BETHLEHEM, Pa. – A country music star will take the stage at Musikfest next year.

ArtsQuest announced its first headliner, Bailey Zimmerman, Monday.

Zimmerman will be coming to the Wind Creek Steel Stage at PNC Plaza on Thursday, August 6, 2026, according to a news release from ArtsQuest.

ArtsQuest says the concert is being sponsored by PenTeleData and Yuengling Flight and presented with media partner Cat Country 96.

Ticket access begins Monday for ArtsQuest Members and Friday, November 21, for the general public at ArtsQuest.org.

Zimmerman, who is from Louisville, Illinois, is a multi-platinum singer-songwriter, ArtsQuest says.

ArtsQuest says Zimmerman became the fastest debut country artist in over a decade to reach No. 1 on Billboard’s Country Airplay chart after his song, “Fall in Love,” saw viral success.

His 2023 debut album Religiously. The Album. had the biggest streaming debut for a country album ever, featuring four consecutive No. 1 singles, including the 4x-Platinum “Fall in Love” and the 5x-Platinum six-week No. 1 “Rock And A Hard Place,” debuting at #3 on Top Country Albums and #7 on the Billboard 200, according to the ArtsQuest news release.

ArtsQuest says Zimmerman’s 2024 singles include “Holy Smokes,” “Holding On” and “New To Country.”

In August 2025 he released his sophomore album Different Night Same Rodeo, which includes the Luke Combs collaboration “Backup Plan” and several hit singles., ArtsQuest said.

The 43rd Musikfest is scheduled for July 31 – August 9, 2026.

ArtsQuest says 1,449,000 people attended Musikfest in 2025. The 11-day festival featured over 500 free performances across 16 stages located throughout both the north and south-sides of Bethlehem, according to the news release.

This year’s Musikfest 2026 poster artist is painter and illustrator Doug Boehm, ArtsQuest says.

ArtsQuest says the 2026 design holds added significance as the nation prepares to celebrate America 250, the semi quincentennial of the United States.

To see the poster, along with information about the festival, people can visit artsquest.org/musikfest.