The best music festival there is. Great entertainment, endless food options, beautiful grounds. And of course, the best established touring acts, and up and coming acts also. read more

Where I'm from we have nothing like this, but now that I live in Chicago I can come up to Milwaukee for fantastic events like this! It's cheap with an amazing lineup and really tasty food that probably clogs my arteries. Definitely a healthy environment for the ages and will definitely be coming back. read more

Summer Fest who can give such a bad review. They have great artist who come out to play. I've been going to summer fest for the past 15years. $10.00 to see great music artist some of the top names in music history. Great food and freebies. I'm in Chicago and drive every year to come down. I can't wait to see BB King this year and some other great artist. As long as their having Summer Fest I'll be sure to take my drive down to Milwaukee. read more

When I checked in to this place it was my first time in Milwaukee and I really liked the Amphitheater. Initially I was expecting it to be some small park with a small stage set of for performances, but when I got there I was caught off guard. The stages are actual stages, and by that I mean ones that you can't just take down and move around when you please. I went for the Summerfest and I was completely satisfied with the people that were working there, the food, the artists, and the location. If you go walking through the place leisurely, like I did, you will find that it is a big place. But if you take in everything that is around you, you will enjoy the place. I only came to see my friend perform, but I will definitely say that I will be back again next year if there is a good line up. This city and venue is definitely welcoming. read more

Summerfest used to be a lot of fun with many more talented musicians/bands. Summerfest is now bland, boring, and just a place to hang with a bunch of drunken people. I am all for good music, good food, good drinks, and a good time, but Summerfest no longer does it for me. I would like to see more variety in the music. Less cover bands, more local, indie artists. Enough of the same headliners year after year after year. Mix it up a little bit. Change is good. I am glad to see other people are still into the fest more than I am. They do have some great deals going on, but it is not enough to lure me in this year. I mean I even have free tix and don't plan on going. If there was good music, I'd be there even with no discounts and higher prices. read more

My husband and I come here every year (as well as State Fair). I love the different music you can hear as you walk around. It's a nice way to find artists you may not be aware of otherwise. read more

After attending summerfest everyday except the last I'm very glad it's over. And this may be the first year in which I started to feel to old to be there. With all that said, summerfest is still a guaranteed good time, for you, your friends, your kid, everyone except your wallet. If you haven't been to Summerfest you absolutely need to check it out. This was a strange year where the Main Stage was loaded but there wasn't great acts onthe free stages (imo). Everyone who says they don't go to summerfest says their reason is due to the crowds, the crowds walking around this year were never an issue. . even at shows wasn't an issue. summerfest could use more and cleaner bathrooms though. should've had the big bang the first night. darn fog. read more

Go during the day before everyone is drunk lol. I love the music selections and the different foods available. It does seem like more chains are there every year but there at some good independent resuarants still. read more

Best value music festival in the United States. Where else can you pay a flat fee of $20 and see so many bands across many music genres. Seating is mostly first come, first served but they do sell reserved seating if you definitely want a seat. Wide variety of food at the concessions which is great. Food at the Marcus Ampitheater sucks and is very limited so eat outside before entering. As for getting to Summerfest, either walk or take a free shuttle from one of the bars like the Harp or Who's on Third. read more

We had a blast at Summerfest!!! We went both during the day with our daughter and at night without her for a concert. Both times we had good food and met some great people. I wish I could go every year now!!! read more

I 've never been until last night I saw the Roots for 15 bucks . It was super crowded, wouldn't recommend bringing kids at night I saw a couple of kids walking around,especially with all the drinking and smoking. I went for the music so I really didn't care about anything else. I wish I had gone earlier in the week to see Alicia Keys -maybe next time. The food is outrageously expensive the cheapest thing on the grounds was Wendy's. I still had fun. read more

I took my 17 year old niece to Summerfest this year because we both had a Sunday to kill. I agree with others who said that the music is a little homogenous...that being said, it was still pretty good music & a lot of bands that we had never heard of (bonus in my opinion). We pretty much did laps around the grounds for 6 hours and sat in on various bands from the whiny neo-emo/hipster/folksy singers to the Mid-America Starlifter's classic rock covers. We feasted on roasted corn, fresh lemonade and candied nuts. I beg to differ with a previous poster who said there was a lack of farm animals...you could call them local drunks (and tourist drunks, I guess, to be fair) & we had fun watching them dance on the bleacher benches with their asses hanging out of their shortie shorts. All in all, it was a good time. read more

This was my first ever summerfest, to be honest did not know what to expect. A lot of my local friends told me to stay away, but me being the party animal decided to go for the 11 day pass. After dealing with all the little kiddies and riff raff around the festival, I would say my impression was generally positive and would have been much higher if they just banned anyone under 18 without a guardian. For example: I was double fisting some lovely shandies, and some random girl walked up to me and offered $11 for my beer. Really?! In the middle of the walk-path. Or all the high school kids clearly on some kind of drug dancing away @ Miller stage splattering and hitting everyone. However, summerfest has some very nice little stages tucked around here and there. Me and a friend had a pleasure of listening to Dan Rodriguez, who had a voice that was just amazing. In addition, the ecuadorian band is real fun to be around and dance around . Generally speaking, to avoid the kiddies keep walking north towards BMO. If you can't stand under 21 pers hit up jojo's... but be warned their martinis are 10 DOLLARS (insane). I'd highly recommend you stock up on your shandies outside and come inside. And if you don't like crowds dont come at night, its awfully packed. Always a logjam from stupid groups who stand in the middle of the walkpath, completely oblivious, usually hammered. All in all though, I did enjoy summerfest. It was fun, got drunk, had free beers for the last weekend thanks to a friend's VIP pass, and met some fun people. For the most part though, its good way to pregame for the night ahead. The free drunk bus is very nice to have! read more

Book a room for the night and come up to Milwaukee for Summerfest. It's basically a festival celebrating BEER and the many beer companies in the city. But they play it off as a music festival. Catch amazing shows on the small stages all day and head to the amplitheater to see the evening headliners like Tom Petty or Paul Simon. Also make sure you do your share of eating (corn on the cob, gyros, funnel cakes) and drinking (beer, sno cone, beer) while you are here. A blast with a big group of friends. read more

Summerfest is something you really must experience at least once. I've been to this festival about a jillion times. Get there early. Bring credit cards and MONEY. Wear comfortable shoes, extra sunscreen, sunglasses, and a hat. Try to do one of the get-in-free deals (there are lots of them listed on their website in advance). KIDS: Do NOT bring kids to this for more than Two hours! It's too much for them! Crowded and dangerous, with DRUNKS everywhere! Especially BABIES! Anyone who brings their child to this crowded, hot festival full of drunk people for more than two hours is really a selfish bad and creepy "parent." I've actually seen parents walking around with KIDS & BABIES here, and they're just hot, sunburned, and crying to go home. Dumb parents. Makes me sick. Anyway. They have so many great bands playing, try to go on the day that you can see as many of your favorites as possible. This is a Drinking festival for a lot of people. If that's you, all I can say is, pace yourself. Drink water. This is a very expensive festival in terms of drinking. A wiser strategy financially, would be to go to some of the bars in the Third Ward nearby, which have specials going on, drink there, and then catch a shuttle to Summerfest. Then drink water at Summerfest. It's a lot cheaper. Seriously. That is what my friends and I have done many times. WITHOUT Children. There is a lot of good food, but also a lot of lines, so be aware- you might want to organize having one person stand in line for this type of food, then the other person do it, etc. Use your i-phones & do some kick-ass Texting. Summerfest is fun, but stay out of the sun, be sure to save time for the bands you WANT to see, and BRING MONEY. Ooh, and go to the Shopping Villages! That's all I got. read more

Love Love Love Summerfest, but move it out of the city in Milwaukee! It was a nightmare getting there. The on line info makes it look so easy. Detours, roads closed, took me an hour of driving in circles to find lot H. The food vendors are amazing, the crowds fun and bands really great. Went there a lot years ago. Much simpler routing. I probably won't go again unless it is moved. One more suggestion, I love the starving solo artists but spread them out. Rapper and 20 yards away a guy on an electric keyboard. Seriously? Milwaukee really could use a city Planner. At least fire the one you have and get a competant one. read more

This is the world's LARGEST music festival, which says a lot! It's right on Milwaukee's shore, has TONS of performers, many of which are major artists, like Lady Gaga and OutKast. There are lots of stages and music for every music taste. Lots of food options and rides, etc. What a great annual event to look forward to! I love Milwaukee! read more

I love summerfest and have a great time every year, but they made me throw my sunscreen away causing me to have a severe sunburn. The first gate said no sunscreen at all, but the other gate said no aerosol spray so they clearly don't know what their own rules are. They had no signs up saying no sunscreen, aerosol or not. It wasn't listed on the big red signs telling you what not to bring in. I couldn't find any on the inside, but if they had sunscreen inside I'm sure it was way overpriced. Pretty ridiculous summerfest. Not sure if I'm going to be able to come back if it stays this way. read more

I must admit I hate WI in the winter but LOVE it in the summer. Summerfest is the culmination of all that's good and bad in the area. The bathrooms I visited were actually pristine this year. Over priced, sticky and stinky but the free shows are worth it. Saw a couple stupid fights start between drunkards, as usual. Not really much you can do about that with all the alcohol consumed. read more

Summerfest is the only festival I list that doesn't take place over a weekend or a two to three days span of time. It takes place from June 29 through July 9. In my opinion the quality isn't as strong across the board but there are some really fun shows you can check out. Acts this year include Tom Petty, Everclear, NIN, Joan Jett, Kings of Leon, Ray Davies, Wilco, etc, etc, etc. read more

It's been forever since I went to summerfest but I'm not missing out either, same thing drink beer n eat your heart out ;) of course I was mainly there for a concert with my best friend, I had a blast anyways! read more

I came here for a Dave Matthews Band concert with my boyfriend. Parking was reasonable for a venue like this, food is perfect to balance out the beer, and our seats were amazing, (thank God we weren't on the lawn, it's very small and crowded). Drinks were expensive but our cocktails were strong and there was beer stands everywhere. All in all, I'd love to come back again soon! read more

Crowded but fun!! Went for Blake Shelton concert which was great! Crazy if parking but Uber/cab service is better. Food options are good but pricey. read more

Who doesn't like summerfest?!?! People watching at its finest! I have noticed that the free stages have better and better bands/singers every year. Go enjoy! read more

This is such an important and traditional part of Summer in Milwaukee. Just be prepared to give in to big crowds, hot weather and lines. The venue is incredible, on the shore of Lake Michigan. Check the website before for lists of money saving ways to get in, I.e. food donations, miller lite bottle caps. Prices are reasonable compared to the same items at other festivals around the country. You have to go at least once to cross it off your bucket list. It's the world's largest music festival, for cryin-out-loud! read more

This was my first time to summerfest and I loved it. Will be back every year I'm able to make it. Crowded at night, but for $11-$18 to get in, it's worth it. Food isn't too unreasonably priced. Expect to pay $6-8 per drink. read more

I absolutely love Milwaukee's Summerfest. I've been here numerous times and have a blast every time. Summerfest makes Taste of Chicago look like a joke (well, it is a joke in my opinion). Great bands, good service, something for everyone, great vendors, good people, it's clean, safe and right on the water. If your a music lover (especially a country music lover) Summerfest is a must see. You can get a room within walking distance for a very reasonable price. Don't wait to book though, hotels fill up fast. Be sure to check out everything else Milwaukee has to offer while you're there. If I remember correctly, Milwaukee is the #1 drunkest city - gotta love that! read more

My husband took out first trip to Milwaukee to visit Summerfest. We were really impressed with what an awesome event this was for a pretty decent price. We bought the 3 day pass and saw several great shows. There is an amazing food selection and I red especially impressed with the number of bathrooms! Very cleans, fun, well organized event. Ride the sky lift! read more

Great music is what this festival is all about. Tasty food on all different levels can be found here. Overpriced beer, ice cold wine coolers and Sangrias can all be found here. Overall this music fest is a good deal with so much to offer for everyone. Be prepared to be overwhelmed with crowds on popular evenings. Respect the residents neighborhood as you leave. read more

Summerfest - Music beer and Sammy Llanos band. Don't get any better than that - Festivals Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

It's gotten much better over the last few years as the attendance has slimmed a bit and the grounds have opened up a tad. For the money, how can you go wrong? So much entertainment it's pretty crazy to think Milwaukee gets this festival! And FOOD FOOD FOOD! And beer. Only minus really is that some of the Main Stage acts are lame. read more

I used to LOVE Summerfest, but I'm not much of ground person, so I don't go as much anymore. I only go if I have tickets at the Marcus. The Side Stages are too crowded, that if you want a spot to see the artist you need to be there right when the gates open and sit all day to save your spot to see the artist that will play after 10pm. Just not my crowd anymore. read more

Some of the reasons people dont like summerfest here are silly. Like mullets don't exist at our own Taste of Chicago? Anyway I think Milwaukeeans should be proud to have something like Summerfest right in their own front yard. Here in Chicago, we have Lollapalooza which is more cutting edge obviously, but also very hit and miss with the entertainment and not a very good value. I've seen so many top tier artists at Summerfest FOR FREE its unbelievable. I've seen Elvis Costello there twice for free. I've also seen free...They Might Be Giants, Joe Strummer, Buddy Guy, Richard Thompson, John Entwhistle, Stevie Nicks, Megadeth, Judas Priest, REO Speedwagon, Pearl Jam, Led Zeppelin, Moby, Ted Nugent, and too many other to list. Most of the food at Summerfest is fried and greasy, but there are a few hidden gems. Nothing beats summer on the lake. read more

Had a blast! The Shackeltons were awesome on the KNE stage! Appreciated the special rates at the Hilton's. Also, thank you Milwaukee Art Museum and the Kandinsky exhibit. Still: SHACKELTONS, SHACKELTONS, SHACKELTONS! read more

Need to balance out the people that somehow expect no crowds, no traffic, and no drunkenness. This is a music festival after all, jeez. There are plenty of great family activities during the day, but you should probably consider getting the kids out after about 3 or so -- same as Oktoberfest in Munich or any other large music festival. At least there is some family time, versus fests like Lollapalooza. Anyway, it's a great time, lots to do and see besides the music, which has been consistently awesome for the very inexpensive entry fee. Go! Have fun! read more

We paid $70 each to see Peter gabriel (at the Marcus Amphitheater) who was FABULOUS. However, The concert was RUINED buy the Rock stage next door Pounding its pathetic beat directly at the Marcus Stage for 3 hours. Literally ruined the entire experience. Terrible stage design by Summerfest. Move the Rock stage out INTO lake Michigan. read more

This fest is amazing. I take a road trip here each year with my sister and I'm always satisfied with the prices as well as the lineup. The food is cheap but tasty. If you're one of the first people to download the mobile Summerfest app, you qualify for a free one-day ticket! Hotels/motels nearby can be costly depending on when you book them and for how long. There are a lot of people that go, so it's a really fun experience. I like going on the lift and seeing the city of Milwaukee as well as all of the people below. I've met some friends here while waiting for bands to perform. Very excited to see Brand New this year! Summerfest always guarantees a great time. read more

We are from Wisconsin and have been going to Summerfest for over 25 years. The bands are incredible and it's overall a fun time to spend with friends and family. The only downfall is the restaurants and food vendors. They are such poor quality that I would give them less than a 1 *. The food this year 2017 was not only horrible tasting but unidentifiable! We paid $18 for a Philly sandwich with a small fry and drink. The sandwich did not look, smell or taste like your typical Philly. The bun was shredded the fries half cooked and the soda was flat. This has happened to us every year but this year seem to be the worst. We did say something to one of the managers and he basically told us there was nothing he could do about it, so basically he's not the owner and did not care. Hot tip for next time - Eat a huge breakfast before you hit Summerfest including a lot of protein and take a couple of snacks with you in a small backpack or purse such as a protein shake or protein bars for lunch. Get your hand stamped and leave the grounds there are plenty of great restaurants in walking distance and then go back later in the evening and listen to the music. If Milwaukee is claiming that Summerfest is the largest music festival in the world, by the way it's not there's several other ones we have been to in Europe that are equal if not bigger ...but if they are claiming to have such a great Festival they NEED to back it up with decent food which is edible not garbage!!! The food we were presented with this year was not edible for any human and I certainly would never have given it to my dog! We give the music festival a five-star, the beer vendors 5 star and we give the food vendors a -1 *. It's unfortunate that the owners of these restaurants don't care about the people of Milwaukee or the people of Wisconsin or all the people coming in from out of state for this phenomenal Festival. It's really an embarrassment! We run our own business and would never treat people like this. We hope that next year is better in the food department! read more

So, I am not really sure how to rate Summerfest because I feel as if the experience, and it is an experience, has changed for me overtime. I think if I were to rate it in my early 20's I would have given it 5 stars. We would gather a bunch of friends and party late into the night while listening to great bands and gettin' drunk. That is what being in your 20's is mainly about right? Also, I am a transplant so I didn't grow up with this festival in my backyard so for the first 4-5 years I LOVED Summerfest. Yes, it's hot and there are drunk people, but what is not to love? It is quintessential Milwaukee. Simply put: The. Best. People. Watching. Ever. So, now that I am in my 30's, I still go once a year and it is a totally different experience. I usually go during the day and find a low key band and grub on all my favorite fried food--let's face it, there is not much in the way of healthy food at SF and you don't go there to get healthy. The bands during the day are usually not as good--and you have probably never heard of them- think cover band so in order to take advantage of the great music you have to stay well into the night and fight off the drunks. That being said, the day we went this year was really HOTTT but I still enjoy going through all the booths and seeing "who's there this year" and visiting all my old favorites. Sure, they would use a "face lift" in terms of updating the restrooms/vendors/stages but then again it would have that Summerfest feel....which is kinda dirty! It's the largest music festival in the WORLD and I am glad it has made Milwaukee home (The city could use the revenue). read more

So many good performances, huge venue, lots of normal concert / festival food. Mix that with a nice Milwaukee summer night - what's not to love? read more

We attended Chris Stapleton n Tom Petty July 5, who were great!! Summerfest as a venue stinks! This venue is obnoxious. We used to love attending. Now it's full of wasted selfie taking teens. The worst part of the experience was asking for directions. The people summerfest has hired are either uninformed, poorly trained or just don't care. Getting to the Marcus Ampitheater or AmFam theater, whichever it is named these days, bc it had multiple references on the tickets n venue posts, is poorly marked. My husband had surgery recently so walking takes a little longer. Any time we asked for direction from a person in a yellow or red polo shirt, told us the wrong way to go. The people in the red polos moved around in pairs and spent more time talking to each other vs helping patrons. The red shirts were roving, but no one around at decision point locations. Then when we arrived at the section the young teens in yellow shirts were there to monitor, certainly not there to provide direction to your seat. Then leaving we were directed to taxis 5 blocks away or the uber at mid gate. That was another cluster. When we arrived at uber midgate, we were told the uber drivers couldn't make it in to their area so it'd be better to walk a few more blocks away to grab a an uber. Complete disorganized mess! We travel the world n can't believe what a mess this place is today. #nevercomingback read more