From Arizona to Africa and Texas to Turkey, guests from across the nation and around the globe made their way to Bethlehem and the Lehigh Valley for the 32nd annual Musikfest, enjoying 10 days packed with free music, art and family fun.

Estimated attendance was 1,140,000, on par with last year’s 1,150,000 and just short of the all-time record of 1,152,000. This year, guests from 42 states and 12 countries on six continents experienced the festival, enjoying the record number of performers, 348, and performances, 550. Attendance at the Sands Steel Stage, the only ticketed venue at the festival, was 50,599, up from the 46,919 who attended in 2014. In addition to a sold-out performance by country star Darius Rucker, Sands Steel Stage audiences enjoyed shows by Reba McEntire, Snoop Dogg, The Flaming Lips, Culture Club, ZZ Top, Alice in Chains and more.

“The diverse lineup, the new programming elements at the event and the great weather throughout much of the week resulted in some very nice crowds at the festival,” says Kassie Hilgert, President & CEO of ArtsQuest, the nonprofit that presents Musikfest. “Musikfest, like all of our programming, is designed to attract people to Bethlehem’s downtowns and we definitely saw that this year, with many visitors on Main Street and in the historic district, as well as the city’s Southside, exploring not only the music, but also the shops, businesses and restaurants as well.

“When you look at Musikfest, it truly is a community festival in every sense of the word. We simply could not present this event each year without the support of our volunteers, corporate partners, supporting members, the city, county and, of course, the many people who attend the festival. Thank you to everyone who helped to make the 2015 edition of Musikfest - the nation’s largest free music festival - one of the most successful in its history.”

Firsts this year included a preview night Aug. 6 headlined by Duran Duran; the addition of the new Hotel Bethlehem Platz stage at Historic Hotel Bethlehem; a headlining comedy show by icon Jerry Seinfeld Aug. 10; and a Penn State Video Camp, which taught area teens how to cover the festival like television journalists on assignment. In addition, the festival had a free app for all mobile devices for the first time thanks to the support of PNC Bank and it offered backstage tours of the Sands Steel Stage for area youth Aug. 14 and 15 through partnerships with PNC Bank and Lehigh Valley Faces.

Other highlights of Musikfest 2015 include dynamic art and family performances by visiting artist in residences Headphone Disco and Polyglot Theatre of Australia; contemporary dance performances by New York-based dance troupes B.S. Movement and Take Dance; a birthday celebration for Betty Mock, Musikfest’s oldest volunteer, who turned 96 on the last day of the event; and an expansion of the festival’s Restaurant Row promotion, designed to shine the spotlight on the city’s dynamic restaurants and shopping district by offering special discounts and savings to local eateries and attractions.

“The economic impact that Musikfest has on the city is huge,” says Jeff Fegley, owner of Bethlehem Brew Works. “It brings more than one million people to the merchants’ front doors every summer - we don’t see that type of volume throughout the rest of the year. It is absolutely one of the best weeks of the year.”

Proceeds from Musikfest 2015 will go to support ArtsQuest’s free programming for the community year-round at the Banana Factory community arts center and the SteelStacks arts and cultural campus. Musikfest 2016 dates are Aug. 5-14. For more information, visit www.musikfest.org.