The biggest headliner at Musikfest 2024 was Debby.

Even so, though overall attendance was down, concert headliners records were set.

The weather system formerly known as Hurricane Debby was still a super-soaker by the time it got to the Lehigh Valley, with wind-whipped rain falling in sheets Aug. 7, 8 and 9 and precipitation Aug. 2 and Aug. 6.

Debby was a downer nearly from the start of Musikfest, which postponed opening ceremonies Aug. 2 out of an abundance of caution because of inclement weather.

Once again, Monocacy Creek overflowed its banks as it had done in some previous years at Musikfest.

“It crested and came over the wall and It flooded right through the whole Volksplatz and Handwerkplatz area of the festival,” Curt Mosel, ArtsQuest Chief Operating Office, told ABC Action News in an interview Aug. 8.

“It took vendor equipment, all of their treasures and what-not, right down with it, all the merchandise out of our merchandise tent. It was crazy,” Mosel said.

Outdoor events were halted at 7:20 p.m. Aug. 6, including at Famlienplatz and Handwerkplatz, along the Monocacy Creek in the Colonial Industrial Quarter. Handwerkplatz was also closed Aug. 7.

The concert by Old Dominion was moved up to 5 p.m. Aug. 6, but only approximately 40 minutes of performance resulted.

Because of the rainstorms, overall attendance for Musikest 2024, its 41st year, was 1,020,000, according to an Aug. 13 press release from ArtsQuest, which owns and operates Musikfest.

That’s a dip of an estimated 300,000 from the 1.3 million attendees at Musikfest 2023, based on ArtsQuest figures.

“Musikfest 2024 was unlike the last few years, weather-wise,” Kassie Hilgert, ArtsQuest President and CEO, said.

“When the weather is great, it’s easy to put on a successful festival,” Hilgert continued.

“This year brought challenges, and every single member of our Musikfest team of staff and volunteers, along with our law-enforcement community and city officials, came together to support one another in every way possible.”

Despite the decline in overall attendance, records were broken for some of the Wind Creek Steel Stage headliner concerts.

Four of the 2024 headliners had sold-out concerts: Greta Van Fleet, Aug. 1; Shinedown, Aug. 3; Old Dominion, Aug. 6, and Ludacris, Aug. 10, according to ArtsQuest.

The previous sold-out concerts record was three in 2017: Santana, Chicago and Toby Keith.

Also, in 2024, a new record for tickets sold for headliner concerts was set: 54,786, an approximate 8 percent increase from the previous record set in 2011, according to ArtsQuest.

The 11 Wind Creek Steel Stage headliner concerts were Greta Van Fleet, Aug. 1; Sugar Ray, Better Than Ezra, Tonic, Aug. 2; Shinedown, Aug. 3; Jowell & Randy, Aug. 4; SLASH - S.E.R.P.E.N.T. Festival, Aug. 5; Old Dominion, Aug. 6; Lynyrd Skynyrd, Aug. 7; Black Eyed Peas, Aug. 8; Big Time Rush, Aug. 9; Ludacris, Aug. 10, and ZZ Top, Aug. 11.

Musikfest 2024 had 1,044 volunteers, ranging in age from 16 to 85, including 352 new volunteers, according to the ArtsQuest press release.

“It’s that teamwork that helped to make this year’s festival a big success, especially with the records that we set,”: said Hilgert.

“This festival brings people from across the country and worldwide to Bethlehem, now a UNESCO World Heritage site.

“We’re excited for them to visit our city and attend not only Musikfest, but also visit the local businesses that thrive here,” Hilgert said.

“As co-chairs of the Capital Campaign, we want to commend the ArtsQuest staff and volunteers for their tireless work to make this year’s Musikfest a success. Forty-one years of supporting the economic and cultural life of the community is what ArtsQuest is all about,” said Gregg and Cindy Feinberg.