Summerfest 2018
The longstanding tradition of Summerfest, continued into 2018 as it took place from June 27-July 1 and July 3-8, 2018, closed on July 2. For 11 days of music, food and fun, spanned throughout the 75-acre grounds with over 800 bands and 900,000 fans on 11 different stages. Over 50 years since its inception, the festival has grown immensely to become the World’s Largest Music Festival. Headliners for this year included:
2018 American Family Insurance Amphitheater Headliners:
- (6/27) Imagine Dragons with special guest Grace VanderWaal
- (6/28) James Taylor & His All-Star Band with special guest Bonnie Raitt & Her Band
- (6/29) Halsey & Logic with special guest NF
- (6/30) Florida Georgia Line with special guest Bebe Rexha
- (7/1) Dave Matthews Band
- (7/3) J. Cole with special guest TBA
- (7/4) Journey & Def Leppard
- (7/5) Shawn Mendes with special guest Charli XCX
- (7/6) Blake Shelton with special guest Luke Combs
- (7/7) The Weeknd with special guest Big Boi
- (7/8) Arcade Fire with special guest Manchester Orchestra
Front Row Music News attended the festivities on Friday, July 6. Although Front Row Music News has sent contributors over the past few years, this was my first time making the 100+ mile trip up north to the festival. The last minute (2 hour) day trip, was definitely work it to experience the energy of Summerfest and see some amazing artists.
After many days of blistering heat the week prior, the weather was perfect, as it was a sunny, but a mid-70 degree evening/night which made the experience even more pleasant. Upon walking into the entrance, we couldn’t but notice the huge guitar, drum set and piano set up, ideal photo opportunities for those looking for taking some great social media pictures. As we made our way to the main walkway, high above was the Skyglider, powered by Taiwan Excellence. This gentle ride provides passengers with a scenic view of Henry Maier Festival Park, Lake Michigan and the entertainment below. Our musical entertainment included: Krantz and Judah and the Lion at the Miller Lite Oasis; along with Echosmith closing the night on the U.S. Cellular Connection Stage. We did also catch the end of the Flaming Lips’ performance with frontman Wayne Coyne singing from a plastic hamster ball. Definitely an amazing night of music and fun. Hoping to squeeze in a couple days in again in 2019.
For more details, visit Summerfest.com, Facebook.com/summerfest or Twitter: @Summerfest.
About John Kosiewicz
