Summerfest, a staple of early summer entertainment in the Midwest, will now see its festivities occur later in the season. The Milwaukee bash has pushed its schedule to September as a result of the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak.
Originally set to run 11 days between June 24 and July 5, the festival will now take place across nine dates on September 3-5, 10-12 and 17-19.
“The music industry has been profoundly impacted by the coronavirus pandemic and most live events scheduled for early summer have been cancelled. In the interest of safety and in cooperation with artists, Summerfest 2020 will move to new dates,” wrote Don Smiley, President and CEO of Milwaukee World Festival, Inc., in an official statement. “The new dates provide the best possible option to deliver the Summerfest experience our fans and sponsors have grown to love; we are doing everything possible to continue a tradition which spans five decades.”
Prior to its postponement, the event had announced several headliners for its 2020 edition, including Halsey, Sam Hunt, Justin Bieber, Dave Matthews Band, Khalid and Guns N’ Roses. It’s unknown yet if the lineup will see any changes, though more information is forthcoming.
“All of us at Summerfest look forward to seeing you in September. Until then, I hope you can take some time to listen to your favorite artists and enjoy the magic of music. Please take care of yourself and one another,” Smiley concluded his message.
Summerfest is now the latest major festival to be postponed to the fall, joining the likes of Bonnaroo, Coachella, Stagecoach, Beale Street Music Festival and New Orleans Jazz Fest. Others like Ultra Music Festival and the U.K.’s Glastonbury Festival pulled the plug on their 2020 editions altogether. Meanwhile, Chicago’s Lollapalooza is delaying its lineup reveal in light of current events.
