuesday, July 2 with Bronx-bred rapper A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie.
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Following days feature Norweigian tropical house DJ and produce, Matoma, who has become widely known for his hit remix of Notorious B.I.G.’s “Old Thing Back.” For those interested in more of a laid-back environment, the indie folk group, The Head and the Heart, make their way to the Oasis Stage after the recent release of their fourth studio album Living Mirage. The final day of Summerfest headlines none other than Jason Mraz, who has cemented his status in the music industry with his record-breaking single “I’m Yours.”
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With over 800 acts performing over the 11-day festival, it’s safe to say that Summerfest will have something for everyone this year.