Music

Opening ceremonies for the 40th Musikfest were held on Friday evening. The nation's largest open-gate music festival will continue through Aug. 13 in south Bethlehem.

New to the Musikfest experience? Keep in mind these helpful tips and hacks to avoid breaking the bank during the Lehigh Valley's premier festival this week.

Now in its 40th year, Musikfest is a celebration of sound and music. But it wouldn't be the same without the food.

In a world where even teen fans seem more sophisticated and world-weary, AJR looked to be having a ball throughout its 15-song, 70-minute show.

Indie/punk/pop rockers Slingshot Dakota opened the festivities for Musikfest 2023 Thursday night, regaling the crowd with a succession of energetic hits.

As Musikfest enters its fifth decade, who have been the best of its 370 headline acts? Our music expert gives us his set list.

Lehigh Valley indie-rockers Slingshot Dakota are kicking off Musikfest at the Air Products Americaplatz at Levitt Pavilion SteelStacks stage at 5 p.m. Thursday, bringing their unique and creatively energetic punk rock sans guitar.

Welcome to LehighValleyNews.com's Fest in Show, a daily offering of some of the can't-miss acts on the stages of Musikfest.

Musikfest, a 10-day festival of music, food, refreshments and more, celebrates its 40th year beginning on Thursday.

Philadelphia psyche-pop master Kurt Vile and The Violators, who topped the Adult Album Alternative charts with the 2015 song “Pretty Pimpin’” and have had three albums in the overall Top 50, will headline a concert with the late jazz great Sun Ra’s band The Sun Ra Arkestra at Allentown’s Miller Symphony Hall.

The local singer will debut her newest music at the National Sokols on Saturday.

The Weight Band, featuring former The Band guitarist Jim Weider, will perform at 8 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 24, at Musikfest Cafe at ArtsQuest Center at SteelStacks.

The Hooters, who combined ska and folk-rock on 1980s hits such as “Day By Day” and “And We Danced,” will perform at 8 p.m. at Univest Performance Center, 301 W. Mill St. Gates open at 6, and an opening act will go on at 6:30 p.m.

Starting Wednesday, gates at the Allentown Fairgrounds will close between Liberty and Chew Streets, the north and south borders of the grounds.

While the Lehigh Valley IronPigs’ stadium again will have music emanating from its baseball diamond — and will look to do more — it doesn’t mean the park is likely to become a steady stop on the concert circuit, General Manager Kurt Landes said.

Organizers had hinted that this year's crowds were expected to break records. On Tuesday, ArtsQuest confirmed it. More than 1.3 million visited Bethlehem during the 11 nights of Musikfest 2023.

The time-lapse was shot from the weather camera atop the Univest Public Media Center on the SteelStacks campus.

The 40th Musikfest drew to a successful close on Sunday night in Bethlehem. The nation's largest open-gate free music festival delivered more than 500 free performances, plus paid-ticket headliners. Organizers believe a record of roughly 1.25 million attended the 11-day event. An official count is expected to be announced Tuesday.

The Grammy-winning band closed out the 11-day spread with a 90-minute set of their biggest hits and covers of The Eagles and Journey.

In a stripped down production that felt custom-made for the Musikfest stage, Morris capped a 17-song set with three songs that put a rush of energy into the crowd as the skies opened up over Bethlehem.

The legendary salsa group performed their biggest hits and displayed perfectly-timed dance moves.

The ArtsQuest annual fête has an estimated 900 volunteers in 2023.