History of Summerfest in Timeline

Summerfest is an annual music festival in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, held at Henry Maier Festival Park since 1968. Recognized by Guinness World Records as "The World's Largest Music Festival" in 1999, it is a significant event for music and entertainment.

1962: Summerfest Conception

In 1962, then-mayor Henry W. Maier conceived Summerfest after being inspired by Oktoberfest. He formed a panel to study the feasibility of a large-scale summer festival.

1966: Name Changes

In 1966, the proposed name of "Milwaukee World Festival" was briefly changed to "Juli Spaß" and then to "Summerfest".

July 1968: Inaugural Summerfest

In July 1968, the inaugural Summerfest took place at 35 locations throughout the city, featuring a wide range of events.

1968: First Summerfest

In 1968, the first Summerfest was held in downtown Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The festival is now located at Henry Maier Festival Park.

1968: Music at the First Summerfest

Since the first festival in 1968, music has been a key part of Summerfest, with acts such as Ronnie Dove, The New Colony Six, The Robbs, and Up With People performing.

1969: Bob Hope Performance

In 1969, Bob Hope was the main headliner at Summerfest, performing two shows at Milwaukee County Stadium.

1969: Second Summerfest

In 1969, the second Summerfest was less successful due to additional venues, bad weather, and financial debt.

1970: Henry Jordan Appointed Executive Director

In 1970, Henry Jordan, former Green Bay Packers defensive tackle, became executive director of Summerfest.

1970: Permanent Location and Logo Introduction

In 1970, Summerfest moved to a permanent location on the lakefront and introduced its red "smiley face" logo, designed by Noel Spangler and Richard D. Grant.

1970: Near Riot at Sly & the Family Stone Performance

In 1970, a performance by Sly & the Family Stone nearly resulted in a riot due to the late arrival of the performers.

1972: George Carlin Arrest

In 1972, George Carlin was arrested after performing his "Seven Words You Can Never Say on Television" routine at Summerfest.

1973: Riot at Humble Pie & Jo Jo Gunne Concert

In 1973, a performance by Humble Pie & Jo Jo Gunne led to a riot, a bonfire, and about 300 arrests. Guidelines were established to avoid similar incidents.

1975: Comedy Showcase Established

In 1975, a regular "Comedy Showcase" was first established at Summerfest.

1975: Comedy Acts at Summerfest

Since 1975, comedy acts ranging from David Brenner and Henny Youngman to Jay Leno and Jon Stewart have performed at Summerfest.

1977: Henry Jordan's Death

In 1977, Henry Jordan, the executive director of Summerfest, passed away.

1984: Elizabeth "Bo" Black Appointed Executive Director

In 1984, Elizabeth "Bo" Black, formerly Henry Jordan's secretary, became executive director of Summerfest.

1986: Sandra Bernhard Promos

In 1986, Sandra Bernhard did TV and radio promos for Summerfest when she was a performer there.

1995: Summerfest Attendance Since 1995

Since 1995, Summerfest attendance has been tracked, illustrating the festival's popularity.

1999: Guinness World Records Certification

In 1999, Summerfest was certified by Guinness World Records as "The World's Largest Music Festival".

2000: Rainy Summerfest

Summerfest 2024 saw the most rain since Summerfest 2000.

2001: Peak Attendance

In 2001, Summerfest peaked at 1,000,563 attendees, spanning 12 days over 2 weeks.

December 9, 2002: Lee Gates' Discrimination Comment

On December 9, 2002, Lee Gates commented in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel about the lack of opportunity to play at Summerfest and perceived discrimination.

2004: Don Smiley Appointed President and CEO

In 2004, Don Smiley became president and chief executive officer of Summerfest.

2004: Investment in Henry Maier Festival Park

Starting in 2004, nearly $150 million has been invested into Henry Maier Festival Park, including permanent stages, bars, production space, VIP amenities, and other infrastructure.

June 2007: "Summerfest Stories" Documentary

In June 2007, Milwaukee Public Television aired "Summerfest Stories", a documentary about the event's history, celebrating Summerfest's 40th anniversary.

2010: New Schedule Announced

In 2010, Summerfest officials announced a new 11-day schedule for the 2011 festival.

2011: New 11-Day Schedule

In 2011, Summerfest implemented a new 11-day schedule for the festival.

2015: ReverbNation Agreement

In 2015, Milwaukee World Festival, Inc. and ReverbNation announced a three-year agreement to use the online service as an audition platform for musicians to perform at Summerfest.

2018: American Family Insurance Amphitheater Construction

In the fall of 2018, construction began on the new American Family Insurance Amphitheater.

2019: Amphitheater Roof Raised

In 2019, the roof of the American Family Insurance Amphitheater was raised from 39 feet to 65 feet.

2019: Let the Music Play Grant Program Inception

Since its inception in 2019, the Let the Music Play grant program has supported over 40 organizations and hundreds of music students annually, offering grants for music-based programming in the Milwaukee community.

2020: Summerfest Closed Due to COVID-19

In 2020, Summerfest was closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

2020: COVID-19 Impact

In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic led to scrapping the concert portion of Summerfest and moving other activities online.

2020: Amphitheater Renovation Completion

In 2020, the second phase of the $51.3 million renovation of the American Family Insurance Amphitheater was completed.

2021: Revised 9-Day Schedule

In 2021, Summerfest was revised to a 9-day schedule (3 weekends) and occurred in September instead of during the summer months, with 409,386 attendees.

2022: Return to Summer Months with 3 Weekend Format

In 2022, Summerfest returned to the June/July summer months but continued the 3 weekend format, with 445,611 attendees.

December 2023: Don Smiley's Retirement

In December 2023, Don Smiley retired from his position as president and chief executive officer of Summerfest and was succeeded by Sarah Smith Pancheri.

2023: Economic Impact Study

In 2023, an economic impact study by Oxford Economics claimed that Summerfest generated $160.3 million for Milwaukee and $188.7 million for the state of Wisconsin.

2024: Community Contributions in 2024

In 2024, Summerfest made significant contributions to the community, including providing meals, hygiene products, and books, while also integrating local community organizations into the festival.

2024: Summerfest 2024 Performers

In 2024, Summerfest welcomed SZA, Tyler Childers, Lil Uzi Vert, Maroon 5, Kane Brown, AJR, Ivan Cornejo, Goo Goo Dolls, Bryson Tiller, Cold War Kids, Mario, Alison Wonderland, En Vogue, The All-American Rejects, REO Speedwagon, Ethel Cain, and Key Glock among other artists.

2024: BMO EMpower Program Support

In 2024, as part of BMO's EMpower program, 11 minority small business owners received funding and educational opportunities to support their work as vendors during Summerfest.

2024: Summerfest 2024 Attendance and Free Admissions

Summerfest 2024 reported 555,925 fans despite rain impacting six of the nine festival days, with 21% of patrons gaining access via free admission promotions.