Summerfest attendance at 33-year low
The count dips 6% from a year ago to about 718,000, the lowest since 1986.
Summerfest had a 6% decline in attendance for 2019, a drop the festival blamed on four days of threatening weather and one night without a headlining act on its main stage.
In a statement issued late Friday, the Big Gig said its 2019 attendance was 718,144, down from 766,192 last year. A check of Journal Sentinel archives shows the 2019 tally to be the lowest Summerfest attendance since 1986.
The festival said this year’s attendance was hurt by “the fact that there were only 10 (American Family Insurance) Amphitheater concerts, and four days out of the 11-day music festival experienced severe thunderstorm warnings late in the afternoon, when fans are making the decision to attend.”
The missing headliner was on July 4. A bill headed by metal legend Megadeth, scheduled for that date, had canceled its entire tour a few weeks earlier after lead singer Dave Mustaine was diagnosed with throat cancer. That show had been a late replacement for Ozzy Osbourne, who had to cancel after injuring himself while recovering from pneumonia. The festival decided at that point to leave the date open.
If there had been a July 4 amphitheater headliner, Summerfest projected 2019 attendance would have totaled 733,144 patrons.
“Regardless of the attendance figures, the festival was profitable and remains well-positioned for the future,” the festival’s statement read.
Among the other numbers released by Summerfest Friday was a reminder of Milwaukee’s love of a good deal: 101,827 fest-goers — about one out of seven — took advantage of daily admission promotion offers.