'What a comeback year': Milwaukee's Summerfest trumpets rebound in 2023 with 3 sellout shows

The Big Gig pulled off a big turnaround according to those who oversee Milwaukee's Summerfest.

"What a comeback year," said Mary Ellen Stanek, chair of Milwaukee World Festival Inc., as she opened Thursday's board meeting to review the summer season.

Final financial accounting is due later this year but all signs point to the healthiest season at Henry Maier Festival Park since the pandemic. Summerfest was canceled in 2020 with smaller crowds than usual the following two years.

The nonprofit that shepherds Summerfest said it will top 2023 budget projections for overall sales, sponsorship revenue, exhibitor revenue, private party revenue and corporate tickets. In all, the event had 59 corporate sponsors.

Previously, the organization reported a 40% boost in attendance from 2022, with 624,407 people walking through the turnstiles.

There were three Summerfest sellouts in the American Family Insurance Amphitheater: Imagine Dragons, Zac Brown Band and Zach Bryan. Reserve seating was sold out for six Summerfest shows in the BMO Harris Pavilion.

"It was an exceptional Summerfest," said Don Smiley, Milwaukee World Festival CEO. "It was great after the last couple of years that we’ve had. For a festival to last and grow for 55 years is simply tremendous."

Additionally, there were two sold-out non-Summerfest shows, Jelly Roll and The Lumineers.

Scott Ziel, vice president of entertainment, said the organization has been working on next year's lineup for several months.

"We should be having some amphitheater announcements sometime this fall," he said. "Stay tuned."

In 2024, Summerfest will stick to the three-weekend format: June 20 to 22, June 27 to 29, and July 4 to 6.

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Milwaukee's Summerfest trumpets rebound in 2023 with 3 sellouts