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Summerfest pre-party: Garth Brooks 2nd show
Garth Brooks is performing at the American Family Insurance Amphitheater on Wednesday night.
MILWAUKEE - Ahead of Summerfest's opening day, country star Garth Brooks kicked off the festivities with a pre-party on Tuesday, June 16. Brooks will return to the stage for a second show on Wednesday night, June 17.
Garth Brooks concert
What we know:
Brooks will take the stage at 7:30 p.m. at the American Family Insurance Amphitheater. Tuesday's concert marked Brooks' first performance at the Summerfest grounds and his first show in the Milwaukee area since 2015.
Brooks’ Tuesday and Wednesday concerts are the only shows he has announced in America for the entire year.
Garth Brooks at Thunder Valley on July 27, 2025 in Boerne, Texas. (Photo by Erika Goldring/Getty Images for Strait To The Heart)
"Seeing everyone come in from out of state – it really just expands the reach of all of our small businesses so this is a great opportunity to be on a huge platform and a huge stage – just like Garth Brooks," said Gracie Coviello with Howdy Hat Bar. "So it’s an awesome opportunity to meet all these new people."
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Economic impact
What we know:
Garth Brooks is bringing a major tourism boost to town. According to Visit Milwaukee, nearly 50% of fans attending his two shows are coming from out of state, driving a year-over-year spike in midweek hotel reservations.
Summerfest 2026 runs across three weekends: June 18-20, June 25-27 and July 2-4.
Southeast Wisconsin: Severe storms possible on Wednesday
Keep an eye on the sky this Wednesday—we might see some strong to severe storms rolling in during the afternoon and evening.
The Source: The information in this post was provided by Milwaukee World Festival, Inc. and Visit Milwaukee.