Milwaukee’s Summerfest has announced the dates for its 2026 festival — and yes, it again will be nine days over three weekends.
The 2026 Big Gig will take over Maier Festival Park June 18-20, June 25-27 and July 2-4, the Milwaukee music festival’s operator, Milwaukee World Festival Inc., announced July 15.
For decades, Summerfest ran for 11 consecutive days — some years, taking off the Monday in the middle. But in 2020, trying to outrun the COVID-19 pandemic, the Milwaukee music festival was moved to fall, with a three-day, three-weekend format.
That year’s festival eventually was canceled, but the fall dates — and three-weekend format — were revived for 2021.
The festival shifted back to its midsummer time frame in 2022 and kept the three-weekend format, over the objections of some Summerfest traditionalists.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Milwaukee’s Summerfest sets its dates for the 2026 music festival