Concert lineup nearly wiped out for Summerfest amphitheater
As of March, Summerfest had 17 shows lined up this year for its updated American Family Insurance Amphitheater.
As of Thursday — thanks to the coronavirus pandemic and the nationwide shutdown that followed — it has two.
Milwaukee World Festival Inc. spent two years and $53 million upgrading the 23,000-capacity amphitheater, slated to reopen in June.
Nine out of an expected 11 amphitheater acts for Summerfest were announced by March, and FPC Live, the Madison-based, Live Nation-backed promoter, booked eight amphitheater shows for July through September.
It was supposed to be the 33-yearold venue’s busiest season since 2004, when it operated under its original name, the Marcus Amphitheater.
But as of Thursday morning, only two shows are currently on for the amphitheater this year.
Last week, country pop duo Sugarland canceled their tour, including an amphitheater show July 25, and Maroon 5 postponed its dates, including an amphitheater show Aug. 30, to 2021, with no new date set.
On Tuesday, Nickelback and Breaking Benjamin canceled their summer tours, including shows at the American Family Insurance Amphitheater in August.
Then on Wednesday, four acts — Hall & Oates, Santana, the Black Crowes, and Summerfest headliner Guns N’ Roses — announced their 2020 tours, and amphitheater appearances, would take place in 2021 instead. New dates have yet to be announced.
That leaves two amphitheater shows definitively scheduled for 2020: country star Sam Hunt on Sept. 4, and KISS on Sept. 15.
Hunt is headlining Summerfest, which was postponed in March because of concerns about reining in the pandemic. Originally set to take place June 24 to July 5, it’s now scheduled for Sept. 3 to 5, 10 to 12 and 17 to 19.
Nine amphitheater headliners were announced for the festival before the postponement. Justin Bieber has announced that his tour, and Summerfest show, would be rescheduled, but has yet to confirm when it will happen.
This month Halsey, Dave Matthews Band and Chris Stapleton all pushed off their tours, and Summerfest headlining appearances, to July 2021. There’s no word yet whether Summerfest 2020 amphitheater headliners Luke Bryan, Khalid or Blink-182 will play the festival in September, or if any other amphitheater acts have been booked for the festival’s new dates.
Summerfest had also announced seven shows for the BMO Harris Pavilion. Steve Miller Band canceled its tour, and Barenaked Ladies and Goo Goo Dolls are rescheduling theirs, but did not announce when or if they would play the pavilion for Summerfest, either this fall or next year.
Charlie Wilson announced on Facebook that he’ll play Summerfest’s pavilion Sept. 12. There’s no word yet on plans for Summerfest’s other three pavilion headliners: Styx, KC and the Sunshine Band and Psychedelic Furs. Four pavilion shows booked outside of Summerfest this year — with Niall Horan, AJR, Primus and David Gray — have either been canceled or postponed.
“A lot of the bigger stuff is moving to 2021,” Peter Jest, a local concert promoter and owner of Shank Hall, told the Journal Sentinel last month. “Most of the arena acts are pretty wealthy and can afford to take time off.”
Fiserv Forum will be dark for at least six months, at a minimum, following its last show with the Lumineers, on March 11. The next concert scheduled is Dan + Shay Aug. 28, a concert originally scheduled for April. Scheduled Fiserv Forum performers Elton John, Roger Waters, and Michael Bublé have postponed their tours to 2021, while Tame Impala and the 1975 have postponed shows indefinitely and Ozuna canceled his tour.
Alpine Valley Music Theatre in East Troy likely will be closed for the second summer in 43 years. Journey canceled its tour and June appearance, and Rage Against The Machine rescheduled one Alpine show for next year, and canceled the other one.
Omarion’s Millennium Tour stop at the UW-Milwaukee Panther Arena has been postponed for a second time, with a new date to be announced. Miller Park had two big shows scheduled for this year. Kenny Chesney and Florida Georgia Line’s tour is being rescheduled for 2021, with a specific date for the Brewers ballpark stop to be announced. A Motley Crue and Def Leppard show Aug. 18 is still on as planned, for now.