If you are an artist or have a band that would like to play at Milwaukee Irish Fest, please submit your materials to entertainment@irishfest.com or mail the band/artist materials to:
Entertainment Committee
Milwaukee Irish Fest
1532 Wauwatosa Avenue
Milwaukee, WI 53213
If you send us materials or an EPK, we will acknowledge receipt of these, generally through an email confirmation. We start booking in September for the following year’s festival and try to complete our booking process by the end of March. If you have not heard from us by then, you can assume that we are not able to include you in our line-up.
The festival does not cover travel costs to and from Milwaukee. These fees are part of the contract fee negotiations. Some bands, if they are touring, or if they get travel assistance from a government or other source, may improve their chances of being booked, but we cannot guarantee you a spot. Immigration, work permit and visa issues can be discussed with us on a case by case basis if necessary.
Please understand that Milwaukee Irish Fest receives hundreds of applications each year to perform at the festival. We book between 80-100 bands on average. Since our first festival, we have made it a policy to promote our local musicians and dancers, and of course there are many more of those groups now than there were in 1981. We rarely book main stage acts that we are not familiar with or have not seen at concerts, other festivals, showcases and conferences, but there is always a chance that an unsolicited application will result in a booking. It is a privilege to work with so many talented artists, but a shame that we have to pass on so many others.
Summer School Instructor Submission
Milwaukee Irish Fest runs a summer school the week before the festival, which allows people to immerse themselves in the Celtic music, dance and culture. If you are a teacher, lecturer or have skills that the Summer School might be interested in, please share that information with us. More information about our Summer School program can be found here.