Attendance was down for Musikfest this year. The art and music festival held throughout Bethlehem brought an estimated 957,000 people to the city in its 10-day run, which ended Aug. 14.
That’s down from Musikfest 2015, where a nearly record-breaking 1.14 million people descended on Bethlehem.
Whether it was because of the scorching heat, lower ticket sales for some main-stage events or just the difficulty in matching last year’s extreme success, the arts organization isn’t disappointed with the lower turnout, which was well within the range of what Musikfest officials predicted for this year’s attendance.
In an interview prior to the festival, spokesman Mark Demko estimated just under 1 million attendees this year.
He noted that there was near record attendance in 2015 and 2014, but this year’s attendance was above attendance in 2011 through 2013 and is about the standard for the festival.
The organization noted that this year Musikfest brought in people from 35 states and nine countries, which is good exposure for the city and the Lehigh Valley as a whole.
“We’re bringing nearly 1 million people into the city. That’s the biggest opportunity we have to showcase the Lehigh Valley,” Demko said.
He noted that aside from the music and festivities, Musikfest is a major driver of tourism and economic development for the region. Last year, the festival had an economic impact of nearly $60 million, according to ArtsQuest, the nonprofit that runs Musikfest.
The economic impact of this year’s festival is being calculated.
