Summerfest
summerfest annual music festival held downtown milwaukee wisconsin first held summerfest located henry maier festival park adjacent lake michigan milwaukee central business district summerfest attracts approximately people year promoting world largest music festival title certified guinness world record surpassed attendance donauinselfest three million summerfest one highest aggregate attendance world daily attendance summerfest lower major american music festival daily attendance summerfest summerfest acre ha park would usually host performance day late june early july including fourth july announced recently festival would move three weekend schedule allow friday saturday event day performer include local nationally known music talent various genre performing throughout ground noon midnight including capacity american family insurance amphitheater since nearly million invested henry maier festival park including permanent stage bar production space vip amenity infrastructure summerfest also showcase wide variety food many milwaukeearea restaurant summerfest attraction include shopping vendor firework including big bang opening night family activity summerfest operated milwaukee world festival inc nonprofit organization governed volunteer board director year history summerfest hosted variety wellknown artist including paul mccartney rolling stone tina turner metallica whitney houston stevie wonder kenny chesney aerosmith bruno mar arctic monkey lady gaga usher dave matthew band lil uzi vert smiley served president chief executive officer summerfest retirement december succeeded role sarah smith pancheri summerfest conceived thenmayor henry w maier inspired visit oktoberfest munich germany maier envisioned similar ethnicthemed festival milwaukee formed panel business civic leader study feasibility largescale summer festival middle decade panel drew proposal day multievent festival proposed name milwaukee world festival changed briefly juli spaß german july fun summerfest inaugural summerfest held july different location throughout city including milwaukee county stadium milwaukee arena event ranged concert film festival air show even pageant first summerfest produced dee robb con merten regarded success second event less successful plagued additional venue inclement weather severe financial debt permanent central location decided upon summerfest moved former nike missile site lakefront continues held day also year summerfest introduced red smiley face logo insignia become synonymous event logo designed local graphic artist noel spangler richard grant also henry jordan former green bay packer defensive tackle became executive director summerfest title held event early year death businessmen hired board executive director job elizabeth bo black formerly henry jordan secretary became executive director tenyear lobbying effort event without controversy december lee gate commented milwaukee journal sentinel lack opportunity play summerfest dont get credit deserve ive playing something year there discrimination summerfest shouldnt need cd paid summerfest want cd pay like pay professional people summerfest celebrated th anniversary event history subject summerfest story documentary aired june milwaukee public television milwaukee world festival inc reverbnation announced threeyear agreement use online service audition give musician chance perform summerfest wanted provide opportunity performer get chance one act allow new talent seen people attend saw covid pandemic ground scrapping concert part moving others online summerfest attendance since summerfest attendance peaked attendee summerfest closed due covid pandemic event day instead occurred september rather summer month summerfest ground include seven permanent stage two pavilion converted stage johnson control world sound stage south pavilion summerfest famous music since first festival act ronnie dove new colony six robbs people performed since musical act bob dylan jackson frank sinatra prince whitney houston janet jackson jonas brother fleetwood mac maroon fun britney spear stevie ray vaughan cher tina turner james taylor christina aguilera diana ross roy orbison liza minnelli kanye west kid cudi stevie wonder mary j blige wiz khalifa imagine dragon nine inch nail ramones billie eilish willie nelson rolling stone paul mccartney graced summerfest stage act milwaukee wisconsin connection prominent history summerfest notably bodeans gufs danny gokey violent femmes concert mostly civil event two notable exception performance latearriving sly family stone nearly resulted riot performance humble pie jo jo gunne resulted riot bonfire arrest result latter concert organizer shied away rock band several year established guideline familyfriendly act ban alcohol brought patron properly managed henry jordan found experienced manager joel gast lou volpano manage entertainment inhouse eliminating cleveland jules belkin promotion hired board member bernie samson steve marcus also time local manager volpano hired specifically improve production book international superstar mere local rock stage ramones ufo juda priest headlined live comedy act also part summerfests history even regular comedy showcase first established bob hope main headliner summerfest performing two show milwaukee county stadium george carlin opening arlo guthrie performed seven word never say television routine event subsequently arrested violating obscenity law prior arrest discarded bag cocaine avoid imprisonment since comedy act ranging david brenner henny youngman jay leno jon stewart performed event sandra bernhard tv radio promos season performer lewis black also become frequent performer summerfest henry maier festival park list historic rock festival official website retrospective dave tianen june archived september wayback machine june archived september wayback machine milwaukee journal sentinel