summerfest.com
In recent years, Summerfest has long felt the pressure from national festivals to make change, and they formally announced that with their 2021 dates. Next year’s festival will be held over the course of three weeks of Thursday-Saturday dates; June 24-26, July 1-3, and July 8-10. The format change falls more in line with larger music festivals like Coachella and Lollapalooza, who generally run Thursday-Sunday formats.
With the switch in dates, Summerfest also announced a change in booking strategy. The increased number of weekends allows for more national headliners to be available during the weekends of the festival, according to a statement released on Thursday. With that, an emphasis on having headliner-level talent performing earlier in the day will also be part of the new model. The festival’s organizers will still look to book a diverse variety of acts, as they have in the past.
The switch in format is interesting for a number of reasons. While booking more high-ranking headliners definitely sounds like a higher-profit venture for the festival, it may put their selection of local and tribute acts in a tougher position. It also eliminates lower profit days, and may raise the profile of the festival nationally, as well. The additional weekend also creates more competition for Milwaukee’s numerous street festivals and neighborhood gatherings, as well as adjusts the planning for the many ethnic festivals that utilize the Summerfest grounds.
We’re slightly less than a year removed from Summerfest 2021, but the cancellation of this year’s festival may have been the catalyst for a new, arguably necessary way for fans to enjoy The Big Gig. More information about the new format for next year’s festival can be found on the Summerfest website.
