30 acts we think will play Summerfest
When it comes to the lineup for its 55th anniversary, Summerfest is ahead of schedule.
Seven of the nine shows at the Milwaukee festival’s biggest stage, the American Family Insurance Amphitheater, have already been revealed: Eric Church, Zac Brown Band, James Taylor, Dave Matthews Band, Odesza, Zach Bryan and Imagine Dragons.
And four of the nine BMO Pavilion Summerfest headliners have also been announced: the Avett Brothers; Earth, Wind & Fire; Ava Max; and Styx. By the end of March, fest officials are expected to reveal more than 100 headliners.
Who can we expect? We’ve scoured through tour routing around the festival’s dates (June 22-24, June 29-July 1, July 6-8) and landed on 30 possible headliners for Summerfest 2023.
● Drake and 21 Savage. With Taylor Swift and Beyoncé ruling Milwaukee out of their summer tour plans, there’s still one artist at the top of the A-list to be heard from. Drake repeatedly has teased a summer tour with his ”Her Loss” collaborator 21 Savage. Milwaukee Drake fans have long given up hope that he’ll ever come here, but if Summerfest manages to book his first show in town, it would be quite a coup.
● SZA. Lizzo has proclaimed 2023 the year of SZA, and the charts back that up: The R&B star’s sophomore album “SOS” has spent 10 weeks at the top of the Billboard 200. It’s always a thrill when Summerfest books an artist as they’re skyrocketing to the top of the pop-culture conversation. And SZA, who has already booked one summer festival, has an otherwise wide-open calendar.
● Stevie Nicks. For the most part, Nicks’ arena shows this year are three to four days apart, and the latest date for her arena run — June 27, six hours away in Louisville — is four days before an open July 1 date at Summerfest’s amphitheater.
● Anita Baker. Baker is playing the United Center in Chicago June 30, so a Milwaukee date at the amphitheater July 1 also seems feasible. But considering Baker’s arena tour has no consecutive dates, this is likely just wishful thinking.
● Steve Lacy and/or Boygenius. “Bad Habits” hitmaker Lacy and Boygenius (the supergroup with Phoebe Bridgers, Lucy Dacus and Julien Baker) are headlining the ReSet concert series, in Columbus, Ohio, and Chicago, on June 23-25, with an open date on June 22. Either act, or both, could play Summerfest’s opening day.
● Noah Kahan. OK, so Noah Kahan just played a sold-out Miller High Life Theatre show last month. But he’s also playing Cincinnati June 23, with the next night off. Plus, the Summerfest Twitter account has liked multiple Kahan-related tweets.
● Charlie Puth. Puth has never played Milwaukee, but favorable routing suggests that could change. He’s got a day off June 23, during Summerfest, in between shows in St. Louis and Ravinia outside Chicago.
● Gracie Abrams and/or Girl in Red and/or Muna. Taylor Swift isn’t going to add a Summerfest date, despite being in Minneapolis, Cincinnati and Kansas City during the festival’s run. But one or more of her openers could peel away for a Summerfest show; none of them has gigs on any Thursdays during the festival.
● Scotty McCreery. While playing at a Milwaukee Admirals concert in January, the country singer said he’d be at Summerfest this year.
● Tyler Hubbard. Expect some lineup overlap with the Hodag Country Festival in Rhinelander during Summerfest’s final weekend. Martina McBride, Locash, Tanya Tucker and Ashley McBryde are some of the acts that could play both, but if I had to predict one Hodag act at Summerfest it’d be Tyler Hubbard, who’s been touring aggressively to support his solo career since Florida Georgia Line broke up.
● Les Claypool. Swapping out Primus for his Fearless Flying Frog Brigade on the road this summer, Claypool could play Summerfest’s second weekend ahead of a Chicago show July 2.
● Yungblud. The British rocker has an open date on his itinerary July 6, during Summerfest, a day before a Detroit-area gig.
● Young The Giant and/or Milky Chance. Milky Chance had a massive crowd for its Summerfest set last year, so they’ll want to be back. And since the band has a day off June 22 ahead of a Chicago show on its tour with Young The Giant, that seems pretty likely. (So does Giant coming back to Summerfest.)
● The Mountain Goats and/or The Hold Steady. The Hold Steady has three Chicago shows June 30 to July 2, so the band could swing by Summerfest June 29. The same applies for its Chicago shows opener the Mountain Goats, who also could play Summerfest’s last weekend following a Des Moines show July 5.
● Debbie Gibson. Gibson has a St. Louis show June 30, with nothing scheduled June 29 or July 1.
● Rebelution. Reggae rock is represented at every Summerfest, and this year, Rebelution could fulfill that role. Its summer tour has an open date June 29 between shows in Detroit and St. Paul, Minnesota.
● Juicy J. Summerfest always books at least one hip-hop veteran, and this year that could be Juicy J, who has open dates around an Indianapolis show June 23.
● Breland. Summerfest and Country Fest in Cadott both share a headliner (Zac Brown Band) the June 23 weekend. I suspect buzzy artist Breland, overdue for a big Milwaukee show, also will play Summerfest. Other Country Fest acts that could be Summerfestbound include the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Brett Eldredge and Billy Currington.
● Fleet Foxes. The folk band is long overdue for a Milwaukee show. The band’s summer tour has open dates July 6 to 8 between shows in Minneapolis and Indianapolis.
● Sierra Ferrell. The Americana up-and-comer is playing sold-out shows all over this year, with Wisconsin shows scheduled for July 9 and 10 — and an open schedule during Summerfest’s final weekend.
● The War on Drugs. The rock band had the misfortune of coming to Milwaukee during the omicron COVID wave in early 2022. Fans who skipped that show then might see them July 6 or 8, should the band do what Charli XCX did last year and book a Summerfest show around a headlining slot at the 80/35 festival in Des Moines.
● Alkaline Trio. It looks like Fall Out Boy will bypass Milwaukee on its summer tour. But there’s a dark night June 22 where their Chicago show opener Alkaline Trio could play Summerfest before linking back with the tour in the St. Louis area June 23.
● Goose. The buzzy jam band has yet to play Milwaukee since breaking out, but it finally may come to town for Summerfest June 24, between a Louisville concert and an appearance at the Electric Forest festival in Michigan.
● Garbage. The pride of Madison is doing a hometown show at Breese Stevens Field June 28 as part of a tour with Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds. Should Garbage opt to show their home state some extra love, the band has an opening June 30 between shows in Indiana and Cincinnati.