While the weather certainly feels like summer, we’re a long way from Summerfest 2026. That being said, the festival is already announcing big acts for next year, and on Thursday morning, announced a marquee name for the 2026 lineup.

Singer/songwriter Ed Sheeran will play the American Family Insurance Amphitheater on Thursday, June 25th during Summerfest 2026, kicking off the second weekend of the festival. The date was announced as part of the North American dates of Sheeran’s Loop Tour, which currently only includes major football stadiums and arenas, with Summerfest as the lone festival gig. For reference, Soldier Field in Chicago, Ford Field in Detroit, and US Bank Stadium in Minneapolis are also on the tour itinerary, making the amphitheater feel like one of the most intimate of venues for the entire tour.

The date is in support of Sheeran’s eighth studio album, “Play,” which was released last week Friday. The announcement of the tour, though, was far from a surprise. Sheeran mentioned in a recent TikTok livestream performance last week that US dates would be coming, in addition to the already revealed European and Australian dates from December-March of next year. On Wednesday, teaser videos appeared with cassette tapes on the Summerfest Instagram account with today’s date as the caption.

The Summerfest show is the first time that Sheeran has performed in Milwaukee since an American Family Field appearance in 2018. Prior to that, he last played Summerfest a decade ago, headlining the then-Marcus Amphitheater on the “X” tour. The 2026 show will be his fifth Milwaukee appearance overall.

Ed Sheeran is the second major act to be revealed for the 2026 Summerfest lineup, after Garth Brooks was announced as a special Wednesday amphitheater-only performance on June 17th to open the festival. 

Tickets for Ed Sheeran at American Family Field will be on sale to the general public beginning Friday, September 26th at 10 a.m. Central via the Summerfest website and Ticketmaster. Presales will be available on Tuesday the 23rd for American Express card holders, Spotify users, as well as an artist presale via Ed Sheeran's website.

Summerfest 2026 will return for three weekends from June 18-20, June 25-27, and July 2-4 next year. As always, stay tuned to OnMilwaukee for more festival announcements, and if you’re already craving more live music, be sure to check out both our monthly live music listings as well as our free outdoor music guide.