ArtsQuest has announced the first Musikfest 2026 headliner, Bailey Zimmerman, will be coming to the Wind Creek Steel Stage at PNC Plaza on Aug. 6.

This concert is being sponsored by PenTeleData and Yuengling Flight and presented with media partner Cat Country 96.

Ticket access begins Friday for the general public at ArtsQuest.org.

Hailing from Louisville, Illinois, multi-platinum singer-songwriter Bailey Zimmerman has quickly become one of country music’s brightest stars, known for his authentic, gritty sound and chart-topping hits.

After gaining attention on social media in 2020, he shot to fame with the viral success of “Fall in Love,” becoming the fastest debut country artist in over a decade to reach No. 1 on Billboard’s Country Airplay chart.

His 2023 debut album Religiously. The Album. made history with the biggest streaming debut for a country album ever, featuring four consecutive No. 1 singles, including the 4x-Platinum “Fall in Love” and the 5x-Platinum six-week No. 1 “Rock And A Hard Place,” debuting at #3 on Top Country Albums and #7 on the Billboard 200.

Zimmerman continued his rapid rise with 2024 singles like “Holy Smokes,” “Holding On” and “New To Country,” and in August 2025, released his sophomore album Different Night Same Rodeo, which includes the Luke Combs collaboration “Backup Plan” and several hit singles.

A multiple award nominee, Zimmerman has captivated audiences on Good Morning America, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon and the ACMs, while earning praise from Forbes, Rolling Stone, Variety, Billboard and more, cementing his status as one of country music’s fastest-rising stars.

Musikfest is an 11-day festival featuring over 500 free performances across 16 stages located throughout both the north and south-sides of Bethlehem.

The 43rd Musikfest is scheduled for July 31 to Aug. 9, 2026.

The Musikfest 2026 poster artist is painter and illustrator Doug Boehm. The 2026 design holds added significance as the nation prepares to celebrate America 250, the semi-quincentennial of the United States.

For more information about the festival, visit artsquest.org/musikfest.