Milwaukee summer festival season has an official start date, as PrideFest – typically the first of the big lakefront fests each year – revealed the dates for 2023 edition: June 1-3.

The three-day festival marks PrideFest's second year back in its traditional time on the calendar after taking a two-year COVID-induced hiatus, cancelling in 2020 followed by hosting a modified "Pridetoberfest" in 2021. The festival, however, returned last year to its early summer Pride Month position on the Summerfest grounds with record-breaking numbers, with 38,731 people attending in 2022 – a new three-day high for the event.

This year's edition also serves as the gathering's 26th anniversary in Henry Maier Festival Park and Milwaukee PrideFest's 35th anniversary overall. 

"I can’t believe we’re already announcing our 2023 dates," said Milwaukee Pride, Inc., president Wes Shaver, in a release. "It seems like yesterday our city was celebrating our return to Henry Maier festival park last June. Coming off the heels of a successful 2022 festival, where it felt like everyone was cheering us on, I couldn’t be more excited for what’s in store for this year’s event. The lasting energy coming off 2022’s event pushed myself and our entire team to get working early – we’ve already inked our headlining entertainment (but no spoilers at this time)."

While the much-anticipated acts and headliners will have to wait for another day, PrideFest did reveal some of its plans for its upcoming 2023 edition – including returning to its 2022 footprint and further utilizing the space's increased layout up through the north end of the festival grounds. The 2023 festival will also feature five entertainment stages – hosting more than 500 entertainers throughout the three-day lakefront extravaganza – an expanded health and wellness area, and other new experiences and elements. 

For more information about this year's PrideFest, stay tuned to Milwaukee Pride's website as well as the organization's Facebook and Instagram feeds. And for more announcements and updates from PrideFest – as well as Brew City's many other fantastic festivals coming this summer season – stay tuned to OnMilwaukee.