Musikfest 2020 kicks off this Friday: Everything you should know
BETHLEHEM, Pennsylvania (WPVI) -- Musikfest 2020 kicks off Friday, and organizers have found a way to bring some of the shows live to fans right at the SteelStacks in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.
Most of the 100 shows will be live-streaming and televised during the 10-day festival. Five live concerts will take place as part of their outdoor dining experience.
They will accommodate up to 250 people in person in front of the ArtsQuest Center, with tables of four people in the same party.
Some other staples will also remain, even as they pivot in the pandemic.
"It's going to conclude, just like every Musikfest, with a live fireworks display taking place at 10 p.m. on Sunday, August 9," says organizer Mark Demko. "We're very excited, but obviously things are different this year. Everything is built around safe social distancing and mask wearing, but we're really excited that we could do this at all this year. Originally, it was looking like we weren't going to be able to have any in-person elements."
They're also bringing in their top 10 food vendors.
They didn't want this year to go by without opening the SteelStacks, which normally draws more than a million people to Bethlehem each summer.
Musikfest runs July 31 to August 9.
MUSIKFEST SCHEDULE
The 2020 festival includes five distinct musical components:
VIRTUAL MUSIKFEST
Hours: Starts at 7 p.m. each night
Featuring 40 different artists - four each night - from around the globe. Headliners include:
Robert Randolph
KT Tunstall
Adam Weiner of Low Cut Connie
Michael Glabicki of Rusted Root
Reverend Horton Heat
Devon Gilfillian
Scythian
Kat Wright Trio
Igor & the Red Elvises
Craig Thatcher & Nyke van Wyk
SERVICE ELECTRIC CONCERTS
Hours for live shows on Service Electric: July 31 and Aug. 3-7 starting at 5 p.m. (special 5:30 p.m. start Aug. 4) and Aug. 1-2 and 8-9 starting at noon
Shows streamed on Musikfest.org Aug. 3-11
Musikfest partner Service Electric Cable TV and Communications is hosting nearly 40 artists from its studios including Alexis P. Suter, Igor & the Red Elvises, Cinnamon Jones & Eternal Soul and Seth Witcher. Shows will air live on Service Electric Cable TV Channel 2 and then stream on musikfest.org.
MARTIN GUITAR JAM IN PLACE
Hours: July 31-Aug. 9, 6:30 p.m.
Special 6 p.m. start on Aug. 1 and 8
Showcasing dynamic Martin Guitar artists including two-time GRAMMY-winning performer Shawn Camp, former American Idol contestant Lauren Mascitti and number-one Texas country artist Bri Bagwell.
XPN FREE AT NOON
Noon daily
WXPN Radio is partnering with Musikfest to share a daily curated playlist of some of its favorite XPN Free at Noon shows. Artists include Citizen Cope, The Pretenders, Jonny Lang, The Pixies and more. Check out the schedule at www.musikfest.org/lineup/schedule/.
LIVE SHOWS AT STEELSTACKS
ArtsQuest is offering outdoor dining on the Air Products Town Square & Levitt Pavilion lawn the first weekend, July 31-Aug. 1, and final weekend, Aug. 7-9, of the festival. The SteelStacks campus will open at 6 p.m. each night, with live music starting at 7 p.m.
Guests who want to attend Musikfest 2020 in person must reserve a table on the Air Products Town Square - where bands will perform on the Highmark Blue Shield Community Stage - or one of the 6' x 6' spots on the Levitt Pavilion lawn, perfect for putting out a blanket or lawn chairs to enjoy the music performances from the Highmark Blue Shield Community Stage via the Levitt Pavilion outdoor screen. Reservations can be made at www.musikfest.org.
The complete lineup and dinner reservation prices during Musikfest are as follows:
July 31, 7 p.m.
The Uptown Band
$30 Town Square Table/$10 Levitt Pavilion Spot
August 1, 7 p.m.
The BRUCE Show
$40 Town Square Table/$15 Levitt Pavilion Spot
August 7, 7 p.m.
Craig Thatcher Band
$40 Town Square Table/$15 Levitt Pavilion Spot
August 8, 7 p.m.
Hector Rosado Orchestra
$20 Town Square Table/$10 Levitt Pavilion Spot
August 9, 7 p.m.
Danielle Ponder
$30 Town Square Table/$15 Levitt Pavilion Spot
