This year I went to go see Flo rida. It got pretty packed fast but you were still able to hear the music and enjoy the show. To drink, I got the Door County Cherry Vodka Lemonade. It was pricey but it got the job done so worth it! I noticed that they had a happy Thursday stand so you didn't have to wait at the bar. They had different sizes and even a pouch so thats nice. My friend and I got some walking tacos to top off out night. The well seasoned meat, chips, and toppings in a bag were everything we needed. While walking tacos saved us, I'm sure you can find something for you if you're not craving that. read more

Kids day at summerfest loads of good times and fun. Discounted food freebies and music Scavenger hunt! Daughter got free clear bag and a squishy toy. Pretty happy kiddo experience read more

Summerfest - Dunkin - Festivals Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

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Summerfest is just pure joy. I got to go on day one of the festival this year and the vibes were so high! What I really love about Summerfest (at least on this most recent visit) is that there was still a decent about of people there without it being overly crowded or feeling claustrophobic. We came in the afternoon and wandered the festival grounds, ate some delicious food (shout out saz's!), listened to a couple bands, and visited some shops. My favorite part was hopping on the chairlift and getting to see the festival from up above. The lines for food and drinks were very limited and moved quickly. Since it was day one of the fest, everyone working was in an awesome mood. Summerfest is just the BEST! read more

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Had a great time at summerfest! There is so much to see and do, something for everyone. We decided to drive instead of a shuttle and paid $25 to park which I thought was great. Entry was really quick with good security. Once in the gate there was so much to see. Tons of food, experiences/swag, and music everywhere you turned. The festival grounds are also a nice size spread out so the music is competing but small enough each stage felt like its own area. All the music was great lots of variety. This was a great all ages activity and if you have kids there is a beautiful giant park in the middle. I would love to go back to summerfest! read more

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This festival is so great to have in our community! We are so lucky to have access to amazing music across multiple stages for relatively inexpensive, and sometimes free if you pay attention to the promotions! No matter your music taste, you are bound to find an act to match. Favorite thing to do is grab a Saz's festival sampler platter, and listen to an early act from the bleachers and make some "festival friends ". Tip: bathrooms between the lakefront and Briggs & Stratton Big Backyard stag are usually always line free. read more

Summerfest - Mid-gate - Festivals Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

You know it's summer in the 414 when people follow the smiley face to the Summerfest grounds! All three entry points were open and lines flowed pretty well. One newer development is the clear bag policy, so make sure you get one beforehand, or (like I did) put your essentials in your pocket and purchase a clear bag at the merchandise shop. It seems like a good investment as more festivals are requiring these now. Ample musical acts to enjoy (of course!) among the several stages, plus some favorite spots like the Sil's mini donut locations and the always must-stop at the Lakefront Brewery tent are among the highlights. If you'd rather not drive, check for restaurant shuttles and MCTS bus lines that get you there. Enjoy! read more

Summerfest - A favorite at Summerfest: Sil's mini-donuts! - Festivals Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

My first time going to this festival and my friends showed me a great time. We went on July 4th after the rain stopped. Multiple stages laid out with different performers. Lots of food vendors and food vendors. My friend got us the VIP pass, we were able to go upstairs to the captain's deck and get 3 complimentary drinks. Beer or seltzer was the option. Great place to be when the fireworks went off. Also see the performers across the way. Lots of parking lots and ramps nearby, just have patience for the crowd. There will be lines at every gate. Purse rules do apply, small purses and or daiper bags allowed. Otherwise will need to walk back to the car or rent a locker. There's a daily admission for the day performers and the main stage is another admission. Check for availability. read more

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My friend and I drove up from Chicago for week 3 of Summerfest and we had an amazing time. The venue is right by the water and the grounds are spacious, with ample places to sit down and eat. Food was affordable, but I do wish there were a few more options besides standard fest food. The BMO stadium is where we hung out for most of the evening, and the sound system and light effects were great. Overall, Summerfest offers all the live music you want with little to non hassle getting to the venue. I also appreciated the sanitizer and sunscreen pumps that were scattered across the grounds - it was a nice touch! read more

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Thank you Yelp Chicago for the giveaway tickets to Summerfest! I had a BLAST! There were so many vendors and food options I wanted to eat at them all!! Thanks to T-Mobile we won backstage loft tickets and got front row to see Soulidified and they were amazing. I would recommend going early because less lines + less crowded!! read more

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I LOVE SUMMERFEST! Throwback Thursday (second Thursday) is the best day of the summer! Half price drinks from 12-6, lots of freebies, and live music. It's so easy to get there taking the shuttle from the park n ride. You can't pass up mozzarella sticks from Saz's! read more

Summerfest - Festivals Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Such a beautiful lakeside event space! The festival always has a variety of promotional vendors, a nice variety of food and beverage choices, and a nice selection of quality souvenirs. Of course, there's music for every taste! Plenty of areas to sit down and relax and people watch and enjoy the lakefront. And then there is the sky glider and Ferris wheel to enjoy as well. read more

Summerfest - Festivals Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

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Great weather great music in a great city. I enjoy coming to SummerFest every year. There is music for different tastes. It will not disappoint. You can always find something you like. read more

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As a life-long Milwaukeean, I've had plenty of experiences over the years at the World's Largest Music Festival. I go back and forth on my excitement to attend, because being so large, there can certainly be unruly crowds, wildly long lines, and a bit of chaos. But hey I guess that's any festival! This year we decided to get tickets to a concert at the Amphitheater and walk the grounds beforehand. Honestly overall it was a fantastic night! We were with a group of nine people on a Friday night, and surprisingly it was easy to get through the crowds. We really enjoyed checking out this years vendors scattered about, stopping at various small stages to see the acts, and of course indulging in food and drink. Are prices astronomical, however? Beyond. Definitely be prepared to spend plenty of money - a simple canned beer or slice of pizza will set ya back. I was impressed with how quick the entrance process was on this visit. I feel like the staff was on point keeping things swift, safe, and easy. Parking on the other hand is always a tough one, so highly rec taking a shuttle from a local bar/restaurant (which is what we did). The easiest and cheapest option for sure! It's honestly great to see the tourism this fest brings to Milwaukee, and all of the local love it shares. Definitely puts our wonderful city on the map. read more

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We had a blast at our first Summerfest in Milwaukee! We were able to get free entrance for a promo before 3pm and rallied until the last Flo Rida performance at 10pm. It was awesome to see the venue attract a huge crowd of all ages and a variety of performances - we saw some fun alternative bands with some favorites being The Heavy Heavy and Six Foot Blonde. The festival also featured some local jewelry/clothing stands, kid water splash area, and a Harley Davidson demo booth. Plenty of bathroom that were well kept up. The drinks are all priced the same throughout the venue (about 10-11 for a canned drink) and 18 or 21 for a cocktail. I appreciated the vegetarian options were clearly labeled at most places! This falafel platter though was mid, minimal sauce and should have been called a falafel pita with fries (needed some veg or hummus). Thank you Summerfest for the incredible day and memories! I'm glad they allowed in water this year (sealed plastic) due to the heat and water fountains were located throughout the park. read more

Always always love a night at summerfest. Top tier Milwaukee summer vibes. I have been able to see so many of my favorite artists multiple days in a row with just an entry ticket. So many opportunities to get free tickets from local businesses as well. One of my favorite Milwaukee and favorite music festivals ever! read more

Summerfest is back! I have been coming since I was a kid. If you have never been, go on a day where you know a few artists. Get to listen to some new artists. You might be surprised with the new music you fall in love with. Be sure to try a few different foods. The Sazs sampler is the quintessential classic. The uber drop off is much easier than in previous years. Plus plenty of bars nearby have shuttles! read more

Summerfest is what you make of it. For us, it's evolved over the years! We've gone twice this year for shorter periods of time to see specific bands, one at the BMO pavilion and a few at the U.S. Cellular stage. We enjoyed listening to a few other bands as we walked around. The Latin music day was fun - loved the energy, and people were really enjoying it. Bonus points for having an NA beer option available and easier to locate this year! Lots of great food and drink options available, as always. The very high prices for food and beverages are a bit of a bummer. At least dropping the price of bottled water would be a nice move. Since we know what to expect with prices, we tend to just eat before and then enjoy on something fun vs have our whole meal there, and avoid the super pricey drinks. Our favorite things to do every year are to take stroll by the lakefront, ride the sky glider, enjoy a "famous" Saz's sampler platter together, and of course catch lots of live music. We tend to splurge and park in a well-lit lot close by so it's easy in and easy out, but we've also taken the Connect bus from Tosa in the past. The bar and restaurant shuttles are a great option we will probably explore next year. Downloading the app is great to check out stage schedules and find your favorite eats. We used it for our tickets this year as well. We felt like the grounds were clean, bathrooms were clean and lines weren't too long, and security kept the entry lines moving quickly, and we had a great experience the nights we attended. We'll be back! read more

I always appreciate the thought and coordination that goes in to planning such a massive festival. The staff have to put up with a lot and seem to keep things running even when it's very hot out often and some people can be jerks. We always like the brand activations but bummed when some of them don't show up though posted on the website (Dunkin). It's been a great way to try new things that we don't normally buy. Now I'm addicted to Good Foods who came here a few years in a row. We really miss the speed boat demonstrations and rides you could participate in years past. The food and beverage prices are what you'd expect for a big festival downtown, but some of it is definitely worth it. Tickets are also $30 and don't forget parking! You can cut costs with promo tickets, shuttles, etc. It would be nice to bring in reusable water bottles to try and cut back on waste but I'm sure they have their reasons. I'm never clamoring to go here but when I get free tickets, I'll make the trip. read more

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Been living here for a jaw- dropping , whopping 5 months Had a friends mom come to town specifically for James Taylor. We had tickets purchased in the "tinned fish" bleacher seats. Jason Mraz opened, that was quite fun. I watched James Taylor for a bit. Then... I split off from my group to speed to the exact opposite of the park to see someone perform live for my first time. Lindsey Stirling is a lovely, exquisite, AMAZING sight to watch. She was on So You Think You Can Dance and while dancing plays epic violin music. Such a great night. #Utah read more

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For avid music goers, Summerfest should be on your radar. Summerfest Milwaukee, WI is a festival of music spanning over multiple weekends through June and ends on the July 4th weekend. This is the largest music festival in the country and at one point was the largest music festival in the world. Summerfest has been going on for decades and although late in discovering this, I'm glad we got to experience it. For the cost of a single ticket, cost for this year's Summerfest was in the $30+/pp range, you gain access to the multiple outdoor stage acts within the confines. Only the headlining acts cost extra outside the general admission price. There are multiple food and drink stalls along the path and there is something for everyone. I think the hardest part was trying to figure out who to see and time it right. As for rides, I only know of two which are the Ferris Wheel and the Sky Glider. We opted to take the Sky Glider which is basically a ski lift offering fantastic views of the festival grounds. 2024 Sky Glider pricing has options where you can purchase a round trip ticket for $11.12 or hop on either end of the line and pay the one way cost for $6.67. We chose to walk the entire length of the fest and at the end take the Sky Glider back to the entrance to save us the walk. There's a lot of great opportunities for people watching. People really get creative with their style at festivals and checking out all the fashion on display was pretty awesome. While waiting in between shows, I convinced my husband to do a caricature portrait with a renowned festival artist by the name of Cindy Berglund. I really liked her work and she does a great job doing portrait style caricature art. She had a waitlist of about 2 hours but we got our names in and got a nice keepsake afterwards. I only wished they offered carnival games. I was surprised they didn't offer that in a venue like this. We drove in from Evanston and if you are coming in from Chicago, the drive up is roughly 1.5 hours. We ended up parking in the nearby city garages for about $30 which covered the entire day. I loved the scene overall. Milwaukee folk are super friendly especially here at this fest. So much so we befriended another couple while waiting in line for the Sky Glider. We ended up chatting with them and had lively conversation. If you love music, festivals and fun don't pass up Summerfest! read more

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Could not get into Summerfest today (6/26/26). Wife's bag was less than 1/4" to long. Becky, the North gate supervisor deemed it was more than the 6x9" limit. See the pics and you decide. So we left & not enjoyed anything. Even the police was shaking his head over the issue. Seems she wanted to exert her authority. The bag had been searched and nothing found. Not the intent of the bag search. read more

Summerfest - My measurements are very close to 9". - Festivals Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

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This venue is amazing! So clean and pretty, right on Lake Michigan. There are lots of chairs and sofas overlooking the water where you can relax. mThe food venues did not disappoint either with so many options. The mac and cheese were delicious! Lots of seating around the park so you don't have to stand to eat your food. The music and arenas were great! My only complaint is the price of parking; come on give us a break! $40-$50 just to park daily. Who can afford that? Of course you can park far away for much less but that mean a lot of walking if you are up to trekking. read more

Summerfest - Festivals Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

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So many stages and the rain stopped to catch h 3 different bands!!! Good and drink options everywhere... what a consistent great experience right on the water!!! And yes we had some cheese curds!!!! read more

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Summerfest has be around for 55 years, and I used to look forward to getting to at least one or two days every year. Now I'm only apt to attend if there is a MainStage act that interest me. (This year it was James Taylor) Unfortunately these type of acts are harder to find. This isn't Summerfest fault... it's mine for getting older! And for all the good bands for getting older too! Summerfest really tries to include everyone from Pop to Rock, Hip Hop and Country. But it is truly for the younger population. During the day there are a lot attractions for the very young and families, but as it heads into the evening the teens and 20-30 somethings take over and alcohol definitely shows it's effects. (Which I don't have a problem with... maybe I'm just jealous) The food can be hit and miss. I had a French Dip sandwich for a late lunch which was not good, but later in the evening I had a cheeseburger from the Charcoal Grill which was pretty darn good. Food and alcohol are very pricey so be prepared to spend some $ if you are going to want to eat and drink. Being removed from the 20-30 age group I no longer see Summerfest as an attraction I will put on my "things to do list in Milwaukee during summer". Parking sucks and getting out is even worse. So this year I took the bus from Brown Deer. $10 round trip. (There are other buses too) So worth it! Highly recommend looking into this option. Picked up and dropped off less than a block from the front gate. read more

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This review is specificially for the Level Up (LVL) experience in the Miller Lite Oasis. For $75, the package includes an exclusive seating area, 2 drink vouchers good for Pepsi and select alcoholic products, a bar for purchase, private bathrooms, and general admission to Summerfest. Hands down, it is ABSOLUTELY worth the price if you love one of the bands performing from 7:30pm onward at the Miller stage. The staff are super friendly, and it was nice to actually sit for a concert. My only complaint is that the chairs are not super plus-size friendly and could use some padding. That's just my personal opinion though! There is a couch/lounging area with TVs too if that's more your speed. The biggest thing to note about this area is that seating is first come, first served. There's standing room and tables if all of the chairs on the deck are taken. I also want to add that I attended this alone, so I was nervous about walking back to my vehicle late at night. Wow, was I impressed by Summerfest's commitment to security and traffic control! I felt so safe walking back, and it was extremely easy to commute back to my apartment thanks to the outstanding direction and work of the traffic controllers. Props to Summerfest all around for this experience! read more

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The official last day of Summerfest! No disappointment at the fest. Awesome concert from Neon Trees. Warm and inviting to meet. Overall good energy! My first official stop was the Ethnic Gardens. I strolled upon the Maders restaurant. I selected the German Nachos; a combination of sauerkraut, corned beef, kettle chips & swiss cheese. The HARD ice cream station enticed a few. A feature of Chocolate espresso martini with a shot of chocolate vodka; making people do a double take. Looking forward to visiting next year 2025! I already have tickets. read more

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We had a good time here. Good food, good music and good memories. Don't forget to snap your free Instax photo and get the M&M's chocolate hats while you are here. read more

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One of the rare chances to enjoy one of the country's biggest music festivals right by the lake--while indulging in all your favorite fried foods. P.S. Don't skip the fried Oreos! read more

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How many days did I go to Summerfest in 2022? Six? Seven? I'm gonna say it only once- go back to the old format of 10 days in a row with July 3-4 dark. Locals like to go during the week, a weeknight, a Sunday (I can't believe it's not open on Sundays), and I have more than a couple friends who grew up in Milwaukee but live out of state, who used to come home to visit family for the whole stretch, but now have to choose a weekend, or two at best. That said, I go for the music; beer, food and people watching come after, and 2022 was a good year for music! Definitely get there in time if you want a good "seat", aka aluminum bleacher. A few times I was trying to eke out the last of a set at another stage, and ended up way in the back, SRO! I'm a craft beer lover, so I head to Lakefront Brewery for their 4pm daily Firkin specialty tap, and also enjoy Terrapins. Food is about the same as ever, but Botanas steak tacos really hit the spot, a Saz sampler, Robbie's corn. My Chicago friends love this festival, so Milwaukeeans, don't take it for granted! Did 2020 teach you nothing! Summerfest- it's our World's Largest Music Festival! read more

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Had the pleasure of attending this event on 9/11/21. The atmosphere of being near the shore and the setup to hold 7-8 stages and multiple vendors for products, food, music, merchandise, Etc. It exceeded my expectations. Here for the music; mainly Iration and 311 and enjoyed so many more bands than I expected such as Iya Terra and Tank and the Bangas. Other bands such as Ke$ha, Buckcherry, and ZZ Top performs as well. For the large amount of bands performing for the three day weekend, you couldn't go wrong with it. GA admission for one day was only $26 that I paid, well worth it! Very impressed and I look forward to what the 2022 lineup is. One of the better music festivals I attended and another reason why MKE rocks the summer! read more

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Terrible experience before I even attended! Bought tickets to see Chicago this year as Ticketmaster indicated 7:30 start time. Noticed the concert will actually start at 9:30 which is too late for us. When I asked what happened organizer indicated Ticket master web site was and still is wrong. So figured to try to salvage the event we could go later as we have pre paid parking. Now I see lots do not hold pre reserved parking spaces and just sell out. What's the point of pre paid? I guess I should have believed friends telling me it's a horrible event. I guess I'll have to eat the $250 and chalk it up to a horrible Milwaukee experience read more

First, I've been coming here for 30 years. And have always enjoyed the experience. But I'm here listening to young gravy with my daughter. None of us can understand him except when we know the words to the song. Too bad, I might've been a bigger fan read more

This is one of my favorite festivals. Tip shaming and entrance fees are out of hand! These activities really put a downside to Summerfest.

Summerfest is great if you want to get cancer. Smoking is allowed there so you have everything from cigars to weed blunts there polluting the air! Not for kids folks. Oh and don't get me started on the nasty food. Disgusting. read more

Had a great time,went on Friday before the fourth , we found it on Groupon for twenty dollars less. Was a fairly nice day. Sampled the food . Very long lines. I had a sub and ordered cheese fries which were excellent. Tried funnel cake. What's not to like about funnel cake. Delicious dusted with powdered sugar and a crispy hot dough. Yum I should learn how to make that, Corn on the cob was so sweet didn't need anything. I came back the next week on a Friday . Great parking spot, Relatively near the entrance. Upon entering there were a lot of people but the lines moved really quickly I logged in from Groupon very good sale it was $20 off a ticket. This time when I came back the mood was a little different though you had to go through a metal detector probably due to the awful occurrence that happened in Highland Park on the fourth. One thing that I wanted to try for sure was a turkey leg that I saw someone eating last week. Was very tender excellent was hoping it would have some kind of sauce on it when I went back to get some more napkins I saw barbecue sauce in the condiment section that I completely missed. But I'll tell you what it was still really really good. It's kind of a good walk and it was really really crowded so I saw the what was that some kind of a sky cap and you get in and you go over the park and see everything from an aerial view that's a really great way to kind of get your bearings and see where you want to go. I wanna come back to the ground and try Italian fest it's so nice and it's pretty you're near the water lots to do good bands, good food I should stay in Milwaukee over the weekend it's kind of a cool town. read more

Summerfest - Smoked Turkey leg. - Festivals Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

I always love a summerfest outing! I prefer to go during the day or late afternoons because the lake is so beautiful and it is much less busy (and less high schoolers ). I love all of the craft beer selections too. Of course, since it is a concert venue - beers are about $10 a can or pour. We were able to find a stand that had beers that were $6 - which was RARE. Pro tip - look on their website for daily promotions! We donated children's books & got free tickets. They have different promotions everyday. In addition, take a bus shuttle if you live near or in the city. Lots of bars around the city have free shuttles when you purchase a drink. If you haven't been to summerfest - you should! Even if there isn't a band you ABSOLUTELY love, it is just fun to walk around. read more

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I haven't been to Summerfest honesty in 10 years. It was our first post pandemic concert. I've seen hundreds of acts here over the decades. It's a cool place to check out people and people watch. Bring your debit card. It's cashless..and expensive. We aren't big drinkers but drinks are crazy expensive $10 to $20 for cocktails. We brought pocket shots. A large lemonade was nearly $9.00. We wanted eggplant strips at 9.75. Delish! We didn't make it back to Sazs for the combo app plate and I didn't see Martino's hotdogs inside the Amphitheater.They did have concessions with nachos and hot dogs inside Bottles of soda were $4.50 minus the cap and pretzels with cheese $9.00. I probably spent about $60 on not all that much for my daughter and I. We liked the new seating and got a free upgrade from.bleachers to row G in covered seats. The raised roof gives room for the bigger shows to come in. Halsey had a huge projection story being told. Sound was great. Loud enough but my ears didn't ring. This was my first event not being masked. I'm giving it to a three for overall value. There is no way you could bring a family here without dropping a few hundred bucks. I'm also not crazy about the weekend only format as I work every weekend. Before you could check out several shows throughout the week. read more

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The bartenders were very rude and questioned my ID, nearly snapped it in half. They questioned me so much in a disrespectful and condescending tone. Staff is very rude. read more

Great fun planning who to see each year. Highly recommend catching some of the outstanding tribute bands, Substitute (Who), Church of Cash (J Cash), and Headley Grange (Zeppelin). Loved finally catching George Thorogood, DEVO, and Chicago. Can't wait for 2026. read more

Horrible experience today. Friends came for BABYMETAL, had trouble getting wristbands just to "stay in the pit" even though they paid, then staff yelled at them to get out as soon as BABYMETAL started for no reason. Uncooperative, rude, and kicked them out for absolutely no reason--I would not reccommend this festival, the staff appear to be unintelligent, abhorrent and did not help in finding a way to stay in the pit at all. They did not use kind language with those who waited all day and it was a horrible experience. I hope they never have a headliner as good as BABYMETAL again. read more