We’re so lucky here in Wisconsin to be blessed with tons of amazing green space. From small squares to much larger parks, we’ve got a ton of awesome outdoor area to enjoy when the weather is nice.
One of the best ways to do that is to gather up some friends and family, a picnic basket and some chairs and take in some music. We love a summer concert series here and nearly every city and town has options in the evening or during the lunch hour for you to get outside and enjoy the arts.
Most every music series listed below is free, though a few do have a charge. Here are 16 of the best outdoor summer concert series where you can hang out, relax and let the warm weather and music wash over you.
- Concerts on the Square - Wausau
Facebook/WausauEvents On Wednesdays starting this week and lasting through August 23, the 400 Block in Wausau is transformed from 6 pm to 8 pm with free live music. Bring yourself dinner or get something to go from one of the food trucks that will line the street. Then settle in for a great night of music. Check out their website for more information and a list of acts.
- Gazebo Musikk - Stoughton
Facebook/GazeboMusikk On Thursdays from 6:00 pm to 7:30pm in Stoughton’s Rotary Park, you’ll hear live music all the way through the end of August. Bring a chair and a friend and prepare to let all your stress float away on the breeze. Check out their website for more information and a list of acts.
- Sunset Music Series - Madison
Facebook/SunsetMusicSeries This is one of the series that charges, but $5 gets you an amazing concert at the East Side Club right on the shores of Lake Monona on select Thursday evenings. Check out their website for more information and a list of acts.
- Chill on the Hill - Bayview
Facebook/cothbvna Milwaukee has weeknight concert series in nearly every suburb, but this one in Bayview is one of the best. Every Tuesday starting at 6 pm in Humboldt Park you’ll hear a wide variety of music and it will feel like the whole town is there. Food truck line the street and you’ll have a blast relaxing on the hill. Check out their website for more information and a list of acts.
- Heid Music Summer Concert Series - Appleton
Facebook/DowntownAppleton Appleton doubles down by having music at lunch time and in the evening on Thursdays. Houdini Plaza is the place to be. Thursday evenings from 5:30 pm to 8:30 pm, come early to nab a chair or bring your own blanket and settle in for a great night. Local businesses stay open later, there’s plenty of food to choose from and of course, great music. Check out their website for more information and a list of acts.
- Concerts By the Lake - Bayfield
Bayfield.Org Bayfield has two options when it comes to outdoor concerts. There’s a free series on Tuesdays in Lakeside Memorial Park that starts at 7 pm and begins this week and runs until the day after Labor Day. If it rains, they move to the Madeline Island Ferry Terminal. It’s all very casual and relaxed, so bring a chair or blanket and settle in with some friends.
They also have a series of concerts that move locations around the city and have a $10 recommended donation. These Chamber Music concerts are an amazing way to see some more of the city.
Check out their website for more information and a list of acts.
- Jazz in the Park - Milwaukee
Facebook/JazzinthePark Milwaukee love an outdoor concert and the ones in Cathedral Square might out-do them all. Folks go all out for Jazz in the Park and you’ll see some elaborate, portable set-ups pop up as folks treat this like a mini-white tablecloth event. Take note - you’ll definitely see some ingenious ideas and products you’ll end up wanting to buy yourself. Concerts take place Thursday evenings, 6pm-9pm from June 2 through September 1.
Check out their website for more information and a list of acts.
- Summer in the Park Concert Series - Green Bay
Facebook/DowntownGreenBay On Wednesdays in Klipstine Park from 11:30 am to 2:00 pm, Green Bay hosts summer concert series with a wide variety of styles. Bring your lunch and snag a picnic table or get something from one of the local vendors.
Check out their website for more information and a list of acts.
- Moon Tunes - La Crosse
Facebook/MoonTunesLaCrosse Spend a few carefree summer nights in La Crosse’s Riverside Park. Most Thursdays from 5:30 pm to 8:00 pm, you’ll find great live music among a big group of friends. Come early and nab a spot on one of the benches or bring a blanket and relax on the grass.
Check out their website for more information and a list of acts.
- Summer Sounds - Cedarburg
Facebook/SummerSoundsCedarburg It usually feels like the whole of Cedarburg is in Cedar Creek Park on Friday nights and the atmosphere is a bit more concert than picnic, but it’s pretty awesome the city brings in some popular acts and puts on a show. Music starts at 6:30 pm and lasts until 10:00 pm. Bring a chair and desire to boogie.
Check out their website for more information and a list of acts.
- Levitt AMP Music Series - Sheboygan
Facebook/jmkac These folks are sponsoring concert series in 13 states this summer and Wisconsin is home to two of them. In Sheboygan, the music is at the John Michael Kohler Arts Center Festival Green at 6:00 pm most Thursdays from June 22 through Aug. 24. It’s a gorgeous location and a heck of a show.
Check out their website for more information and a list of acts.
- Music By the Lake - Lake Geneva
Facebook/MusicBytheLake One of the series that costs money and requires a ticket, this awesome set of shows take place in the beautiful Ferro Pavillion. Get yourself seats under the awning or plan to pack a picinic and hang out on the lawn. Tickets go fast, so check out their website for more information and a list of acts.
- Concerts and Movies in the Park - Sister Bay
CometoSisterBay.org One of the most gorgeous settings for a summer series is the Sister Bay stage. With the water right at your back and some gorgeous views of the setting sun, this park is worth the trip all on it’s own. Then the city doubles down by offering both free music and free movies int he park. The concerts are on most Wednesday eveningg starting and 6 pm. Movies are on Saturday evenings beginning at dusk.
Check out their website for more information and a list of acts.
- Levitt AMP Music Series - Stevens Point
Facebook/CreatePortageCounty These folks are sponsoring concert series in 13 states this summer and Wisconsin is home to two of them. In Stevens Point, the music is at Pfiffner Park. The dates vary, so make sure to check out their website for more information and a list of acts.
- Sounds like Summer - Eau Claire
Facebook/VisitEauClaire Sure, they do a bigger music festival that’s a bit younger and rowdier, but now that’s passed and this series is a perfect, relaxing summer break for locals on Thursdays from 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm at Phoenix Park. An artmobile and a whole list of great food vendors make this the perfect summer evening.
Check out their website for more information and a list of acts.
Looking for more summer ideas? Check out The 19 Places You Should Go In Wisconsin In 2017.
Facebook/WausauEvents
On Wednesdays starting this week and lasting through August 23, the 400 Block in Wausau is transformed from 6 pm to 8 pm with free live music. Bring yourself dinner or get something to go from one of the food trucks that will line the street. Then settle in for a great night of music. Check out their website for more information and a list of acts.
Facebook/GazeboMusikk
On Thursdays from 6:00 pm to 7:30pm in Stoughton’s Rotary Park, you’ll hear live music all the way through the end of August. Bring a chair and a friend and prepare to let all your stress float away on the breeze. Check out their website for more information and a list of acts.
Facebook/SunsetMusicSeries
This is one of the series that charges, but $5 gets you an amazing concert at the East Side Club right on the shores of Lake Monona on select Thursday evenings. Check out their website for more information and a list of acts.
Facebook/cothbvna
Milwaukee has weeknight concert series in nearly every suburb, but this one in Bayview is one of the best. Every Tuesday starting at 6 pm in Humboldt Park you’ll hear a wide variety of music and it will feel like the whole town is there. Food truck line the street and you’ll have a blast relaxing on the hill. Check out their website for more information and a list of acts.
Facebook/DowntownAppleton
Appleton doubles down by having music at lunch time and in the evening on Thursdays. Houdini Plaza is the place to be. Thursday evenings from 5:30 pm to 8:30 pm, come early to nab a chair or bring your own blanket and settle in for a great night. Local businesses stay open later, there’s plenty of food to choose from and of course, great music. Check out their website for more information and a list of acts.
Bayfield.Org
Bayfield has two options when it comes to outdoor concerts. There’s a free series on Tuesdays in Lakeside Memorial Park that starts at 7 pm and begins this week and runs until the day after Labor Day. If it rains, they move to the Madeline Island Ferry Terminal. It’s all very casual and relaxed, so bring a chair or blanket and settle in with some friends.
They also have a series of concerts that move locations around the city and have a $10 recommended donation. These Chamber Music concerts are an amazing way to see some more of the city.
Check out their website for more information and a list of acts.
Facebook/JazzinthePark
Milwaukee love an outdoor concert and the ones in Cathedral Square might out-do them all. Folks go all out for Jazz in the Park and you’ll see some elaborate, portable set-ups pop up as folks treat this like a mini-white tablecloth event. Take note - you’ll definitely see some ingenious ideas and products you’ll end up wanting to buy yourself. Concerts take place Thursday evenings, 6pm-9pm from June 2 through September 1.
Check out their website for more information and a list of acts.
Facebook/DowntownGreenBay
On Wednesdays in Klipstine Park from 11:30 am to 2:00 pm, Green Bay hosts summer concert series with a wide variety of styles. Bring your lunch and snag a picnic table or get something from one of the local vendors.
Check out their website for more information and a list of acts.
Facebook/MoonTunesLaCrosse
Spend a few carefree summer nights in La Crosse’s Riverside Park. Most Thursdays from 5:30 pm to 8:00 pm, you’ll find great live music among a big group of friends. Come early and nab a spot on one of the benches or bring a blanket and relax on the grass.
Check out their website for more information and a list of acts.
Facebook/SummerSoundsCedarburg
It usually feels like the whole of Cedarburg is in Cedar Creek Park on Friday nights and the atmosphere is a bit more concert than picnic, but it’s pretty awesome the city brings in some popular acts and puts on a show. Music starts at 6:30 pm and lasts until 10:00 pm. Bring a chair and desire to boogie.
Check out their website for more information and a list of acts.
Facebook/jmkac
These folks are sponsoring concert series in 13 states this summer and Wisconsin is home to two of them. In Sheboygan, the music is at the John Michael Kohler Arts Center Festival Green at 6:00 pm most Thursdays from June 22 through Aug. 24. It’s a gorgeous location and a heck of a show.
Check out their website for more information and a list of acts.
Facebook/MusicBytheLake
One of the series that costs money and requires a ticket, this awesome set of shows take place in the beautiful Ferro Pavillion. Get yourself seats under the awning or plan to pack a picinic and hang out on the lawn. Tickets go fast, so check out their website for more information and a list of acts.
CometoSisterBay.org
One of the most gorgeous settings for a summer series is the Sister Bay stage. With the water right at your back and some gorgeous views of the setting sun, this park is worth the trip all on it’s own. Then the city doubles down by offering both free music and free movies int he park. The concerts are on most Wednesday eveningg starting and 6 pm. Movies are on Saturday evenings beginning at dusk.
Check out their website for more information and a list of acts.
Facebook/CreatePortageCounty
These folks are sponsoring concert series in 13 states this summer and Wisconsin is home to two of them. In Stevens Point, the music is at Pfiffner Park. The dates vary, so make sure to check out their website for more information and a list of acts.
Facebook/VisitEauClaire
Sure, they do a bigger music festival that’s a bit younger and rowdier, but now that’s passed and this series is a perfect, relaxing summer break for locals on Thursdays from 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm at Phoenix Park. An artmobile and a whole list of great food vendors make this the perfect summer evening.
Check out their website for more information and a list of acts.
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