Summerfest 2026 will “start” a day earlier than scheduled, and a country music legend is the reason.
The Milwaukee music festival announced Sept. 8 that Garth Brooks will headline a kickoff concert at Maier Festival Park’s American Family Insurance Amphitheater on June 17 — a Wednesday.
Summerfest’s previously announced 2026 dates are June 18-20, June 25-27 and July 2-4.
According to Summerfest, the show will be Brooks’ first ever at the Big Gig. It’ll be the country music giant’s first concert in Milwaukee since he played the BMO Harris Bradley Center in September 2015.
Tickets for Brooks’ concert go on sale at 10 a.m. Sept. 12. at Summerfest.com, Ticketmaster.com or in person at the American Family Insurance Amphitheater box office. Each ticket purchased will include complimentary admission to Summerfest 2026, good for any day of the festival.
It’s not the first time Summerfest has landed a big-name headliner for the eve of the actual music festival. In 2015, what might still rank as Summerfest’s biggest coup, the festival landed the Rolling Stones for a special concert on the Tuesday before the then-11-day-festival’s run.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Garth Brooks will headline a kickoff concert on the eve of Summerfest 2026 in Milwaukee
Reporting by Chris Foran, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
