12-05-2025
Summerfest 2025: 13 ways to get into the Milwaukee music festival for free
The Big Gig again has some big deals for 2025.
Summerfest officials on May 12 revealed 13 ways to get in for free to the Milwaukee festival, running June 19 to 21, June 26 to 28 and July 3 to 5.
June 19: Festgoers who show up at any of the festival's three gates between noon and 3 p.m. and donate three shelf-stable food items receive one free admission ticket good for that day only. (Donations benefit Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin and Northcott Neighborhood House.)
June 20: Anyone arriving between noon and 3 p.m. get in free for Children's Fest day. Bonus deal: Select food and beverage vendors will offer discounts.
June 21: The first 1,500 people who arrive between noon and 3 p.m. and donate new socks, deodorant and/or oral hygiene items (toothbrush and toothpaste) with a minimum value of $10 receive one free-admission ticket good for that day only. (Donations benefit the Milwaukee Community Schools Partnership.)
June 19, 20 or 21: The first 15,000 people who download the Summerfest app will get a free general-admission ticket that can be redeemed between noon and 4 p.m. on one of Summerfest's first three days. Limit one per device.
June 26: Pick 'n Save shoppers who spend $50 on select items through May 13 can bring their receipt to the Summerfest box offices between noon and 6 p.m. to receive four general-admission tickets (limit 12 tickets per transaction). Details at Bonus deals: General admission is $5, and all beer, seltzer, cherry vodka lemonade, bottles of water and soda are 50% off, from noon to 6 p.m.
June 27: Patrons wearing shirts or hats representing select area colleges, or who present a valid high school ID, will get in free from noon to 3 p.m. Participating schools: Beloit College, Carroll University, Herzing University, Marquette University, Milwaukee Area Technical College, St. Norbert College, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, University of Wisconsin-Parkside and University of Wisconsin-Whitewater.
June 28: All active-duty military personnel, veterans, police, firefighters and EMTs (plus up to four family members) arriving between noon and 6 p.m. get in free. Valid Military ID, copy or photo of a DD-214 form, driver's license with veteran classification, law enforcement or fire department agency-issued credentials, or police and fire union ID cards required.
June 28: The first 2,500 people who donate a gently used or new children's book (minimum $10 value) get in free until 3 p.m. Picture books and early-readers books are preferred; books will be donated to Next Door.
July 4: Admission free for all until 6 p.m. courtesy of Kwik Trip. Bonus deal: The first 5,000 attendees at the Mid Gate receive a free commemorative can cooler.
July 5: Everyone arriving between noon and 3 p.m. gets in free courtesy of Potawatomi Casino Hotel and Summerfest. Bonus deals: The first 30,000 arrivals get a Summerfest 2026 general-admission ticket and an entry ticket for the Big Win drawing for the opportunity to win $1 million and a guaranteed share of $10,000. (Ticket needs to be dropped off in a specially marked bin inside the Mid Gate between noon and 3 p.m.)
Good any day: Shoppers who spent $25 on select items in a single transaction with their loyalty card at any Pick N' Save, Metro Market or Mariano's between May 21 and June 10 get two general-admission tickets. Offer is printed at the bottom of receipts, which must be brought to the ticket windows to redeem the tickets. Visit for details and list of qualifying products. Also, everyone who donates blood at a Versiti Blood Center location June 9-15 will receive a free general-admission ticket, while supplies last. And all high school students who begin their FAFSA before July 5 will receive a general-admission ticket.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Summerfest 2025: 13 ways to get into Milwaukee music festival for free
