AJR, Yellowcard and Taking Back Sunday named Musikfest 2026 headliners
BETHLEHEM, Pa. — ArtsQuest has added to its Musikfest 2026 lineup, announcing pop sensation AJR and pop-punk artists Yellowcard and Taking Back Sunday as headliners for the festival’s Wind Creek Steel Stage.
AJR was recently revealed as the sixth headliner and will take the stage on Aug. 9, 2026. The multi-platinum indie pop trio — brothers Adam, Jack and Ryan Met — has become one of the most successful independent bands in the world, generating billions of streams since emerging in 2012. Known for hits such as “Weak,” “Sober Up” and the platinum-certified “BANG!,” AJR released its most recent album, The Maybe Man, in 2023.
ArtsQuest also announced Yellowcard and Taking Back Sunday, with special guest The Click Five, as the festival’s seventh headliner. The bands will perform Aug. 8, 2026, at the Wind Creek Steel Stage in a show presented in partnership with media collaborator 95.1 ZZO.
After officially disbanding following a farewell tour, Yellowcard has experienced a resurgence fueled by reflection, reconciliation and renewed creative energy. The band recently released Better Days, its first album in nearly a decade, produced by blink-182 drummer Travis Barker, who also performed drums on every track. Featuring longtime members William Ryan Key, Sean Mackin, Ryan Mendez and Josh Portman, the album explores gratitude, forgiveness and personal growth.
Taking Back Sunday joins the lineup following the release of its eighth studio album, 152, in late 2023. The record features 10 tracks that reflect the band’s evolution while staying rooted in the sound that earned them millions of album sales and hundreds of millions of streams worldwide.
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Tickets for the Aug. 8 and Aug. 9 shows will be available to ArtsQuest members beginning Monday, Dec. 15, with Yellowcard and Taking Back Sunday tickets going on sale at noon and AJR tickets available at 10 a.m. General public sales open Friday, Dec. 19, at 10 a.m. Tickets can be purchased at artsquest.org.
Additional headliners for Musikfest 2026 are expected to be announced in the coming months.
