If you’ve been to Summerfest this year, you likely noticed a striking structure welcoming you to the festival: several massive, multicolored inflatable creatures huddled together in a circle, just steps from the north gate.
Inspired by the natural landscapes of northern Wisconsin, the art installation is titled “Astral Relics of the Great North Woods.” Eleven Milwaukee-based artists worked to craft the immersive light and sound experience, according to Summerfest.
Visitors can walk through the structure to “explore a woodland dreamscape filled with giant, glowing forest spirits that join in a cosmic chorus of light and song,” Summerfest wrote in a June 12 news release.
With a smoke machine at the center of the installation, “Astral Relics” was crafted with 1,000 yards of green, pink and purple fabric, speckled with constellations. The work is meant to evoke the “celestial majesty of the Aurora Borealis,” according to FuzzPop Workshop, the Milwaukee multimedia production company behind the work.
FuzzPop was also the architect of the giant rainbow octopi that were the centerpiece of ArtBlaze on the Beach in 2024. This year, the production company will create “inflatable HydroBloom sculptures” for ArtBlaze 2025.
Here’s what else we know about the celestial creatures looming over Summerfest:
Where can you find ‘Astral Relics’ at Summerfest?
“Astral Relics” is located on the north end of the grounds, between the Uline Warehouse and the U.S. Cellular Connection Stage. It is free with festival admission to walk through the installation.
How big is the ‘Astral Relics’ installation?
The installation is a whopping 30 feet tall and 70 feet in diameter, according to Summerfest.
Visitors can press buttons on the machine in the center to generate different sounds, with 1,048,576 possible musical creations that visitors can generate.
Where will ‘Astral Relics’ go after Summerfest?
After its Summerfest stint, “Astral Relics” will be displayed at the Olbrich Botanical Gardens in Madison from Aug. 30 to Oct. 25, according to FuzzPop. Find more information here about the installation and the artists behind it.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: What’s that massive inflatable structure at Summerfest this year?
Reporting by Maia Pandey, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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