Summerfest, also known as the ‘World’s Largest Music Festival,’ will be celebrating its 50th year this summer. Since 1967, this rockin’ fest has taken up the streets for many weeks in downtown Milwaukee, featuring some of the greatest bands of all time.

This year, the fest lasts from June 28 through July 2 and then again from July 4 through July 9. During these days, many big names of music will be headlining the show, such as the Red Hot Chilli Peppers, P!nk, the Chainsmokers, and Luke Bryan. In addition, there are dozens of other bands that will be playing the general admission shows from noon until night. Daily passes for general admission run at $20 each, but three-day bundles are only $48. Full access passes for all 11 days are also available for $90. However, all tickets for headliners must be purchased separately from general passes.

While many of the bands in this year’s lineup don’t particularly interest me, like the country bands or old-school rockers, many of them I am very excited to see. Car Seat Headrest and Hippo Campus are two bands of the alternative genre that will be graciously making an appearance at this year’s fest. Both bands have relatively new fame, with both starting to gain popularity in 2015. One of Car Seat Headrest’s more popular songs is “Drunk Drivers/Killer Whales,” and Hippo Campus is known for their hit “Violet.” They, in particular, have been recently traveling on tour, stopping at many major college campuses, such as at the University of Iowa a few weeks ago.

In addition to these smaller bands, several larger bands and solo acts will be there as well, such as Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness who just got back from touring with the popular punk-rock band Panic! At the Disco. This band has recently become famous with their hit singles “Cecilia and the Satellite” and “Fire Escape” that have been broadcasted on local alternative radio stations. Their simple-yet-rocking sound will easily fill the Milwaukee streets and gather crowds of listeners.

Joe Jonas’ branch-off band DNCE will also be making an appearance on July 8. As a longtime Jonas Brothers’ fangirl, this show is definitely one that I do not want to miss. This band is very high in energy and exudes a lively stage presence while performing recent hit singles like “Cake by the Ocean.”

Classic rockers Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers will also make their appearance as headliners on both July 5 and 6. This group would be an excellent band to see live, for their song “American Girl” always gets me dancing. They are also currently on tour and recently were the performers for the Super Bowl halftime show in 2008. While their prime time was a few decades ago, their music is still worth listening to and will for sure attract some older fans.

To appeal to younger music lovers, many artists from the rap and hip-hop genre will also be attending, such as Ludacris, Kyle, and Future. Kyle, also known as SuperDuperKyle, was recently in Chicago for a concert as a part of his SuperDuperTour that was wildly successful. Future will also be in the Chicagoland area before this festival, as he is performing at the Tinley Park Amphitheater, where local festival Piqniq is hosted by Q101.1 WKQX radio station. Future recently gained popularity from his song “Mask Off.” These artists are also attracting many concert-goers and are sure to bring insane amounts of energy to the stage.

This festival is popular because of its cheap prices and its appeal to all ages (children less than two years old are even invited for the low, low price of $0; kids and seniors also only have to pay $8 a day). Depending on the venue, there is seating for certain shows, if fans don’t want to stand the entire time, and food stands are always close by. It appeals to many and is only a short drive for us Chicagoans, handing us the perfect summer opportunity to enjoy some quality tunes without breaking the bank or the gas tank.