Music

The Allentown Symphony Association's El Sistema program is expanding to a new school to offer more student opportunities.

Occasional light drizzle did nothing to keep the crowd away from the opening night of the 14th Oktoberfest at SteelStacks on Friday night. The festival runs through the weekend and again Oct. 11-13.

John Legend, best known for his 14-times platinum No. 1 hit “All of Me” from 2013, will perform “A John Legend Christmas" at 8 p.m. Dec. 19 at PPL Center, it was announced.

Melissa Etheridge, who had chart-topping songs such as “Bring Me Some Water,” “I’m the Only One” and “Come to My Window,” will perform at 7:30 p.m. April 26. She'll be joined by Joss Stone and Taylor Dayne.

Oktoberfest at SteelStacks begins on Friday, Oct. 4. The two-weekend celebration will feature four biergartens, a bratwurst eating contest, weiner dog race, polka music and a drag show.

Howie Day, whose 2004 song "Collide" sold four times platinum and helped his album "Stop All the World Now" reach platinum sales, will perform at the free annual Harvest Fest street fair. The event will be noon to 5 p.m. Oct. 20 at Main and Broad streets.

The four-day festival will feature performances by Kinetic Light, a disability arts ensemble and a Latin fest. It starts Thursday, Oct. 3, and runs through Sunday, Oct. 6.

Live Nation, the country's top music promoter, will book shows for the state-of-the-art entertainment venue at 935-939 Hamilton St., the promoter announced.

The rink, which again will be erected in front of the Levitt Pavilion SteelStacks stage at the foot of the blast furnaces, is scheduled to open Nov. 22 and run through Jan. 5.

Rascal Flatts, which has sold more than 23 million copies of its 10 studio albums, will perform at 7 p.m. March 15, PPL Center said.

Here's what you need to know about Musikfest 2025, which runs from Thursday, July 31 to Sunday, Aug. 10, in Bethlehem.

5XW Wrestling will make its Lehigh Valley debut at 1 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 9 at Country Club Brewing with an outdoor parking lot party that also will include bands, drinks, food and a party DJ.

Guster, with opening act The Mountain Goats, 6 p.m. today, July 29, Archer Music Hall, 939 Hamilton St., Allentown. Tickets $68.50 general admission standing, available at www.archermusichall.com or at the box office.

Here are our Top 6 main Steel Stage shows at Musikfest, which opens with a preview night Thursday, July 31.

Beatles tribute act Rain performing a Christmas tribute at 8 p.m. Dec. 5.

Country music hitmaker Riley Green has no tickets left for his Aug. 1 Steel Stage concert, Musikfest presenters ArtsQuest said on its Facebook page.

Alejandro Escovedo, a member of the musical family that has made stars of his brothers — percussionist Coke Escovedo, who played with Santana, and Pete Escovedo, father of Sheila E. — will play Tuesday, Sept. 9 in The Archer's Arrow Room.

From 8 a.m. to 11:59 p.m. Friday, July 25, you'll be able to buy tickets for six of Musikfest's 11 headline shows — and a paid-ticket Levitt Pavilion SteelStacks show — at 25% off.

Megan Moroney, who last year won the Academy of Country Music's New Female Artist of the Year, is the first artist to sell out a concert on this year's Musikfest main Steel Stage.

South African rockers Seether, who had the chart-topping songs “Broken (with Amy Lee),” “Remedy,” “Fake It” and “Country Song,” will team up with Daughtry, the “American Idol” contestant who went on to become a chart-topping rocker, to play the event center at 6:30 p.m. Oct. 5.

Zoostock, a one-day music festival that draws inspiration from the famed Woodstock music festival, is set for 5-9 p.m. Saturday, July 26, at Lehigh Valley Zoo.

At 7:30 p.m. Saturday, July 19, Copeland will headline ArtsQuest's Blast Furnace Blues Festival, performing on the Levitt Pavilion SteelStacks stage. The concert and festival are free.