When the pop superstar announced her “Unraveled Tour” April 30, Wisconsin was missing from the itinerary. We’re long used to it by now – with superstars like Taylor Swift, Paul McCartney, Billie Eilish, Kendrick Lamar, The Weeknd and Beyoncé skipping Milwaukee in recent years, the artists expecting Wisconsin fans to drive to shows in neighboring Illinois, Minnesota, Michigan or Iowa.
And in some cases, maybe you should. While Wisconsin has some great concert gets in 2026 – including Garth Brooks leading a stacked Summerfest lineup and AC/DC at Camp Randall Stadium – there are several major tours and festivals this summer led by artists who rarely, if ever, do shows in the Dairy State.
Here are 15 worth the road trip.
BTS
No act deserves more credit for transforming K-Pop into a worldwide phenomenon than BTS. The group was required to go on hiatus in 2022 so its members could complete mandatory military service in South Korea, but K-pop continued growing in popularity in the band’s absence. Now this year, with a new album, BTS has returned to reclaim their crowns.
Last Wisconsin concert: Never
Where they’re playing: Aug. 27 and 28, Soldier Field, Chicago
How much? Sold out. Resale tickets start at $306 at vividseats.com.
Noah Kahan
The singer-songwriter performed for one of the biggest Summerfest side-stage crowds in recent history in 2023. This year behind a new album, “The Great Divide,” he’s headlining, but not in Wisconsin.
Last Wisconsin concert: September 11, 2024 at Alpine Valley Music Theatre in East Troy
Where he’s playing: July 14 and 15, Wrigley Field, Chicago; Aug. 5, Target Field, Minneapolis
How much? Sold out. Resale seats start at $347 for Chicago, $252 for Minneapolis, at vividseats.com.
Karol G
The Colombian reggaeton and pop star earned rave reviews for her headlining Coachella performances in April – the first Latina headliner in the influential festival’s history. Next up: a world tour, with Chicago being the first stop.
Last Wisconsin concert: The Latin music festival Los Dells in Mauston on Sept. 2, 2018
Where she’s playing: July 24 and 25, Soldier Field, Chicago
How much? $163.40 to $1,657.35 at ticketmaster.com
Ariana Grande
The pop superstar has largely been focusing on her acting career lately – including her Oscar-nominated performance for “Wicked” in 2024 and its sequel last year – suggesting that her upcoming tour, with stops in just 10 cities, may be her last for a while. But she’ll also have new music to share on stage from her eighth studio album, “Petal,” out July 31.
Last Wisconsin concert: July 5, 2019 at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee
Where she’s playing: Aug. 3, 5 and 6, United Center, Chicago
How much? Sold out. Resale seats start at $929.20 at ticketmaster.com.
Lollapalooza
One of North America’s premiere music festivals once again packs a punch with its 2026 lineup, with headliners Lorde, Charli XCX, Olivia Dean, Tate McRae, John Summit, The Smashing Pumpkins, Jennie and The xx – plus buzzy undercard acts like Sombr, Zara Larsson, Geese and Turnstile.
Have the headliners played Wisconsin?: Lorde was in Milwaukee last October, the Pumpkins in 2024, Charli XCX in 2022, and The xx in 2017. Dean, McRae, Summit and Jennie have yet to perform in Wisconsin.
When and where: July 30 to Aug. 2, Grant Park, Chicago
How much? Single-day tickets start at $185; waitlist for four-day passes, which start at $439, at lollapalooza.com.
J. Cole
One of the most successful and acclaimed rappers of his generation, J. Cole has suggested he’s giving up the hip-hop game, implying his latest album “The Fall-Off” may be his last. But before he potentially steps away from music, he’s going on tour.
Last Wisconsin concert: July 3, 2018 at Summerfest in Milwaukee
Where he’s playing: Aug. 11 and 12, United Center, Chicago; Aug. 16, Little Caesars Arena, Detroit; Aug. 18, Target Center, Minneapolis
How much? Sold out in Chicago and Detroit. Resale tickets start at $121.68 in Chicago and $138 in Detroit at ticketmaster.com. $87.30 to $792.40 for Minneapolis through Ticketmaster.
Hilary Duff
Duff has been plenty busy in the last decade with acting roles, but for the most part, not in the recording studio. That changed with the release of her first album in 11 years – the nostalgic but mature “Luck… Or Something” – which also sparked her return to touring.
Last Wisconsin concert: The Alliant Energy Center in Madison in 2005
Where she’s playing: July 25, Mystic Lake Amphitheatre, Shakopee, Minnesota; July 26, Credit Union 1 Amphitheatre, Tinley Park, Illinois; Aug. 15, Pine Knob Music Theatre, Clarkston, Michigan; Aug. 16, Acrisure Amphitheater, Grand Rapids, Michigan
How much?: $94.30 to $678.50 for Minnesota; $70.20 to $690.30 in Illinois; $166.75 to $311.40 for Clarkston; $59.80 to $304.40 for Grand Rapids. All tickets available at ticketmaster.com.
A$AP Rocky
As the world patiently waits for Rihanna to release her long-promised new album, her partner A$AP Rocky has at least made his long-awaited return with “Don’t Be Dumb,” his first album in eight years, and a tour where he promises he’ll also perform as his many alter egos.
Last Wisconsin concert: As part of an A$AP Mob show at the Rave in Milwaukee on Oct. 12, 2017
Where he’s playing: May 27, United Center, Chicago; July 8, Little Caesars Arena, Detroit
How much? $119.34 to $1,414.60 in Chicago; $53.60 to $1,391.40 in Detroit. Tickets available at ticketmaster.com.
Rosalía
The Spanish artist released one of the most ambitious albums of 2025 with “Lux,” featuring such esteemed collaborators as the London Symphony Orchestra and Bjork, and lyrics sung in 14 languages. Many critics believed it was the best album of the year.
Last Wisconsin concert: Never
Where she’s playing: June 20, United Center, Chicago
How much? $353.40 to $418.30 at ticketmaster.com
Foo Fighters
It’s been a tumultuous few years for Foo Fighters with the death of drummer Taylor Hawkins, the ouster of Hawkins’ replacement Josh Freese, and frontman Dave Grohl revealing he fathered a child outside of his marriage and was undergoing therapy. The band is now back to what they love best, rocking stadiums behind a new album “Your Favorite Toy.”
Last Wisconsin concert: July 15, 2023, at the Harley-Davidson Homecoming in Veterans Park in Milwaukee
Where they’re playing: Aug. 6, Ford Field, Detroit; Aug. 8, Soldier Field, Chicago
How much? $61.75 to $263.40 in Detroit, $126.50 to $477.70 in Chicago, at ticketmaster.com
Guns N’ Roses
Yes, Axl Rose’s voice can be a bit inconsistent these days, but Slash’s guitar work still rips, and for its latest tour, Guns N’ Roses has a legendary opening act for the closest shows to Wisconsin: hip-hop great Public Enemy.
Last Wisconsin concert: Sept. 18, 2021, at the American Family Insurance Amphitheater for Summerfest in Milwaukee
Where they’re playing: July 29, Credit Union 1 Amphitheatre, Tinley Park, Illinois; Aug. 8, Mystic Lake Amphitheatre, Shakopee, Minnesota
How much? $100.45 to $853.40 in Illinois, $100.45 to $1,281 in Minnesota, on ticketmaster.com
Wu-Tang Clan
Wu-Tang may be forever, but their touring career isn’t. The seminal hip-hop crew is in the second and seemingly last year of their “Final Chamber” farewell tour that touts all surviving original members.
Last Wisconsin concert: June 25, 2022 at the American Family Insurance Amphitheater for Summerfest
Where they’re playing: Sept. 1, Mystic Lake Amphitheatre, Shakopee, Minnesota; Sept. 4, Credit Union 1 Amphitheatre, Tinley Park, Illinois; Sept. 6, Pine Knob Music Theatre, Clarkston, Michigan
How much? $36 to $737.50 in Minnesota, $36 to $815.55 in Illinois, $53.60 to $802.20 in Michigan, at ticketmaster.com
Rush
Rush fans had accepted that a reunion just wasn’t going to happen after the band’s apparent final run of shows in 2015, followed by the death of drummer and lyricist Neil Peart five years later. But the prog rock trio’s surviving two members Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson have gotten back together with a new acclaimed drummer, Anika Nilles.
Last Wisconsin concert: July 4, 2013 at Summerfest in Milwaukee
Where they’re playing: July 16, 18, 20, 22 at United Center in Chicago; Aug. 26 and 28, Little Caesars Arena, Detroit
How much? $241.50 to $1,303.30 for Chicago, $111.30 to $1,325.40 for Detroit, at ticketmaster.com
Hinterland
Lollapalooza and Summerfest may be the biggest genre-spanning music festivals in the Midwest year after year, but Hinterland is a hidden gem. The Iowa festival has especially become a force after the pandemic – buzzy headliners have included Tyler Childers, Phoebe Bridgers, Zach Bryan, Lana Del Rey and Wisconsin’s own Bon Iver – and in 2026, the scope has expanded, and the number of days to four. Leading the lineup for 2026: Katseye, Lorde, Mumford & Sons and Kali Uchis, with noteworthy undercard acts like Muna, Wet Leg and CMAT.
Have the headliners played Wisconsin?: Lorde was in Milwaukee last October, Mumford & Sons last year and coming this September to Kohl Center in Madison. But Uchis hasn’t been in Wisconsin since opening for Tyler, The Creator in 2022, and Katseye, at Hinterland for one of only three performances this summer, has yet to come here.
When and where: July 30 to Aug. 2, Saint Charles, Iowa
How much? $155 for single-day pass to $1,520 for VIP+ four-day pass at axs.com
Lyrical Lemonade Summer Smash
The trendspotting Chicago-based hip-hop blog turned multi-media company with a focus on music videos is also the force behind Summer Smash, which has consistently booked some of the fastest-rising rappers and center-of-the-zeitgeist stars each year since 2018. The fest lineup this year boasts headliners such as Lil Uzi Vert, Playboi Carti and EDM star Skrillex, plus noteworthy gets like Sexyy Red, BigXThaPlug, Chief Keef, Baby Keem and North West, daughter of Kanye West and Kim Kardashian, making her festival debut.
Have the headliners played Wisconsin?: Lil Uzi Vert headlined “Milwaukeeland,” a Rock The Vote block party ahead of the 2024 election. Playboi Carti played the Rave in 2021, and Skrillex was last in Wisconsin at the Summer Set festival in Somerset in 2016.
When and where: June 12 to 14, Seatgeek Stadium, Bridgeview, Illinois
How much? $174.99 for single-day pass to $399 for three-day pass, at dice.fm
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: 15 summer 2026 concerts skipping Wisconsin worth the road trip
Reporting by Piet Levy, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
