BETHLEHEM, Pa. — A rock group whose 1997 self-titled debut sold more than 6 million copies and stayed on the charts for more than a year will headline Bethlehem's Musikfest for the second year in a row.
Third Eye Blind, best known for the hits “Semi-Charmed Life,” “Jumper,” “How It’s Going To Be,” “Jumper” and “Graduate,” will perform at 7 p.m. Aug. 2, it was announced.
St. Lucia will open the show.
The announcement completed the main Steel Stage lineup for 2026.
Tickets, the prices of which were not immediately announced, go on sale to the public at 10 a.m. Friday, March 27, at the ArtsQuest websiteor the box office at 101 Founders Way, Bethlehem.
Third Eye Blind also headline Musikfest in 2025.
Musikfest is scheduled to July 31-Aug. 9, with a preview night July 30, in downtown Bethlehem and the SteelStacks campus.
Six-times-platinum debut disc
Third Eye Blind's self-titled debut album sold six times platinum with the gold “Semi-Charmed Life,” which hit No. 1, as well as “Graduate,” which was Top 10 and “Jumper,” which peaked at No. 2.
Its second album, 1999’s “Blue,” had the Top 5 hit “Never Let You Go,” hit the Top 40 and sold 2 million records. But it was four years before “Out of the Vein,” which hit No. 12 on Billboard’s Top 200 chart and had a Top 40 Modern Rock chart hit with “Blinded (When I See You).”
It has had no charting hits since then.
Third Eye Blind’s most recent release, 2021's "Our Bande Apart," did not chart. It was the group's first disc in six years, since 2015’s “Dopamine,” which hit No. 13 on Billboard’s Albums chart and No. 1 on its Independent chart.
The previous disc, 2009’s “Ursa Major,” also reached No. 1 on the Independent disc chart.
The band, led by frontman/singer Stephan Jenkins, first came to prominence when it finagled an opening slot for Oasis in April 1996 and became the object of a record contract bidding war.
In addition to Jenkins, the group’s only other member from its classic lineup is drummer Brad Hargreaves.
The San Francisco-based Third Eye Blind has been a favorite of Lehigh Valley audiences. It also played Wind Creek Event Center in 2017.
It drew 2,414 people to a paid-ticket show at Levitt Pavilion SteelStacks in 2014.
It also has played Lafayette, Moravian and Muhlenberg colleges, the former Crocodile Rock Café in Allentown, and also headlined Bethlehem’s Musikfest in 2009.
Musikfest lineup complete
Previously announced headliners for Musikfest are country-pop singer-songwriter Russell Dickerson on July 31 and "Saturday Night Live" comedian John Mulaney on Aug. 1.
Also, soft-rockers Train on Aug. 3, iconic comedy musician Weird Al Yankovic on Aug. 4 and multi-platinum-selling 2000s rapper T.I. with DaBaby on Aug. 5.
Also, fast-rising country music star Bailey Zimmerman on Aug. 6, country music chart-topper Parker McCollum on Aug. 7, rockers Taking Back Sunday on Aug. 8 and indie-pop brother trio AJR on Aug. 9.
Top Colombian Salsa band Grupo Niche will play preview night for the festival on July 30.
