Bethlehem, Lehigh Valley, PA, December 15, 2025 – ArtsQuest is excited to announce the sixth Musikfest 2026 headliner, AJR, will be coming to the Wind Creek Steel Stage at PNC Plaza on August 9, 2026!
Presented with media partner B104, tickets are available for ArtsQuest Members on Monday, December 15 at 10 a.m. and for the general public on Friday, December 19 at 10 a.m. at ArtsQuest.org. For more exclusive ticket access and advance purchase opportunities, become an ArtsQuest Circle Donor today!
Re-envisioning what pop can be in the 21st century, AJR unassumingly emerged as a ubiquitous hit-making outlier and one of the biggest indie bands in the world. Since 2012, the multi-platinum indie pop trio—Adam [bass, vocals], Jack [vocals, guitar] and Ryan [ukulele, piano, vocals]—have generated billions of streams and earned one triple-platinum single, one double-platinum single, four platinum singles and one platinum album. 2019’s Neotheater marked their biggest first-week debut, bowing at #8 on the Billboard Top 200, #1 on the Top Alternative Albums Chart and #1 on the Top Rock Albums Chart. Cemented as part of the modern zeitgeist, Spotify touted “Sober Up” [feat. Rivers Cuomo] among the “Best Rock Songs of the 2010s,” while Apple Music included “Weak” on its “Best Alt Songs of the 2010s.” Not to mention, they remain one of the “500 Most-Listened to Artists” on Spotify. On the heels of Neotheater, they dropped the 2020 platinum blockbuster “BANG!”, which cracked the Top 10 at three radio formats, peaking at No. 6 on the Top 40 chart, No. 2 on Alternative radio and No. 1 on Adult Pop and marked their first Top 10 entry on the Billboard Hot 100. Their latest album, The Maybe Man [AJR Productions/Republic Records], was released in 2023. The title character is “a big sad superhero who is always questioning who he is” –like a giant out of your favorite fairy tale – emotion hangs over his head, so it doesn’t have to hang over yours.
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 drivers of economic development in our urban communities. ArtsQuest supports this mission through performing and visual arts, film, arts education and outreach, youth programming and a wide range of cultural events, anchored by signature venues and initiatives including its flagship event, Musikfest; the ArtsQuest Creative Factory powered by PPL, a centerpiece for the Valley’s artistic communities; the ArtsQuest Center at SteelStacks; and the LVHN, part of Jefferson Health Turn & Grind Shop, an adaptive reuse project expanding space for programming, festivals, private events and nationally touring exhibits. ArtsQuest welcomes more than 1.9 million people annually, with nearly 40 percent of its programs free to attend, generating a regional economic impact of more than $143 million annually. ArtsQuest’s Re-Imagine That! Capital Campaign supports the continued growth of its mission to make the arts accessible for all.