BETHLEHEM, Pa. — Extreme heat and days of rain meant Musikfest's attendance for its 41st run was down more than 23% off last year's record crowds, the festival announced Tuesday.
But Musikfest, the largest non-gated music festival in the country, said it still had record crowds for its headline Steel Stage, and the most sold-out headline shows in its history.
"This year brought challenges, and every single member of our Musikfest team of staff and volunteers, along with our law enforcement community and city officials, came together to support one another in every way possible."ArtsQuest President Kassie Hilgert
The festival, which on two days suspended activities as lightning storms passed through its festival grounds, attracted 1,020,000 people, the festival said.
That's down from last year's record 1,330,000 attendees. The total was the least attendees Musikfest has had since 2018, when it was just 955,000. Because of coronavirus, the festival wasn't held in 2020.
“Musikfest 2024 was unlike the last few years, weatherwise,” ArtsQuest President Kassie Hilgert said. “When the weather is great, it’s easy to put on a successful festival.
"This year brought challenges, and every single member of our Musikfest team of staff and volunteers, along with our law enforcement community and city officials, came together to support one another in every way possible.
"It’s that teamwork that helped to make this year’s festival a big success, especially with the records that we set."
Record ticket sales, sold-out shows
Those records included selling 54,786 tickets to its 11 shows on the Wind Creek Steel Stage — an almost 8% increase from the record set in 2011 — the first year that the festival included the Steel Stage on the SteelStacks campus, Musikfest said.
Musikfest this year had a Preview Night, with rockers Greta Van Fleet, on Thursday, Aug. 1. It did not have a preview night in 2011, with only 10 headliners, but Steel Stage that year had a larger capacity, with 7,200 seats compared with 6,200 this year.
The festival also had a record four shows sell out this year: Greta Van Fleet and rockers Shinedown, country chart-toppers Old Dominion and rapper Ludacris.
The prior record for sold-out shows was three in 2017 with Santana, Chicago and Toby Keith.
"Another wonderful ten days of music, fun, food and friends. A special thanks to the volunteers, staff, small businesses and public safety officials who made it go. We can’t wait till next year.”Bethlehem Mayor J. William Reynolds
Musikfest said its attendees included people from 48 states plus Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico and nine foreign countries: Canada, Italy, Mexico, England, South Africa, Columbia, Taiwan, Spain and Australia.
"This festival brings people from across the country and worldwide to Bethlehem, now a UNESCO World Heritage site," Hilgert said.
"We’re excited for them to visit our city and attend not only Musikfest, but also visit the local businesses that thrive here.”
Bethlehem Mayor J. William Reynolds said, “Musikfest once again proved our community comes together like nowhere else.
"Another wonderful ten days of music, fun, food and friends. A special thanks to the volunteers, staff, small businesses and public safety officials who made it go. We can’t wait till next year.”
Musikfest this year had 1,044 volunteers, ranging in age from 16 to 85 and representing 37 businesses. There were 352 new volunteers this year, organizers said.
