BETHLEHEM, Pa. \u2014 Arrests at Musikfest more than doubled this year, and total police incidents reached a five-year high, even as attendance at the festival declined from last year\u2019s record, according to statistics released Thursday by the Bethlehem Police Department.<\/p>\n
Officers made 37 arrests during the 2026 festival, up from 17 in 2025 \u2014 an increase of about 118 percent \u2014 while logging 178 total incidents, up from 113 last year. Both figures are the highest in at least five years, according to department data going back to 2022.<\/p>\n
Bethlehem PoliceMusikfest police incidents and arrests, 2022\u20132026<\/p>\n
Musikfest police incidents and arrests, 2022\u20132026 (bar chart). Total incidents \u2014 2022: 89, 2023: 132, 2024: 125, 2025: 113, 2026: 178. Arrests \u2014 2022: 21, 2023: 29, 2024: 28, 2025: 17, 2026: 37.<\/p>\n
Source: Bethlehem Police Department Musikfest statistics, 2022\u20132026<\/p>\n
The numbers come from a year in which Musikfest drew 1,260,630 attendees<\/a>, the third-highest total in the festival\u2019s 43-year history but down from the record of about 1.45 million set in 2025, according to ArtsQuest, the nonprofit that runs the event.<\/p>\n Police characterized the festival as safe despite the increases.<\/p>\n \u201cMusikfest continues to be an incredibly safe event, especially considering the hundreds of thousands of people who visit Bethlehem during the festival,\u201d Bethlehem police Capt. William Audelo said in a statement. \u201cWhile we did see an increase in arrests compared with recent years, the overwhelming majority involved lower-level offenses, and we experienced no major incidents that threatened the overall safety of the festival.\u201d<\/p>\n Stay informed on Lehigh Valley crime<\/p>\n Get the latest crime news and updates from across the Valley.<\/p>\n By subscribing, you agree to our Privacy Policy<\/a> and consent to receive updates.<\/p>\n Audelo said officers were \u201chighly visible and proactive\u201d throughout the festival, and that the numbers \u201creflect our commitment to addressing issues quickly while maintaining a safe and welcoming environment.\u201d<\/p>\n Of the 37 arrests, 26 were for summary offenses \u2014 the lowest level of violation under Pennsylvania law \u2014 along with eight misdemeanor arrests and three felony arrests. Based on the department\u2019s arrest count and ArtsQuest\u2019s attendance figure, the total works out to roughly one arrest per 34,000 visits.<\/p>\n Adjusted for crowd size, this year\u2019s rate of about 29 arrests per million visits was the highest in five years, according to a calculation based on police arrest counts and ArtsQuest\u2019s reported attendance figures. But it was only modestly above 2024, when storms held attendance to about 1.02 million, and police made 28 arrests, a rate of about 27 per million.<\/p>\n By that measure, last year stands out as the anomaly: the 2025 festival drew a record 1.45 million visits in near-perfect weather while producing just 17 arrests, the lowest rate of the five years at about 12 per million.<\/p>\n RateArrests per million Musikfest visits, 2022\u20132026<\/p>\n Arrests per million Musikfest visits, 2022\u20132026 (bar chart). Arrests per million visits \u2014 2022: 16.9 arrests per million visits, 2023: 21.8 arrests per million visits, 2024: 27.5 arrests per million visits, 2025: 11.7 arrests per million visits, 2026: 29.4 arrests per million visits.<\/p>\n Source: Calculated from Bethlehem Police Department arrest counts and ArtsQuest attendance figures<\/p>\n One of the most notable shifts was in who was arrested. Twelve of the 37 people arrested \u2014 nearly a third \u2014 were 17 or younger, up from three juveniles arrested in 2025 and the highest number in at least five years. The department\u2019s statistics do not indicate what the juveniles were arrested for.<\/p>\n Stay informed on Lehigh Valley crime<\/p>\n Get the latest crime news and updates from across the Valley.<\/p>\n