Isn’t it funny that no matter how many times our own experiences and the cold, hard facts of history tell us otherwise, we tend to greet each new year with a sense of optimism? This year will surely be better than the last! Things couldn’t possibly get any worse! Oh, but it won’t, and oh, but they could. It’s only a matter of weeks—hell, sometimes hours—before the new year becomes yet another miserable marathon slouch toward death, destruction, malice, and misery.
Anyway, here are eight Milwaukee (and Milwaukee-adjacent) things to look forward to in 2026!
A star-studded Summerfest
Summerfest has been unveiling its 2026 headliners since September 2025, and you know what? They’ve been dropping some serious top-shelf names! Ed Sheeran! Post Malone! Jelly Roll! Muse! David Lee Roth? And not one, but TWO kickoff shows from Garth Brooks! Even if those artists aren’t up your artistic alley, you’ve got to admit they’re agreeably big “gets” for the Big Gig. Add in the usual sets from Styx, a wildly popular country phenom we’ve never heard of, and a wildly popular social media phenom we’ve never heard of, and you’ve got the makings of a Summerfest to remember. It all happens June 18-20, June 25-27, and July 2-4! Yep, it’s the return of that three-weekend format that everyone loves!
New music venues
The Milwaukee area is already stuffed with music venues both big and extravagant (Miller High Life Theatre, Fiserv Forum, Riverside Theater, etc.) and small and intimate (Cactus Club, Vivarium, Anodyne on Bruce, etc.) So why not toss a few more into the mix? Twenty-twenty-six will see the first full year of programming from The Argo—a 700-cap concert hall in the former Fox Bay Theater in Whitefish Bay—and the debut of the brand new Landmark Credit Union Live—a 4,500-cap room from Live Nation-backed FPC Live. How will the new venues fit into the preexisting live music scene? Will they bring new shows to town or siphon shows from other venues? (Wait a minute: Didn’t those Christian Yelich charity concerts always take place at The Pabst?) Time will tell!
A new, improved Laughing Tap
Speaking of new venues, 2026 brings about the return of The Laughing Tap. The independent comedy club, which initially opened on 5th Street in Walker’s Point in early 2020, temporarily closed last June in order to relocate to the swankier and significantly larger confines of the George Watts & Son building at 761 N. Jefferson St. in downtown Milwaukee. Since signing the lease last fall, they’ve been hard at work renovating the space (donate to help their efforts!). No opening date has been set yet, but they’ll for sure be open at some point this year. If you liked The Laughing Tap before, you’re going to love what they’re planning.
New restaurants
It’s a drag when big, beautiful, once-iconic restaurant spaces go dark—and a lot of them went dark in 2025. But there’s always new life at the end of the temporary vacancy tunnel! Twenty-twenty-six will hopefully see new life for the former Crossroads Collective space (Nadi Plates), new life for the former Triple Taproom / BBC space (Jalisco Cocina & Bar), and new life for the former Stack’d Burger Bar space (Allende Cocina Mexicana). There are plenty more empty spaces to fill, of course (the former AJ Bombers and the soon-to-be-former Beans & Barley come to mind), but at least it’s something!
New to Milwaukee restaurants, breweries, and more
In addition to the encouraging flurry of incoming new restaurant concepts heading Milwaukee’s way in 2026, the city will also be welcoming an array of businesses in the food and drink realms that have experienced success elsewhere. Just a few examples that come to mind include Illinois-based craft brewer Solemn Oath’s forthcoming Bay View brewery and taproom coming to the former site of 1840 Brewing Company, Hales Corners fast-casual concept Soban expanding its Korean Eatery arsenal to Milwaukee proper with a downtown location opening soon in the former Ouzo Cafe spot, Sheboygan chicken wing chain Legend Larry’s breathing new life into the old Balzac location in the coming months, and Kenosha’s Sooshibay giving Milwaukee its first conveyor belt sushi joint when it opens in the MSOE Grohmann Tower building soon. With a proven track record in other markets, we’re excited to welcome some new (to us) establishments to Milwaukee’s dining and drinking scene.
[Knocks on wood] A full season of Brandon Woodruff and Jacob Misiorowski
In a downright terrible year in terms of general Earth stuff, the Milwaukee Brewers were among the few bright spots of 2025. Unless things change on account of front office moves or injuries, it looks like the franchise is in a position to have another playoff-caliber season in 2026. Much of that is due to an exceptional pitching staff, which—as it stands right now—will have Brandon Woodruff and Jacob Misiorowski in its ranks on Opening Day. If you recall, Woody and The Miz both joined the 25-man roster midway through the 2025 season. A full season from both of them could be instrumental in finally helping the Brew Crew get over the proverbial hump and reach a World Series for the first time since that fabled ’82 season.
Avoiding all network television and wide swaths of the internet due to zillions of awful ads for the 2026 Wisconsin gubernatorial election
Wisconsin will choose a new governor in 2026. The primary election is set for August 11, 2026. The general election is set for November 3, 2026. Vote! And enjoy avoiding all network television and wide swaths of the internet due to zillions of awful ads for said election! Though you can always trust your friends at Milwaukee Record to not bombard you with stuff like that. Speaking of…
More stuff from your friends at Milwaukee Record
We did a lot in 2025 and we’re planning even more things in 2026. On top of maintaining last year’s then-unprecedented level of output, our new “Milwaukee Record Club” collaborative monthly DJ series is kicking off tomorrow night, and that’s just the beginning. We can’t talk about everything we’re working on quite yet, but expect some new events (both individual and recurring), the return of things we’ve done in previous years, and even a brand new Milwaukee Record beer in 2026. It’s going to be a great year…specifically in terms of fun things we’re planning to do.
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