Fifteen of the festival\u2019s 16 stages are free, while the Wind Creek Steel Stage at PNC Plaza will host 11 ticketed headliner shows.<\/p>\n
Whether you\u2019re coming for your favorite band, hoping to discover your next favorite artist or just looking for an excuse to eat new food and enjoy the city of Bethlehem, here\u2019s what to know before heading to Musikfest.<\/p>\n
Get to know Musikfest<\/p>\n
Founded in 1984, the festival has grown into a major annual event for both Bethlehem and the Lehigh Valley over the years. Last year\u2019s festival drew a record 1,449,000 attendees, according to ArtsQuest.<\/p>\n
The festival generally runs from noon to 11 p.m., though hours vary by stage and day. The South Side sometimes stays open later, with some programming continuing until midnight.<\/p>\n
For anyone trying to navigate the festival for the first time, or trying to keep track of all of the performances, the Musikfest app<\/a> and website<\/a> are the best places to start.<\/p>\n They include schedules, artist information, food vendors, maps, transportation and parking information, weather information, along with updates throughout the festival.<\/p>\n The app also has a new feature this year that allows visitors to share their personalized schedules with friends.<\/p>\n Patrick Brogan, ArtsQuest\u2019s chief programming officer, said the festival\u2019s core hasn\u2019t changed much since it began, and one thing has kept people returning to Musikfest throughout the years.<\/p>\n \u201cThe same thing from 1984 to today,\u201d Brogan said. \u201cMusic.\u201d<\/p>\n But Musikfest has become about more than just what\u2019s happening on the stages.<\/p>\n Brogan said the festival has become a place where people return year after year, often bringing new friends and family with them every time.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s the family reunion that is Musikfest, which is every year, but different every year,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Workers set up rows of seating in preparation for Musikfest on Wednesday, July 22, 2026, in Bethlehem. The 10-day, free music festival in both North and South Side Bethlehem runs July 31-Aug. 9. (Jon Chiu\/The Morning Call)\n<\/p>\n PNC Plaza plays host to preparations for MusikFest Wednesday, July 22, 2026, in Bethlehem. The 10-day, free music festival in both North and South Side Bethlehem runs July 31-Aug. 9. (Jon Chiu\/The Morning Call)\n<\/p>\n Tents sit empty during preparations for Musikfest on Wednesday, July 22, 2026, in Bethlehem. The 10-day, free music festival in both North and South Side Bethlehem runs July 31-Aug. 9. (Jon Chiu\/The Morning Call)\n<\/p>\n Workers set up for Musikfest on Wednesday, July 22, 2026, in Bethlehem. The 10-day, free music festival in both North and South Side Bethlehem runs July 31-Aug. 9. (Jon Chiu\/The Morning Call)\n<\/p>\n A pair of workers retrieve equipment from a crate during preparations for MusikFest Wednesday, July 22, 2026, in Bethlehem. The 10-day, free music festival in both North and South Side Bethlehem runs July 31-Aug. 9. (Jon Chiu\/The Morning Call)\n<\/p>\n Test caption (Jon Chiu\/The Morning Call)Tents sit empty during preparations for Musikfest on Wednesday, July 22, 2026, in Bethlehem. The 10-day, free music festival in both North and South Side Bethlehem runs July 31-Aug. 9. (Jon Chiu\/The Morning Call)\n<\/p>\n Rows of seats face an incomplete stage ahead of Musikfest on Wednesday, July 22, 2026, in Bethlehem. The 10-day, free music festival in both North and South Side Bethlehem runs July 31-Aug. 9. (Jon Chiu\/The Morning Call)\n<\/p>\n An American flag hangs from a tent set up for Musikfest on Wednesday, July 22, 2026, in Bethlehem. The 10-day, free music festival in both North and South Side Bethlehem runs July 31-Aug. 9. (Jon Chiu\/The Morning Call)\n<\/p>\n A forklift carries construction materials unloaded from a truck past a group of workers during preparations for MusikFest Wednesday, July 22, 2026, in Bethlehem. The 10-day, free music festival in both North and South Side Bethlehem runs July 31-Aug. 9. (Jon Chiu\/The Morning Call)\n<\/p>\n Rows of seats are set up in the PNC Plaza in preparation for Musikfest on Wednesday, July 22, 2026, in Bethlehem. The 10-day, free music festival in both North and South Side Bethlehem runs July 31-Aug. 9. (Jon Chiu\/The Morning Call)\n<\/p>\n Workers prepare to unload a truck during preparations for Musikfest on Wednesday, July 22, 2026, in Bethlehem. The 10-day, free music festival in both North and South Side Bethlehem runs July 31-Aug. 9. (Jon Chiu\/The Morning Call)\n<\/p>\n A forklift unloads a truck of its cargo during preparations for MusikFest Wednesday, July 22, 2026, in Bethlehem. The 10-day, free music festival in both North and South Side Bethlehem runs July 31-Aug. 9. (Jon Chiu\/The Morning Call)\n<\/p>\n Workers prepare to unload a truck during preparations for Musikfest on Wednesday, July 22, 2026, in Bethlehem. The 10-day, free music festival in both North and South Side Bethlehem runs July 31-Aug. 9. (Jon Chiu\/The Morning Call)\n<\/p>\n A forklift picks up rows of stacked seats to be assembled for Musikfest on Wednesday, July 22, 2026, in Bethlehem. The 10-day, free music festival in both North and South Side Bethlehem runs July 31-Aug. 9. (Jon Chiu\/The Morning Call)\n<\/p>\n A hard hat hangs from a crate of construction equipment during preparations for Musikfest on Wednesday, July 22, 2026, in Bethlehem. The 10-day, free music festival in both North and South Side Bethlehem runs July 31-Aug. 9. (Jon Chiu\/The Morning Call)\n<\/p>\n Workers set up for Musikfest on Wednesday, July 22, 2026, in Bethlehem. The 10-day, free music festival in both North and South Side Bethlehem runs July 31-Aug. 9. (Jon Chiu\/The Morning Call)\n<\/p>\n Maxwell Paine, an engineer with Service Electric, works on a computer while assisting with preparations for Musikfest on Wednesday, July 22, 2026, in Bethlehem. The 10-day, free music festival in both North and South Side Bethlehem runs July 31-Aug. 9. (Jon Chiu\/The Morning Call)\n<\/p>\n A pair of workers from another construction site walk through the PNC Plaza during preparations for Musikfest on Wednesday, July 22, 2026, in Bethlehem. The 10-day, free music festival in both North and South Side Bethlehem runs July 31-Aug. 9. (Jon Chiu\/The Morning Call)\n<\/p>\n Workers check a section of bleachers set up for Musikfest on Wednesday, July 22, 2026, in Bethlehem. The 10-day, free music festival in both North and South Side Bethlehem runs July 31-Aug. 9. (Jon Chiu\/The Morning Call)\n<\/p>\n Workers hang a tarp on the side of a set of bleachers in preparation for Musikfest on Wednesday, July 22, 2026, in Bethlehem. The 10-day, free music festival in both North and South Side Bethlehem runs July 31-Aug. 9. (Jon Chiu\/The Morning Call)\n<\/p>\n Workers set up rows of seating in preparation for Musikfest on Wednesday, July 22, 2026, in Bethlehem. The 10-day, free music festival in both North and South Side Bethlehem runs July 31-Aug. 9. (Jon Chiu\/The Morning Call)\n<\/p>\n Evan Eisenhard, an engineer with Service Electric, works on a Wi-Fi switch cabinet Wednesday, July 22, 2026, near Levitt Pavilion in preparation for Musikfest in Bethlehem. The 10-day, free music festival in both North and South Side Bethlehe runs July 31-Aug. 9. (Jon Chiu\/The Morning Call)\n<\/p>\n Workers rest in the shade during preparations for Musikfest on Wednesday, July 22, 2026, in Bethlehem. The 10-day, free music festival in both North and South Side Bethlehem runs July 31-Aug. 9. (Jon Chiu\/The Morning Call)\n<\/p>\n Workers set up for Musikfest on Wednesday, July 22, 2026, in Bethlehem. The 10-day, free music festival in both North and South Side Bethlehem runs July 31-Aug. 9. (Jon Chiu\/The Morning Call)\n<\/p>\n Josh Klusaritz of Northampton, who works for Albarell Electric, collects power cables from a trailer during preparations for Musikfest on Wednesday, July 22, 2026, in Bethlehem. The 10-day, free music festival in both North and South Side Bethlehem runs July 31-Aug. 9. (Jon Chiu\/The Morning Call)\n<\/p>\n Show Caption<\/p>\n 1 of 25<\/p>\n Workers set up rows of seating in preparation for Musikfest on Wednesday, July 22, 2026, in Bethlehem. The 10-day, free music festival in both North and South Side Bethlehem runs July 31-Aug. 9. (Jon Chiu\/The Morning Call)\n<\/p>\n Expand<\/a> The Wind Creek Steel Stage at PNC Plaza will feature 11 ticketed headline shows during the festival, all of which are scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. The 2026 lineup includes:<\/p>\n Thursday (Preview night): Grupo Niche with opening act Fabry Orihuela<\/p>\n Friday: Russell Dickerson, opening acts Blake Proehl and Lilly Moss<\/p>\n Saturday: John Mulaney \u201cMister Whatever\u201d<\/p>\n Aug. 2: Third Eye Blind, opening act St. Lucia<\/p>\n Aug. 3: Train, opening act George Pippen<\/p>\n Aug. 4: \u201cWeird Al\u201d Yankovic: Bigger & Weirder 2026 Tour, opening act Puddles Pity Party<\/p>\n Aug. 5: T.I. with special guest DaBaby, with opening acts TheRealZellyZel and K\u00fcf Knotz & Christine Elise<\/p>\n Aug. 6: Bailey Zimmerman, opening acts Chandler Walters and Gillian Smith<\/p>\n Aug. 7: Parker McCollum, opening acts Kassi Ashton and Southpaw<\/p>\n Aug. 8: Yellowcard and Taking Back Sunday, with opening act The Click Five<\/p>\n Aug. 9: AJR, opening acts David Wimbish & The Collection and Ryley Tate<\/p>\n Shayna Super, Musikfest\u2019s music programming director, said about one-third of this year\u2019s lineup is new. For the first time, artists were able to submit themselves for consideration without paying a submission fee. Nearly 2,000 artists from across the country submitted their work.<\/p>\n Those submissions were reviewed alongside recommendations from agents, managers and agencies, with staff and volunteers helping sort through the options.<\/p>\n Super said the process is about more than simply finding the biggest names.<\/p>\n \u201cEach stage has a vibe that you\u2019re kind of trying to embody,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n That could mean Latin and world music at Plaza Tropical, familiar sing-along favorites at Festplatz or singer-songwriters and jazz elsewhere across the festival.<\/p>\n The goal is to give people a reason to keep exploring. Super said the festival also considers representation across its lineup, looking at different genres, cultures, genders and communities.<\/p>\n What free music can I see?<\/p>\n Free music, as usual, remains the heart of Musikfest.<\/p>\n The festival\u2019s 15 free stages will feature hundreds of performances throughout the 10 days, ranging from rock and pop to jazz, Latin music, country, singer-songwriters and polka.<\/p>\n Some of the free-stage highlights include \u201990s alt-rockers The Verve Pipe and pop artist Ryan Cabrera.<\/p>\n The festival will also feature themed programming, including Beach Day on Aug. 5, \u201970s Day on Aug. 7 and British Invasion Weekend Aug. 7-8.<\/p>\n Aug. 8 will be Inclusion Day at Air Products Americaplatz at Levitt Pavilion SteelStacks. The day\u2019s performances will include ASL interpreters alongside the performers.<\/p>\n Super said the festival\u2019s large variety of performances is intentional.<\/p>\n \u201cWhile we\u2019re looking to make sure that we fill all those different genres, we want to make sure that we have a diverse representation of cultures and genders and just affinity groups that make sure that everybody sees themselves on the stage,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n The festival\u2019s programming is designed to let visitors move between musical worlds in a single afternoon. While a familiar name might draw a crowd, the next stage over could introduce festivalgoers to a new artist they\u2019ve never heard of before.<\/p>\n And if visitors have strong or differing opinions about who belongs on those stages, that\u2019s part of the process too, according to Brogan.<\/p>\n \u201cEveryone has an opinion on Musikfest,\u201d he said with a smile.<\/p>\n He said that passion is part of what makes the festival work, as the festival was founded as a community celebration and economic driver for the region, and audience feedback continues to influence the festival, from the food vendors people return to each year to the artists they want to see.<\/p>\n Musikfest takes place along 16 stages, most of them called \u201cplatzes\u201d \u2014 German for place. Here\u2019s where they are.<\/p>\n North Side:<\/p>\n \u2022 NJM Insurance Group Familienplatz, Colonial Industrial Quarter<\/p>\n \u2022 Service Electric Festplatz, Main and Spring streets<\/p>\n \u2022 Martin Guitar Handwerkplatz, Colonial Industrial Quarter<\/p>\n \u2022 Hotel Bethlehem Platz, Main Street in front of Hotel Bethlehem<\/p>\n \u2022 Yuengling Lagerplatz, Main and Spring streets<\/p>\n \u2022 IBEW Local 375 Liederplatz, Sun Inn Courtyard off Main Street<\/p>\n \u2022 Main Street, from Central Moravian Church to Broad Street<\/p>\n \u2022 Plaza Tropical, Main and Spring streets<\/p>\n \u2022 PNC Stadtplatz at Payrow Plaza, Church Street<\/p>\n \u2022 Guardian Life Insurance Company of America Zinzenplatz, Main and Lehigh streets<\/p>\n \u2022 Central Moravian Church, 73 W. Church St.<\/p>\n \u2022 Charles A. Brown Ice House, 56 River St.<\/p>\n South Side:\u00a0<\/p>\n \u2022 Wind Creek Steel Stage, PNC Plaza, 711 E. First St.<\/p>\n \u2022 Air Products Americaplatz, Levitt Pavilion SteelStacks, 789 E. First Street<\/p>\n \u2022 Sync Recovery Community Soberplatz \u2014 Near Americaplatz<\/p>\n \u2022 Highmark Blue Shield Community Stage, Air Products Town Square<\/p>\n \u2022 Musikfest Cafe \u2014 ArtsQuest Center, 101 Founders Way<\/p>\n \u2022 Lyrikplatz and Lutron Jazz Cabaret Stage \u2014 Frank Banko Alehouse Cinema at ArtsQuest Center, 101 Founders Way<\/p>\n \u2022 Lutron Jazz Cabaret Stage \u2014 Frank Banko Alehouse Cinema at ArtsQuest Center, 101 Founders Way<\/p>\n The South Side of Musikfest offers plenty to do in between performances.<\/p>\n The Monster Energy BMX activation returns with stunt bikers and a show.<\/p>\n The Crayola Creativity Tent will offer hands-on activities for families, while the Maker\u2019s Market at the 1869 Luckenbach Mill will showcase local artists and makers.<\/p>\n The Musikfest Music Industry Conference<\/a> returns Aug. 2-4, bringing together artists, educators, students and people interested in the business and creative sides of the music industry. The conference will feature sessions focused on areas including music business, education, production and the broader music industry.<\/p>\n For anyone looking for a break from the festival crowds, SoberPlatz<\/a> is also returning and expanding.<\/p>\n The alcohol-free space, created with Northampton County and Sync Recovery Community, will offer recovery resources, games, photo opportunities, a therapy dog visit and other community-focused activities.<\/p>\n A sound bath also is planned. For the first time ever, Musikfest also will be offering sensory-friendly Inclusion Zones on both sides of the festival for guests who need a quieter place to cool down or take a break from the crowds.<\/p>\n At the Levitt Lawn, people with hearing aids will have another way to experience performances. Using ListenWIFI, paired with the festival\u2019s free Wi-Fi, visitors can stream sound from the stage directly to their compatible hearing devices or AirPods.<\/p>\n What about food?<\/p>\n You can\u2019t talk about Musikfest without mentioning the food.<\/p>\n Food vendors will be spread across the festival, offering everything from barbecue and seafood to tacos, dumplings, waffles and ice cream.<\/p>\n On top of that, eight new food vendors are joining the festival this year.<\/p>\n New options include Gray\u2019s Area Grill, Magnolia\u2019s Souls and Spice and MoMos of Tibet, among others.<\/p>\n Gray\u2019s Area Grill will offer smoked brisket, pulled pork, chicken and brisket mac and cheese, and Magnolia\u2019s Souls and Spice will serve dishes including jambalaya fried rice balls, crawfish empanadas, alligator and crawfish tacos and po-boys.<\/p>\n Batch Microcreamery will offer sweet-toothed visitors ice cream and soda floats, while MoMos of Tibet will offer spinach and potato dumplings, pork and cabbage dumplings, ground beef dumplings and vegetarian fried rice.<\/p>\n Returning festivalgoer favorites include The Flying V, Island Noodles, Take A Taco, Sherri\u2019s Crab Cakes, Greek Street, Grumpy\u2019s BBQ and Philly Pretzel Factory.<\/p>\n People with dietary restrictions can use the Musikfest website and app to find food options identified by different dietary needs.<\/p>\n Musikfest is cashless, but visitors who bring cash can convert it into a reloadable ArtsQuest CashCard at designated locations. Credit and debit cards, Apple Pay, Google Pay, Samsung Pay and ArtsQuest CashCards all are accepted at food, beverage and merchandise locations.<\/p>\n Artsquest encourages visitors to look for Official Vendor signs around the festival, as Official Vendors process payments that help keep the festival free for the public.<\/p>\n And then, there\u2019s the iconic Musikfest mug. The mug, which returns each year with a new design, will be America 250 themed this year with red and blue options. This mug will be sealed in a time capsule<\/a> until 2076, a testament to its historical relevance.<\/p>\n The Musikfest 2026 poster<\/a>, designed by painter and illustrator Doug Boehm, also depicts the festival\u2019s America 250 theme.<\/p>\n ArtsQuest recommends making a transportation plan before arriving. The festival takes place on both sides of the Lehigh River, with the North Side and South Side connected by the Fahy Bridge. Walking between the two sides takes roughly 20 to 40 minutes for most people.<\/p>\n![\"Workers](\"https:\/\/www.mcall.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/TMC-L-MusikFestSetUp32-1.jpg?w=620\")
<\/p>\n![\"PNC](\"https:\/\/www.mcall.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/TMC-L-MusikFestSetUp31-1.jpg?w=620\")
<\/p>\n![\"Tents](\"https:\/\/www.mcall.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/TMC-L-MusikFestSetUp35-1.jpg?w=620\")
<\/p>\n![\"Workers](\"https:\/\/www.mcall.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/TMC-L-MusikFestSetUp33-1.jpg?w=620\")
<\/p>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.mcall.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/TMC-L-MusikFestSetUp30-1.jpg?w=620\")
<\/p>\n![\"Test](\"https:\/\/www.mcall.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/TMC-L-MusikFestSetUp36-1.jpg?w=620\")
<\/p>\n![\"Rows](\"https:\/\/www.mcall.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/TMC-L-MusikFestSetUp21-1.jpg?w=620\")
<\/p>\n![\"An](\"https:\/\/www.mcall.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/TMC-L-MusikFestSetUp34-1.jpg?w=620\")
<\/p>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.mcall.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/TMC-L-MusikFestSetUp27-1.jpg?w=620\")
<\/p>\n![\"Rows](\"https:\/\/www.mcall.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/TMC-L-MusikFestSetUp20-1.jpg?w=620\")
<\/p>\n![\"Workers](\"https:\/\/www.mcall.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/TMC-L-MusikFestSetUp22-1.jpg?w=620\")
<\/p>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.mcall.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/TMC-L-MusikFestSetUp29-1.jpg?w=620\")
<\/p>\n![\"Workers](\"https:\/\/www.mcall.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/TMC-L-MusikFestSetUp24-1.jpg?w=620\")
<\/p>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.mcall.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/TMC-L-MusikFestSetUp23-1.jpg?w=620\")
<\/p>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.mcall.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/TMC-L-MusikFestSetUp16-1.jpg?w=620\")
<\/p>\n![\"Workers](\"https:\/\/www.mcall.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/TMC-L-MusikFestSetUp26.jpg?w=620\")
<\/p>\n![\"Maxwell](\"https:\/\/www.mcall.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/TMC-L-MusikFestSetUp04-1.jpg?w=620\")
<\/p>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.mcall.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/TMC-L-MusikFestSetUp13-1.jpg?w=620\")
<\/p>\n![\"Workers](\"https:\/\/www.mcall.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/TMC-L-MusikFestSetUp11-1.jpg?w=620\")
<\/p>\n![\"Workers](\"https:\/\/www.mcall.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/TMC-L-MusikFestSetUp09-1.jpg?w=620\")
<\/p>\n![\"Workers](\"https:\/\/www.mcall.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/TMC-L-MusikFestSetUp08-1.jpg?w=620\")
<\/p>\n![\"Evan](\"https:\/\/www.mcall.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/TMC-L-MusikFestSetUp03-1.jpg?w=620\")
<\/p>\n![\"Workers](\"https:\/\/www.mcall.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/TMC-L-MusikFestSetUp06-1.jpg?w=620\")
<\/p>\n![\"Workers](\"https:\/\/www.mcall.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/TMC-L-MusikFestSetUp17.jpg?w=620\")
<\/p>\n![\"Josh](\"https:\/\/www.mcall.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/TMC-L-MusikFestSetUp14-1.jpg?w=620\")
<\/p>\n
\nWho are the headliners?<\/p>\n![\"Faces](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/TMC-L-MusikfestNightCrawler26_231954786.jpg\")
Faces in the crowd Friday, Aug. 1, 2025, at MusikFest in Bethlehem. (Jane Therese\/Special to The Morning Call)
\nHow Musikfest acts are chosen<\/p>\n![\"SLAMB](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/TMC-L-MusikfestNightCrawler3010-1.jpg\")
SLAMB performs Saturday, Aug. 2, 2025, during the 42nd annual Musikfest in Bethlehem. (Oliver Lois Economidis\/The Morning Call)
\nWhat is a platz and where are they located?<\/p>\n![\"Gilberto](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/TMC-L-GilbertoSantaRosa-34-1.jpg\")
Gilberto Santa Rosa performs Thursday, Aug. 7, 2025, on Musikfest\u2019s Wind Creek Steel Stage at PNC Plaza in Bethlehem. (April Gamiz\/The Morning Call)
\nWhat\u2019s new and returning this year at SteelStacks?<\/p>\n![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/TMC-L-MusikfestMug2026-01-e1781024591906.jpg\")
The 2026 version of the Musikfest mug will soon be sealed in a time capsule for decades as part of the America 250 celebrations. (Photo courtesy of ArtsQuest)
\nWhere should I park and how do I get around?<\/p>\n