MILWAUKEE — The Summer Soulstice music festival in Milwaukee plans to return in 2023, after a reported success last year.
According to a news release from organizers, the festival in 2023 is scheduled for Saturday, June 17th.
Festival-related activities will be held along Kenilworth and Ivanhoe and in Black Cat Alley. They are planning to use three stages for musical acts, up from two last year.
The festival will also offer DJs and dancing, food/retail/arts and crafts vendors, rock climbing, beer and other things to do.
According to organizers, some of the early sponsors are Beer Capitol (Blue Moon), Capitol-Husting, Red Bull, Educators Credit Union, Gruber Law Offices, and Ian’s Pizza.
Read the full Summer Soulstice announcement below:
"The East Side Business Improvement District “ESBID,” a partner in the City’s efforts to
develop and support strong businesses and the community on the East Side of Milwaukee District (“BID”)
announced it is planning to hold its Summer Soulstice Music Festival on Saturday, June 17th. According to the
East Side’s Executive Director, David Smulyan, last year’s event, the first since 2019, was by all accounts a huge
success. The weather was in the low 60s, there were over 40 retail and arts and craft vendors, and 14 amazing
bands on two stages. Thousands of festival goers came to the vibrant East Side to listen to the music, sample
the food, and visit the nearby businesses.
Mr. Smulyan made the announcement saying, “We are currently planning for 2023 and working hard to make
Milwaukee’s largest free music festival even better than last year! Our musical talent booking agent, Jayk
Burczyk, has been talking to an amazing array of bands and is excited about the possibilities for this year.” Mr.
Burczyk stated, “I’m in the middle of assembling the line-up and am targeting a late April announcement of
the bands that will be performing at the festival. We are fortunate that there is such a sizable pool of
incredible musicians in the Greater Milwaukee and surrounding areas.”
The footprint will be similar to last year, with activities on E. Kenilworth Pl. and Ivanhoe Pl. and in Black Cat
Alley. Additionally, Mr. Smulyan stated that he is working on the possibility of utilizing N. Farwell between
North Ave. and E. Kenilworth Pl. The Special Event Permit is currently being reviewed by the City and County
of Milwaukee. Three stages are currently planned, along with a full day of DJs and dancing in Black Cat Alley.
One of the stages will be dedicated to smaller musical acts and possibly some other forms of entertainment.
Mr. Smulyan emphasized that the festival will continue to offer a variety of variety of food, retail, and arts and
craft vendors, along with some activities such as rock climbing.
Some of the early sponsors announced are Beer Capitol (Blue Moon), Capitol-Husting, Red Bull, Educators
Credit Union, Gruber Law Offices, and Ian’s Pizza.
Please visit the brand new Summer Soulstice website for information on vendor applications, sponsorship
opportunities, volunteer opportunities and ongoing updates in the coming months."
More information on their website.
Summerfest 2023: Lineup and daily schedule released
By Julia Marshall, Mar 23, 2023
The Summerfest lineup for 2023 has officially arrived! Milwaukee World Festival, Inc. shared the 55th Summerfest lineup on Twitter Thursday morning.
“Celebrating 55 years of live music is a true testament to this festival. Together with the City of Milwaukee, we look forward to hosting music fans from across the globe at Summerfest and delivering a world-class lineup with hundreds of artists during our nine-day run” said Don Smiley, CEO of Milwaukee World Festival, Inc.
Summerfest will be sticking with the three-weekend format for this year's festival, a format Milwaukee World Festival developed during the COVID-19 pandemic. This year's festival will take place Thursday-Saturday June 22-24, June 29-July 1, and July 6-8.
Sorry for gatekeeping 😘 Your Summerfest 55 lineup presented by @AmFam is here! PLUS in celebration of our 55th Anniversary, grab a @USCellular Power Pass for just $55 🎟️ Offer ends 3/29 at 11:59pm.
— Summerfest (@Summerfest) March 23, 2023
Get your festival tickets here: https://t.co/WuQZx2L6fM pic.twitter.com/QaIHnOffbn
Organizers say the new format is a hit. Citing a study they did with market research companies, SimpsonScarborough and LEGENDS, they found that 80% of respondents said that Friday and Saturday were "among their three most preferred days to attend Summerfest," according to a news release.
Prior to Thursday's lineup announcement, Milwaukee World Festival announced most of its headliners for the American Family Insurance Amphitheater.
- June 22: Eric Church and Elle King
- June 23: Zac Brown Band and Marcus King
- June 24: James Taylor & His All Star Band, and Sheryl Crow
- June 29: Dave Matthews Band
- June 30: Odesza
- July 7: Zach Bryan
- July 8:Imagine Dragons and AJR
Some headliners for the BMO Harris Pavilion had already been announced as well, including acts like Elvis Costello, Cypress Hill, Lauren Daigle, Earth Wind and Fire, and Cheap Trick.
More shows will likely be announced ahead of the festival.
For TMJ4's full coverage of Summerfest, click here.
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