Bethlehem, Lehigh Valley, PA. November 17, 2025 – ArtsQuest is thrilled to announce the first Musikfest 2026 headliner, Bailey Zimmerman, will be coming to the Wind Creek Steel Stage at PNC Plaza on Thursday, August 6, 2026.
This concert is being sponsored by PenTeleData and Yuengling Flight and presented with media partner Cat Country 96. Ticket access begins today, Monday, November 17, for ArtsQuest Members and Friday, November 21, for the general public at ArtsQuest.org. For more exclusive ticket access and advance purchase opportunities, become an ArtsQuest Circle Donor today.
Hailing from Louisville, Illinois, multi-platinum singer-songwriter Bailey Zimmerman has quickly become one of country music’s brightest stars, known for his authentic, gritty sound and chart-topping hits. After gaining attention on social media in 2020, he shot to fame with the viral success of “Fall in Love,” becoming the fastest debut country artist in over a decade to reach No. 1 on Billboard’s Country Airplay chart. His 2023 debut album Religiously. The Album. made history with the biggest streaming debut for a country album ever, featuring four consecutive No. 1 singles, including the 4x-Platinum “Fall in Love” and the 5x-Platinum six-week No. 1 “Rock And A Hard Place,” debuting at #3 on Top Country Albums and #7 on the Billboard 200.
Zimmerman continued his rapid rise with 2024 singles like “Holy Smokes,” “Holding On” and “New To Country,” and in August 2025, released his sophomore album Different Night Same Rodeo, which includes the Luke Combs collaboration “Backup Plan” and several hit singles. A multiple award nominee, Zimmerman has captivated audiences on Good Morning America, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon and the ACMs, while earning praise from Forbes, Rolling Stone, Variety, Billboard and more, cementing his status as one of country music’s fastest-rising stars.
About Musikfest
A total of 1,449,000 people attended Musikfest in 2025. The 11-day festival featured over 500 free performances across 16 stages located throughout both the north and south-sides of Bethlehem. The 43rd Musikfest is scheduled for July 31 – August 9, 2026. This year’s Musikfest 2026 poster artist is painter and illustrator Doug Boehm. The 2026 design holds added significance as the nation prepares to celebrate America 250, the semi quincentennial of the United States. Boehm’s artwork reflects both the joy of Musikfest and the unifying power of music during this historic moment. To see the poster and learn more about Boehm’s vision for it, along with information about the festival, visit artsquest.org/musikfest.
About ArtsQuest
ArtsQuest’s mission is to provide access to exceptional artistic, cultural and educational experiences using arts and culture as key elements of economic development for our urban communities. ArtsQuest™ supports this mission via the presentation of performing and visual arts, film, arts education classes and outreach, youth programming and cultural events. Through festivals such as its flagship event, Musikfest; the ArtsQuest Creative Factory powered by PPL; and the ArtsQuest Center at SteelStacks arts and cultural campus, ArtsQuest’s programming reaches more than 1.9 million people annually. The organization’s programs and events, of which nearly 40 percent are free to attend, have a combined economic impact of more than $136 million annually in the region.