After 10 days (and a preview night) of music, comedy, food, art and community celebration, Musikfest 2026 wrapped another memorable year in Bethlehem. From July 31 through August 9, with a preview night on July 30, the nation’s largest music festival featured 400+ performers, 500+ performances and programming across 16 stages, including 15 free stages and the Wind Creek Steel Stage at PNC Plaza.
The nation’s largest free, ungated music festival is back and bigger than ever! Musikfest returns for its 43rd year, transforming 50 acres across Bethlehem’s NorthSide and SouthSide into a celebration of music, food and community.
ArtsQuest today announced SoccerFest, its monthlong celebration of the FIFA World Cup™ 2026, drew more than 38,600 fans to SteelStacks for free live watch parties of all 104 matches, youth programming, live music, cultural festivals, family activities, historical exhibits and artistic experiences.
The sold-out tournament brings together Musikfest supporters, sponsors and community partners for a day on the course benefiting ArtsQuest’s arts, music and educational programming that make Musikfest, and our year-round programs, possible.
The event will continue an ArtsQuest tradition since 2014, broadcasting every match live via FOX Sports on large screens across SteelStacks for an immersive viewing experience for thousands of fans of all ages. But with the eyes of the world on the U.S. for the FIFA World Cup 26™, this year’s SoccerFest is bigger, bolder and unique to Bethlehem, whose roots in American soccer date to the early 20th century.
Nearly 4 decades ago ago, the four original members of Blues Traveler—John Popper, Chandler Kinchla, Brendan Hill, and the late Bobby Sheehan—gathered in their drummer’s parents’ basement in Princeton, NJ to jam. From these high school sessions emerged a band that would go on to release a total of 14 studio albums, four of which have gone gold, three platinum, and one six-times platinum- selling more than 10 million combined units worldwide. Over an illustrious career, Blues Traveler has played over 2,000 live shows in front of more than 30 million people, and, in “Run-Around,” had the longest-charting radio single in Billboard history, which earned them a Grammy® for “Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals.” In 2021 Blues Traveler released the Grammy®-nominated Traveler’s Blues (Round Hill Records), a collection of reimagined and recharged classics from the American blues songbook, and the group’s first official blues album. The second release in this series, 2023’s Traveler’s Soul, takes a similar approach- consisting of cover songs from a specific genre, this time classic R&B and Soul.
With blue skies overhead and a vibrant energy on the ground, Musikfest 2025 brought unprecedented crowds, unforgettable performances and an outpouring of community spirit and camaraderie that turned Bethlehem into the heart of a summer celebration!
