Summerfest 2023 guide to tickets, parking and bag policy

Jan 12, 2024

One of the largest music festivals in the country is back.

Summerfest is celebrating their 55th anniversary on Milwaukee's lakefront this summer.

This year's lineup features about 800 different acts with everything from Imagine Dragons to the Zac Brown Band. Here's your guide for everything you need to know about the festival this year:

Summerfest runs from June 22-24, June 29-July 1 and July 6-8 this year. The festival is at Maier Festival Park, 200 N. Harbor Drive in Milwaukee.

To purchases tickets, visit www.summerfest.com/ticket-info

General admission: $26, single pass. There are more than a dozen ways to get in for free to the festival this year.

UScellular 3-day pass: $62

UScellular 9-day pass: $130

BMO Harris Pavilion reserved seating: (includes general admission): Reserved tickets range in price starting around $60.

Level Up Viewing Deck at the Miller Oasis stage: (includes general admission and two drinks): Tickets range in price starting at $65.

American Family Insurance Amphitheater: Ticket prices vary by artist.

Take the bus: MCTS will be running two shuttles every half hour from College Avenue or Brown Deer Park and Ride lot. Shuttles are now cashless and you can pay using Umo app or card. MCTS Connect 1 CRT line can also drop you off on the corner of Wisconsin and Van Buren and you can walk a couple blocks to the grounds

Take a bar shuttle: Some bars run shuttles to festival grounds during Summerfest.

Bike: You can rent a bike from Bublr Bikes and dock it at the Discovery World station and walk to the grounds. If you're taking your own bike, bicycle parking is near the Mid, North and South gates.

Electric Scooter: If you see a scooter, you can download the app on your smartphone to rent an electric scooter. Users can park the scooters essentially anywhere in an upright position, without blocking traffic.

The Hop Streetcar: The streetcar stops at Broadway and St. Paul in the Third Ward and you can walk to the festival from there.

Construction projects are going to impact drivers this year. The left turns from Lincoln Memorial Drive (the Lakefront Exit) to Clybourn Street will be prohibited throughout Summerfest.

Parking lots are open daily at 9a.m. on a first-come, first-served basis. You can get a pre-paid parking pass for a specific date during Summerfest online at the Summerfest store. Preferred parking is $30 per day. For a list of public parking lots near the ground, visit Park Milwaukee.

If you're arriving in your own car, drivers are encouraged to exist at any downtown exit before the Lakefront exit and park at a downtown parking structure.

Here's a list of some parking spots recommended by the festival:

Here's a list of some nearby hotels:

There's no RV parking on the grounds. For information on nearby RV parking, visit the Wisconsin State Fair RV park.

All bags are subject to inspection before you enter the grounds. Backpacks and bags larger than 9x10x12 aren't allowed on the grounds.

If you need to bring any medication, medical equipment or diapers, you can store those items in a clear bag. If you have privacy concerns, you can put those items in a smaller bag within the clear bag.

Any prohibited items sill be confiscated by security and will not be returned.

Wristbands to leave and re-enter the grounds are available at all gate areas from noon until 6:30p.m. daily. The wristbands are valid for a single, same-day re-entry until 7p.m.

Yes, Summerfest is a cashless festival. No cash is accepted at the box office or on the grounds. Reverse cash machines are available.

Contact Alex Groth at [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter at @grothalexandria.