City of Festivals

Bethlehem is world renowned for its festivals and cultural events celebrated throughout the year. From the Bach Festival offered by the Bethlehem Bach Choir is the oldest festival tradition in Bethlehem, historically drawing people from all over the world to Lehigh University’s Packer Church every May for this internationally acclaimed event.

Since 1984, a newer celebration, Musikfest, is a ten day event each August that offers 500 live musical performances at ten outdoor and five indoor stages throughout Bethlehem’s Moravian Historic District and SouthSide Arts District. Musikfest has become an anchor on the city’s cultural calendar drawing approximately 1,000,000 guests each year and having an annual economic impact of over $30,000,000. Today Musikfest is the largest free music festival in America.

The diversity of festivals now includes photography, jazz, improve comedy, and two ethnic festivals Celtic Classic and Oktoberfest. Bethlehem offers festivals for almost every cultural taste.

Musikfest – August
Bach Festival – May
Blast Furnace Blues -March
Celtic Classic – September
Christkindlmarkt Bethlehem – November/December
Invision Photography Festival – November
Oktoberfest – October
PEEPSFEST® – December
SteelStacks Improv Comedy Festival – February
Southside Film Festival – June