This past February, a brand new festival called Burn Bright MKE added to the ever-improving winter festival landscape in metro Milwaukee. The two-day affair was created by DIY booking wunderkind JJ Kaiser, who aspired to “showcase some of the best up and coming bands in the emo/alternative space” at X-Ray Arcade in nearby Cudahy. With a weekend that featured performances by the likes of Ben Quad, Carly Cosgrove, Charmer, Heart To Gold, Equipment, Liquid Mike, and more, the first-year winter festival accomplished just that.
Following that pair of sold-out shows, Burn Bright MKE will return with two more nights of up-and-coming emo and alternative-leaning music in early 2025. Today, X-Ray Arcade announced the stacked lineup that will be taking the stage for the second annual festival on Saturday, February 22 and Sunday, February 23. The 2025 installment’s individual headliners will be Harrison Gordon and Sincere Engineer. Also performing over the course of the weekend are Your Arms Are My Cocoon, Michael Cera Palin, Slow Joy, Frail Body, Milwaukee’s own Garden Home, and many more. You can see the full lineup below.
Single day tickets are $30 and weekend passes, which are on sale now at Burn Bright MKE’s website and from X-Ray Arcade‘s site, are $50. Daily lineups won’t be released until closer to the festival, but with a lineup this good and a sellout likely, you’ll probably just want to spring for the weekend pass if (and while) you can.