Summerfest 2023 amphitheater lineup nearly complete as board looks to Milwaukee fest's 55th year
With one more month left to go in 2022, the lineup for the American Family Insurance Amphitheater for 2023's Summerfest is nearly complete, longtime Vice President of Entertainment Bob Babisch said at a board meeting Thursday for festival parent company Milwaukee World Festival Inc.
Babisch, who is retiring at the end of this year following a nearly five-decade run with Summerfest, revealed that his successor Scott Ziel is in the final stages of securing one or two more shows for 2023, the music festival's 55th year, with the rest of the amphitheater lineup locked in.
Three Summerfest amphitheater shows have already been announced, including a blockbuster booking with Zach Bryan, with Babisch crediting Ziel for spotting Bryan's potential before he became a fast-rising country phenomenon. Bryan was booked for a Miller Lite Oasis show this year that filled to capacity in the wake of his popular triple-album "American Heartbreak," and his amphitheater show July 7 essentially sold out in two days, Babisch said.
Ticket sales are also up for Zac Brown Band's return June 23 compared with their 2021 date, and a closing-night combination of Imagine Dragons and AJR July 8 — the only 2023 show announced so far with the popular pop rock bands together — is expected to sell out, Babisch said.
Additional Summerfest amphitheater announcements will be made in early 2023.
Two amphitheater shows yet to be announced have already been booked for 2023 outside of the festival, along with three BMO Harris Pavilion shows beyond the festival dates, including a previously announced performance with Louis Tomlinson. Babisch said Maier Festival Park ultimately will host more concerts in 2023 than it did this year. Including Summerfest shows, the amphitheater this year had the most concerts since 2004 with 19 performances.
Still up in the air, Babisch said, is when or if Justin Bieber will may play the amphitheater for Summerfest. His show, originally announced for 2020, was rescheduled for 2022 and postponed at the last minute due to health issues. Dozens of Bieber's global tour dates were ultimately postponed, with no word yet if or when they'll be rescheduled.
Anticipating event attendance will continue to grow in 2023 coming out of the pandemic, Milwaukee World Festival is projecting a profit of $4.7 million before depreciation for 2023, with Summerfest's net operating income projected to rise $4 million, to $15.7 million.
But while Milwaukee World Festival reported a $2.8 million profit before depreciation for 2022, that was down from the budgeted $6.4 million, due to the Bieber postponement, increasing costs from rising inflation and other factors. Mary Ellen Stanek, who heads the finance committee, described the financial situation to the board as "dynamic" Thursday, emphasizing that Milwaukee World Festival was in the midst of a multi-year recovery.
The board unanimously approved the budget Thursday, and in addition to saluting Babisch, recognized the contributions of vice president and chief financial officer Sue Landry, who is retiring in February after more than 30 years with Milwaukee World Festival. The role will be filled by current controller Zach Hasenstein.
Summerfest will return to Maier Festival Park June 22 to 24, June 29 to July 1 and July 6 to 8. Six ethnic festivals — PrideFest, Polish Fest, German Fest, Black Arts Fest MKE, Irish Fest and Mexican Fiesta — are scheduled to return between June and August.
Bill Glauber of the Journal Sentinel staff contributed to this report.
Contact Piet at (414) 223-5162 or plevy@journalsentinel.com. Follow him on Twitter at @pietlevy or Facebook at facebook.com/PietLevyMJS.
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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Summerfest 2023 amphitheater lineup nearly complete for Milwaukee fest
