Over the past four decades, Musikfest has drawn big musical names — and big crowds — to Bethlehem.
Musikfest’s lineup has evolved along with our musical tastes. Headliners over the years range from Don McLean at the first Musikfest in 1984 and Ray Charles in 1987, to modern acts like rockers Train (returning this year for their sixth Musikfest performance) and country star Megan Moroney in 2025.
Crowds have also grown. The first festival in 1984 drew just 182,000 attendees. Last year’s Musikfest shattered attendance records, with an estimated 1,449,000 people and the most headliner tickets ever sold.
In addition to Train, headliners for the 43rd annual Musikfest include two other repeat performers: Third Eye Blind, making a third appearance and its second in a row; and AJR, returning for its second Musikfest.
Rounding out the headliners this year are Grupo Niche on preview night, Russell Dickerson, comedian John Mulaney, “Weird Al” Yankovic, T.I. with special guest DaBaby, Bailey Zimmerman, Parker McCollum, and Yellowcard and Taking Back Sunday.
This year’s festival runs July 31-Aug. 9.
Who else has played Musikfest? Here’s a look at all the headliners over the years, according to ArtsQuest.
1980s
1984: Don McLean, Louis Armstrong All-Stars, Rob Stoneback Big Band, Lehigh Valley Chamber Orchestra, Allentown Symphony Orchestra, Johnson Mountain Boys, Allentown Band
1985: The Association, Blood, Sweat & Tears, Pete Seeger, Glenn Miller Orchestra, Koko Taylor, Arvell Shaw & The Louis Armstrong Legacy Band, Pennsylvania Sinfonia Orchestra
1986: Judy Collins, Tom Paxton, Robin & Linda Williams, Christine Lavin, Arlo Guthrie, Woody Herman, Carlos Montoya, Lionel Hampton, The Turtles, Allentown Band
1987: Ray Charles, The Spinners, Dizzy Gillespie, Glenn Miller Orchestra, Joan Baez, The Clancy Brothers, The Lettermen
1988: Bethlehem American Legion Band, The Tannahill Weavers, The Marvelettes, Four Freshmen, Kevin Eubanks, Queen Ida & The Bon Temps Zydeco Band, Chuck Mangione, Tito Puente, Lehigh Valley Chamber Orchestra, The Tommy Dorsey Orchestra, The Mamas & the Papas, Rita Coolidge, Maureen McGovern
1989: Allentown Band, The Duprees, The Lettermen, Sammy Kaye Orchestra, Livingston Taylor, Flora Purim, Duke Ellington Orchestra, Clancy Brothers, Johnny Rivers, Nancy Wilson, The Association
1990s
1990: Diane Schuur, The Temptations, Marie Osmond, Spyro Gyra, Three Dog Night, Mitch Ryder, Buddy DeFranco, Woody Herman Orchestra, Artie Shaw
1991: Los Lobos, Blood, Sweat & Tears, The 5th Dimension, Eddie Rabbitt, Queen Ida, Stanley Jordan, Little River Band, Tommy Makem & Barley Bree
1992: Kingston Trio, Mary Wilson, Maureen McGovern, Trisha Yearwood, Lou Rawls, America, REO Speedwagon, Tommy James, Neil Sedaka, Captain & Tennille
1993: Brian Hyland, Jan & Dean, The Fabulous Thunderbirds, Grover Washington Jr., Air Supply, Al Martino, Crystal Gayle, Johnny Rivers, Gordon Lightfoot
1994: The Lettermen, George Benson, Restless Heart, Russ Freeman & The Rippingtons, Dan Hill, Peabo Bryson, Ben E. King, Jay Black, Manhattan Transfer
1995: The Everly Brothers, Yellowjackets, The Neville Brothers, River City Brass Band, Kathy Mattea, Three Dog Night, Eddie Money, Roberta Flack, Restless Heart
1996: The Guess Who, Béla Fleck & Flecktones, Creedence Clearwater Revisited, Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons, Diamond Rio, The Commodores, All-4-One, Vic Damone
1997: KC & the Sunshine Band, Tom Jones, Patti LaBelle, Little Richard, Blessid Union of Souls, Hall & Oates, Buddy Guy, Al Jarreau, Tracy Byrd
1998: Celia Cruz, José Alberto “El Canario,” Savage Garden, Ray Charles, Indigo Girls, Trace Adkins, Wayne Newton, Village People, The Chicks
1999: Hootie & the Blowfish, Train, Tony Bennett, Foreigner, Joey McIntyre, Jonny Lang, Kenny Rogers, Branford Marsalis, Mark Chesnutt
2000-2009
2000: Savage Garden, Wheatus, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Robert Cray, Sugar Ray, Duran Duran, Foghat, Boyz II Men, Molly Hatchet, Paul Rodgers
2001: Elvis Crespo, Fuel, The Neville Brothers, Indigo Girls, Chicago, Montgomery Gentry, Aaron Carter, O-Town, Huey Lewis & the News
2002: The Guess Who, Blue Öyster Cult, Kansas, Little River Band, Lifehouse, Dishwalla, Michael Bolton, Peter, Paul & Mary, Shaggy, Hootie & the Blowfish, Allentown Symphony Orchestra
2003: Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Staind, The B-52’s, O-Town, Earth, Wind & Fire, Steve Winwood, The Beach Boys, Martina McBride, Jethro Tull, Melissa Etheridge
2004: Clay Aiken, Huey Lewis & the News, Peter Frampton, Chingy, Alice Cooper, Crosby, Stills & Nash, Lonestar, Creedence Clearwater Revisited, The Temptations, Etta James
2005: Donna Summer, Clay Aiken, Seether, Jo Dee Messina, The Beach Boys, George Thorogood, REO Speedwagon, Keith Urban, Steve Miller Band, Parliament-Funkadelic
2006: Alice in Chains, Train, LL Cool J, Trace Adkins, KC & the Sunshine Band, Melissa Etheridge, Styx & Kansas, Kenny G, Carrie Underwood, Heart
2007: The Black Crowes, Ludacris, B.B. King, Meat Loaf, The Moody Blues, Patti LaBelle, Deep Purple, Joe Walsh, Big & Rich, Stone Sour
2008: Avril Lavigne, Collective Soul, Kool & the Gang, Boston, Poison, Earth, Wind & Fire, Jethro Tull, Stone Temple Pilots, Lonestar, Diamond Rio, John Fogerty
2009: Commodores, The Wallflowers, Chris Isaak, Yes, Asia, David Cook, Third Eye Blind, B-52’s, Joan Jett & The Blackhearts, Puddle of Mudd, Pat Benatar, Blondie
2010-2019
2010: Counting Crows, Norah Jones, Martina McBride, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Heart, The Doobie Brothers, Styx & Blue Öyster Cult, Adam Lambert, Selena Gomez & the Scene, Sublime (with Rome)
2011: Stone Temple Pilots, Maroon 5, Miranda Cosgrove, Steve Miller Band, Alison Krauss & Union Station, Steely Dan, Straight No Chaser, Buckcherry, Nick Jonas, Train
2012: Young the Giant, Sublime With Rome, MGMT, Huey Lewis & the News, Joe Cocker, Goo Goo Dolls, Dukes of September Rhythm Revue, Jane’s Addiction, Sheryl Crow, Daughtry, Boston
2013: Carly Rae Jepsen, OneRepublic, Skillet, Frampton’s Guitar Circus, George Thorogood, Styx & Foreigner, KC & the Sunshine Band, Darius Rucker, Kesha, Avenged Sevenfold
2014: Craig Thatcher Band, The All-American Rejects, Jason Derulo, Sheryl Crow, The Moody Blues, Steely Dan, The Avett Brothers, Alan Jackson, Weezer, Keith Urban
2015: Duran Duran; The Flaming Lips (with Chappo & VoirVoir); Culture Club; O.A.R. (with Allen Stone & Brynn Eliott); Jerry Seinfeld; Reba McEntire (with Caroline Kole); ZZ Top (with The Craig Thatcher Trio); 3 Doors Down & Collective Soul (with Eighteenth Hour); Darius Rucker (with Cassadee Pope); Snoop Dogg (with Trouble City All‐Stars); Alice in Chains
2016: X Ambassadors (Rachel Platten & Jukebox the Ghost); Run‐DMC; Dierks Bentley (with Tucker Beathard); Tribute to Prince & David Bowie (Swift Technique & Band From Mars); Boston; Don Henley (with Drew Holcomb & the Neighbors); Bush & Chevelle; Sabrina Carpenter; Lady Antebellum (with Lauren Jenkins & Post Monroe); The Avett Brothers (with Langhorne Slim)
2017: Santana; Chicago (with Devon Gilfillian); Father John Misty (with San Fermin); Live; Aloe Blacc; Godsmack; Toby Keith; The Band Perry; Lee Brice & Justin Moore; Jethro Tull
2018: Styx & Joan Jett & the Blackhearts; Daughtry; Jim Gaffigan; Dierks Bentley (with LANCO); Kesha; Gary Clark Jr.; Grouplove; Brantley Gilbert; All Time Low & Dashboard Confessional; Jason Mraz (with Brett Dennen)
2019: Earth, Wind & Fire; The Chainsmokers; Steve Miller Band (with Marty Stuart & his Fabulous Superlatives); Lady A; Weezer; Train & Goo Goo Dolls; Incubus; The Revivalists; Godsmack; Phillip Phillips; Brad Paisley
2020-2025
2020: The Uptown Band; The BRUCE Show (Bruce Springsteen cover band); Craig Thatcher Band; Hector Rosado Orchestra; Danielle Ponder & fireworks (Musikfest was virtual this year due to the COVID pandemic)
2021: Darius Rucker; Phillip Phillips; Preservation Hall Jazz Band; Sam Hunt; Shinedown; Jimmie Allen; Colin Hay Band; KT Tunstall; Zedd; The Wood Brothers
2022: Boyz II Men; Kip Moore; Willie Nelson & Family; Poison; Counting Crows; Ziggy Marley; Disturbed; Kelsea Ballerini; Ja Rule & Ashanti; Alabama; Olga Tañón
2023: AJR; Walk the Moon; G‐Eazy; Dan + Shay; Walker Hayes; Keith Sweat & Monica; Goo Goo Dolls; Gabriel Iglesias & Faux Friends; El Gran Combo; Maren Morris; Train
2024: Greta Van Fleet (with the Beaches); Sugar Ray; Better Than Ezra; Tonic; Shinedown (with StopGap Solution); Jowell & Randy (with Luis Figueroa); Slash (with ZZ Ward, Robert Randolph & Grace Bowers & the Hodge Podge); Old Dominion (with Kassi Ashton); Lynyrd Skynyrd; Black Eyed Peas; Big Time Rush (with Crash Adams & Sorelle); Ludacris; ZZ Top (with Foghat)
2025: Megan Moroney (with JP Saxe); Riley Green (with John Morgan); The Avett Brothers; Darius Rucker; The Black Crowes; Chicago; Nelly; Gilberto Santa Rosa; Third Eye Blind (with Boys Like Girls); Jordan Davis; The Black Keys (with The Velveteers)
https://www.mcall.com/2026/07/26/musikfest-2026-guide-when-lineup-food-parking/