Summer music highlights of 2026

Summer is the time to enjoy live music, indoors and out. Scroll through our gallery of some of 2026’s leading musical acts, featuring images by CBS News photojournalist Jake Barlow and photographers Ed Spinelli and Kirstine Walton.   

Pictured: Bruce Springsteen performed at the United Center in Chicago for his Land of Hope and Dreams American Tour, April 29, 2026.

Ed Sheeran

Ed Sheeran brought his Loop Tour to Chicago’s Soldier Field on Sat., June 27, 2026. 

Ed Sheeran

Ed Sheeran’s setlist at Soldier Field featured 26 songs plus encores (including “Castle on the Hill,” “Don’t,” “Thinking Out Loud,” “Afterglow” and “Shape of You”). 

Godsmack

Godsmack, hailing from Massachusetts, with lead vocalist/guitarist Sully Erna, came to the Credit Union 1 Amphitheatre in Tinley Park, Ill., on Sat., June 20, 2026, as part of their North American “Rise of Rock” tour.

Godsmack

Sam Kolton of Godsmack, at the Credit Union 1 Amphitheatre in Tinley Park, Ill., June 20, 2026. 

Stone Temple Pilots

Opening for Godsmack in Tinley Park were the Stone Temple Pilots, featuring bassist Robert DeLeo and vocalist Jeff Gutt.

Summerfest 2026

Wisconsin’s annual Summerfest hosted 600 performers on ten stages along the Milwaukee lakefront this year, with shows running over three weekends in June and July. Among the artists playing rock, country, jazz, punk and pop were 176 making their festival debuts.

Festival officials told CBS Station WDJT that Summerfest 2026 drew more than 613,000 attendees, nearly half of whom traveled from outside Wisconsin.

Echo & the Bunnymen

Opening day of Summerfest, Thursday, June 18, saw 47 acts, including Echo & the Bunnymen. Hailing from Liverpool, England, the rock group’s setlist featured “Nothing Lasts Forever” and “Bring On the Dancing Horses.”

Alejandro Escovedo

Rock musician Alejandro Escovedo performed at Summerfest in Milwaukee, Thurs., June 18, 2026. His most recent album (his 19th) is 2024’s “Echo Dancing.”

Post Sex Nachos

From Nashville, the band Post Sex Nachos performed at Summerfest in Milwaukee, Thurs., June 18, 2026. Their upcoming album “Big Bad” will be released in September. 

Morgan St. Jean

Morgan St. Jean performed songs from her recent EP “Girlhood,” including “For the Girls” and “Happy Breakup,” at Summerfest in Milwaukee, Thurs., June 18, 2026.

Dora Jar

Singer-songwriter Dora Jar performed songs from her recent debut album “No Way To Relax When You Are On Fire,” including “Timelapse,” “Ragdoll,” and “Puppet,” at Summerfest in Milwaukee, Thurs., June 18, 2026.

The Dream Syndicate

The alternative rock band The Dream Syndicate performed at Summerfest in Milwaukee, Thurs., June 18, 2026.

Modern English

From England, the new wave post-punk rock Modern English (featuring Robbie Grey) performed at Summerfest in Milwaukee, Thurs., June 18, 2026.

Nicholas Tremulis

Chicago singer-songwriter Nicholas Tremulis performed with The Prodigals at Summerfest in Milwaukee, Thurs., June 18, 2026.

Hunny

Jason Yarger, performing as Hunny, appeared at Summerfest in Milwaukee, Thurs., June 18, 2026. His most recent album is 2025’s “Spirit!”

Tash Sultana

Australian singer-songwriter-instrumentalist Tash Sultana performed at Summerfest in Milwaukee, Thurs., June 18, 2026. Their most recent EP was 2025’s “Return to the Roots.”

Aldo Nova

Day Two of Summerfest in Milwaukee featured Aldo Nova (Canadian rock musician Aldo Caporuscio).

Steph Strings

Australian singer and songwriter Steph Strings performed at Summerfest, Friday, June 19, 2026, in Milwaukee. Her 2026 debut album is “Feel Alive.”

Deer Tick

The alt-rock band Deer Tick performed at Summerfest, Friday, June 19, 2026, in Milwaukee. Their 10th studio album is this year’s “Coin-O-Matic.”

Styx

Styx, featuring Tommy Shaw, performed at Summerfest, Friday, June 19, 2026, in Milwaukee. The rock band’s setlist included “Come Sail Away,” “Mr. Roboto,” “Lady,” “The Best of Times” and “Too Much Time On My Hands.”

Father John Misty

Father John Misty (a persona of Joshua Michael Tillman) appeared at Summerfest, Friday, June 19, 2026, in Milwaukee. His setlist included songs from his 2024 album “Mahashmashana,” including “I Guess Time Just Makes Fools of Us All” and “Josh Tillman and the Accidental Dose.”

Cameron Whitcomb

Canadian singer-songwriter Cameron Whitcomb performed at Summerfest, Friday, June 19, 2026, in Milwaukee. His most recent release is the 2026 EP “Deep Water.”

Amyl and the Sniffers

The Australian punk band Amyl and the Sniffers (featuring lead singer Amy Taylor) performed at Summerfest, Friday, June 19, 2026, in Milwaukee. Their setlist included “U Should Not Be Doing That,” which earned the group its first Grammy nomination this year.

David Lee Roth

The third day of Summerfest’s opening weekend featured legendary rocker David Lee Roth, on his Don’t Love Me, Rent Me Tour, Sat., June 20, 2026, in Milwaukee. The former lead singer of Van Halen performed such hits as “Dance the Night Away,” “Hot For Teacher,” “You Really Got Me,” and “Jump.”

Carín León

Singer-songwriter Carín León was Summerfest’s first regional Mexican headliner, Sat., June 20, 2026, in Milwaukee. His latest album, “Muda,” was released in May.

Red Leather

Red Leather, an anonymous performer who has more than 1.5 million followers on TikTok, performed at Summerfest, Sat., June 20, 2026, in Milwaukee.

Lisa Loeb

The second weekend of Milwaukee’s Summerfest featured Grammy-winning singer-songwriter Lisa Loeb, Thurs., June 25, 2026. Her setlist included “Stay (I Missed You),” “I Do,” “Do You Sleep?,” and “Taffy.”

Booker T. Jones

Musician Booker T. Jones, formerly the frontman of Booker T. & the M.G.’s, performed at Summerfest, Thurs., June 25, 2026, in Milwaukee.

Myles Smith

British singer Myles Smith (whose debut album, “My Mess, My Heart, My Life,” was released last month), performed at Summerfest, Thurs., June 25, 2026, in Milwaukee.

Robert Randolph & The Family Band

Robert Randolph & The Family Band, a Grammy-winning gospel group from New Jersey, performed at Summerfest, Thurs., June 25, 2026, in Milwaukee.

Kim Gordon

Singer Kim Gordon, formerly of Sonic Youth, performed at Summerfest, Thurs., June 25, 2026, in Milwaukee. Her latest solo album is the 2026 release “Play Me.”

Subtronics

The DJ Subtronics (electronic producer Jesse Kardon) performed at Summerfest, Thurs., June 25, 2026, in Milwaukee.

Kaleo

The Icelandic blues-rock band Kaleo performed at Summerfest, Thurs., June 25, 2026, in Milwaukee. The group is touring in honor of the 10th anniversary of their multi-platinum album “A/B.”

Cody Johnson

Country singer Cody Johnson performed at Summerfest, Fri., June 26, 2026, in Milwaukee. His setlist included “‘Til You Can’t,” “The Fall,” “I’m Gonna Love You,” and “With You I Am.” His latest album is “Banks of the Trinity.”

Louis Tomlinson

English singer-songwriter Louis Tomlinson performed at Summerfest, Fri., June 26, 2026, in Milwaukee. His latest album is “How Did I Get Here?”

Greg Koch & The Koch Marshall Trio

Greg Koch & The Koch Marshall Trio (featuring Greg’s son Dylan on drums and Toby Lee Marshall on keyboard) performed at Summerfest, Fri., June 26, 2026, in Milwaukee.

The Marcus King Band

From South Carolina, The Marcus King Band performed at Summerfest, Fri., June 26, 2026, in Milwaukee. Their fourth album, from 2025, was “Darling Blue.”

Carter Faith

Country singer-songwriter Carter Faith performed at Summerfest, Sat., June 27, 2026, in Milwaukee. Her debut album was 2025’s “Cherry Valley.”

Tracy Bonham

A classically-trained violinist, pianist and vocalist, Tracy Bonham is a two-time Grammy-nominated alternative rock musician who has released 13 albums and EPs. She performed at Summerfest, Sat., June 27, 2026, in Milwaukee.

Soulidified

The boy band Soulidified performed at Summerfest, Sat., June 27, 2026, in Milwaukee.

Maris

Singer-songwriter Maris (Maris Maddux-Ward) performed at Summerfest, Sat., June 27, 2026, in Milwaukee. Her setlist included songs from her upcoming EP, including “MOSH ★ PIT” and “Body Is On Fire.”

Audrey Nuna

The singer and rapper Audrey Nuna (the stage name of Audrey Chu), the singing voice for the character Mira in “KPop Demon Hunters,” performed at Summerfest, Sat., June 27, 2026, in Milwaukee.

Little Feat

The rock-jazz-jam band Little Feat, which has gone through several iterations since originally forming in 1969, performed at Summerfest, Sat., June 27, 2026, in Milwaukee. (Pictured: instrumentalist Fred Tackett.) Last year they released their 30th album, “Strike Up the Band.”

Børns

Garrett Clark Borns, who performs under the name Børns, appeared at Summerfest, Sat., June 27, 2026, in Milwaukee. His setlist included “Electric Love,” “God Save Our Young Blood,” and “American Money.”

Wolfmother

Wolfmother, a hard rock band from Australia (guitarist Andrew Stockdale, drummer Brett Wolfenden, and bassist James Wassenaar), performed on their 20th anniversary tour at Summerfest, Sat., June 27, 2026, in Milwaukee. Their setlist included “White Unicorn,” “Love Train,” “Mind’s Eye” and “Witchcraft.”

Living Colour

The third and final weekend of Summerfest in Milwaukee featured, from New York, the Grammy-winning rock band Living Colour, Thurs., July 2, 2026. [Pictured: Vocalist Corey Glover.]

Temper City

Temper City, an alt rock band, performed at Summerfest, Thurs., July 2, 2026, in Milwaukee. Earlier this year, they were the first Israeli band to have a song (“Self Aware”) enter the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, after it went viral on TikTok.

Julia Wolf

Singer, songwriter and producer Julia Jade Capello, who performs as Julia Wolf, appeared at Summerfest, Thurs., July 2, 2026, in Milwaukee. Her setlist included “Kill You Off,” “Deep End,” “In My Room” and “Sunshine State.”

Blondshell

The indie rock singer Blondshell (a.k.a. Sabrina Mae Teitelbaum) performed at Summerfest, Thurs., July 2, 2026, in Milwaukee. Her third album, “Violins,” bows in September.

The Ocean Blue

The Ocean Blue, an indie pop band from Hershey, Pa., performed at Summerfest, Thurs., July 2, 2026, in Milwaukee. Their setlist at the Uline Warehouse Stage included “Ballerina Out of Control,” “Sublime,” “Mercury,” and “Between Something and Nothing.”

All Time Low

The Maryland rock band All Time Low performed at Summerfest, Thurs., July 2, 2026, in Milwaukee. Their most recent album was 2025’s “Everyone’s Talking!”

The Heavy Heavy

The rock band The Heavy Heavy (featuring singer Georgie Fuller and guitarist Will Turner) performed at Summerfest, Fri., July 3, 2026, in Milwaukee. Their setlist included “All My Dreams,” “Miles and Miles” and “One of a Kind.”

Alex Warren

Singer-songwriter Alex Warren, a Grammy nominee this year for best new artist, performed at Summerfest, Fri., July 3, 2026, in Milwaukee. His setlist included “Fever Dream,” “Fine Place to Die” and “Passenger,” from his second album, “Wildchild,” to be released in August.

DJ Jazzy Jeff

Jeffrey Allen Townes, who performs as DJ Jazzy Jeff, appeared at Summerfest, Fri., July 3, 2026, in Milwaukee.

Rev Run

Rapper Joseph Simmons, whose onstage personae include Rev Run, performed at Summerfest, Fri., July 3, 2026, in Milwaukee.

Spoon

Spoon, an indie rock band from Austin, performed at Summerfest, Fri., July 3, 2026, in Milwaukee. Their setlist included “Got Nuffin,” “The Underdog,” “The Hardest Cut” and “Wild.”

Ask Carol

Ask Carol, a “grungy and folksy” rock duo from Norway, performed at Summerfest, Fri., July 3, 2026, in Milwaukee.

Six Foot Blonde

The indie rock band Six Foot Blonde (with lead singer Julia) performed at Summerfest, Fri., July 3, 2026, in Milwaukee.

St. Paul and the Broken Bones

St. Paul and the Broken Bones, a soul band from Birmingham, Ala., fronted by vocalist Paul Janeway, performed at Summerfest, Fri., July 3, 2026, in Milwaukee. Their sixth, eponymous album was released last October.

The Gene Simmons Band

Longtime Kiss member Gene Simmons appeared with his band at Summerfest, Fri., July 3, 2026, in Milwaukee, performing many Kiss hits, including “Shout It Out Loud,” “Calling Dr. Love,” “I Love It Loud,” “Domino,” and “Rock and Roll All Nite.”

SIIN

The rock band SIIN performed on the closing night of Summerfest, Sat., July 4, 2026, in Milwaukee.

Jerry Harrison

Talking Heads keyboardist and guitarist Jerry Harrison brought “50 Years of Talking Heads” to Summerfest, Sat., July 4, 2026, in Milwaukee. His setlist included such classics as “Psycho Killer,” “Life During Wartime,” “This Must Be the Place (Naive Melody),” and “Take Me to the River.”

The Strokes

The rock band The Strokes performed at the United Center in Chicago on Wed., June 17, 2026. Their “Reality Awaits” tour featured songs from their seventh studio album, to be released in July (including “Falling Out of Love” and “Going Shopping”), as well as past U.S. Alternate chart hits “Last Nite,” “Reptilia” and Juicebox.”

Pictured clockwise from top left: Lead singer Julian Casablancas; drummer Fabrizio Moretti; bassist Nikolai Fraiture; guitarist Albert Hammond Jr.; and guitarist Nick Valensi. 

Sammy Hagar

Sammy Hagar (a.k.a. The Red Rocker), a former member of Van Halen, appeared at the Ruoff Music Center in Noblesville, Ind., on June 14, 2026. His “Best of All Worlds Band” featured (from top right) guitar virtuoso Joe Satriani (a 15-time Grammy nominee); drummer Kenny Aronoff; and original Van Halen bassist Michael Anthony.

The Best of All Worlds Band tour continues in England, and will return to Las Vegas for a residency in September.

Rick Springfield

Rick Springfield performed at the Ruoff Music Center in Noblesville, Ind., June 14, 2026. His setlist included “Don’t Talk To Strangers,” “Affair Of The Heart,” “Love Somebody,” his 1982 Grammy-winner “Jessie’s Girl,” and “I’ve Done Everything For You,” a song written by Sammy Hagar.

The Claypool Lennon Delirium

On June 3, 2026 in Chicago, the Salt Shed’s outdoor stage hosted a sold-out show featuring The Claypool Lennon Delirium (featuring guitarist Sean Ono Lennon, and Primus bassist Les Claypool).

Claypool also performed with his band, Frog Brigade.

The Dead Daisies

Legendary vocalist and bassist Glenn Hughes, formerly of Trapeze, Deep Purple and Black Sabbath, brought his supergroup The Dead Daisies to the Arcada Theatre in St. Charles, Ill., May 30, 2026, for a one-night-only engagement.

In addition to Dead Daisies songs, they performed Deep Purple classics such as “Smoke On the Water,” “Might Just Take Your Life,” and “Stormbringer,” and a cover of Creedence Clearwater Revival’s “Fortunate Son.”

The Dead Daisies

Doug Aldrich of The Dead Daisies, at the Arcada Theatre in St. Charles, Ill., May 30, 2026. 

Zakk Sabbath

The Black Sabbath tribute band Zakk Sabbath (fronted by longtime Ozzy Osbourne guitarist Zakk Wylde, with bassist Jim DeServio and drummer Jeff Fabb) opened for Wylde’s own band Black Label Society, at the Hollywood Casino in Joliet, Ill., May 16, 2026. Their Black Sabbath covers included “Children of the Grave,” “War Pigs,” and “Snowblind.”

Corrosion of Conformity

Guitarist and vocalist Pepper Kennan, of Corrosion of Conformity, performed at Outset in Chicago, May 14, 2026.

The band’s lead guitarist Woody Weatherman told CBS News’ Jake Barlow that their recent album, “Good Man/Bad Man,” was the product of two different designs: “We enjoy playing guitar and writing songs and we [had] such a good time going in lots of different directions, [but] we found ourselves in the same predicament,” he said. “So we had wizard idea to try and split it into two records, and then it gave us a little bit more freedom to keep doing the directions that we wanted to. So, yeah, ‘Good Man/Bad Man,’ two separate worlds, we could drop these songs in this tiny universe or drop these into that other tiny universe, so that’s kind of what we did. It feels like a throwback to the old days. I would do it the same way again.” 

Crobot

Crobot performed on tour with Corrosion of Conformity, at the Outset in Chicago, May 14, 2026. (Pictured: Brandon Yeagley.)

Triumph

The Canadian rock band Triumph performed at the Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Ill., May 13, 2026. (Pictured: guitarist Rick Emmett.) 

Triumph

Triumph’s Chicago tour stop was originally going to be in a smaller theater in Rosemont, Ill.; it had to be moved to the Allstate Arena because of growing interest and ticket sales.

Drummer Gil Moore (pictured with Rick Emmett) told CBS News’ Jake Barlow that the group’s first tour in 30 years came about thanks to the Edmonton Oilers, who played Triumph’s music during the team’s 2025 Stanley Cup run. “The fans pushed and pushed,” driving them to do the tour, Moore said. “There wouldn’t be a 50th anniversary if it were not for their loyalty.”

Alter Bridge

The rock band Alter Bridge (pictured: Brian Marshall, Myles Kennedy and Mark Tremonti) played the Salt Shed in Chicago, May 6, 2026. Currently on their What Lies Within Tour, the band played such hits as “Isolation,” “Ghosts of Days Gone By,” and “Addicted to Pain,” as well as songs from their recent eponymous album, including “Silent Divide,” “What Lies Within,” and “Tested and Able.”

Bruce Springsteen

Bruce Springsteen brought his Land of Hope and Dreams American Tour to Chicago’s United Center on April 29, 2026. In addition to Springsteen classics like “Born to Run,” “Born in the U.S.A.,” “Hungry Heart,” and “Long Walk Home,” he also performed “Streets of Minneapolis,” “Because the Night” (a song he co-wrote with Patti Smith), and a cover of Bob Dylan’s “Chimes of Freedom.”

Bruce Springsteen

Springsteen and the E Street Band were joined on the tour by Tom Morello (Rage Against the Machine). 

Cactus

Drummer Carmine Appice (pictured, center) was one of the founding members of the ’70s rock band Cactus, which back in the day was called “the American Led Zeppelin.” He brought the band’s latest lineup to the Arcada Theater in St. Charles, Ill., April 3, 2026, to promote their album, “Temple of the Blues II.” They were accompanied by the “Cactus All-Stars.”

Joining Appice were (clockwise from upper left): Cactus regulars Artie Dillon and Ed Terry; Rob Caudill; Ron “Bumblefoot” Thal; Pat Travers; Dug Pinnick; Eric Gales; and Billy Sheehan.

Lamb of God

The heavy metal band Lamb of God performed at the Byline Bank Aragon Ballroom in Chicago, March 25, 2026. The concert was part of their North American Heaviest Tour of the Year. (Pictured: Lead vocalist Randy Blythe.)

Corrosion of Conformity

Pictured: Bass player Bobby Landgraf of Corrosion of Conformity. 

Be sure to follow us throughout music summer 2026 – and don’t miss out on live music yourself!
     

For more info:

Photographer Jake Barlow (Instagram)

Photographer Ed Spinelli (Instagram)

Photographer Kirstine Walton (Instagram)

      
Edited by senior producer David Morgan.