Rapper announced as latest Musikfest headliner | Entertainment News

BETHLEHEM, Pa. – Musikfest has announced a rapper as the latest headliner set to take the stage at the music venue next year.

T.I. will plays the Wind Creek Steel Stage at Musikfest with special guest DaBaby on Aug. 5, according to a Musikfest Facebook post.

The concert is being presented with media partner LOUD Radio, ArtsQuest says. 

Ticket access begins Tuesday, March 3, for ArtsQuest Members and Friday, March 6, for the general public at ArtsQuest.org. ArtsQuest members get exclusive ticket access and advance purchase opportunities, according to the news release.

The 43rd Musikfest is scheduled for July 31 – August 9, 2026.

Tip “T.I.” Harris has made an indelible mark on the world of business, ArtQuest says, in addition to having 10 hit albums, multiple Grammy’s, Billboard BET and American Music Awards, blockbuster movies, and top-rated television shows, including ATL, VH-1’s T.I. & Tiny: The Family Hustle, American Gangster and Marvel’s Antman, ArtsQuest said in a news release announcing the headliner.

ArtsQuest says T.I. is an artist, entrepreneur and activist who has amassed a business empire to include a record label, a 10-year old clothing line (Akoo, which stands for “A King of Oneself”), a real estate holdings company, production company, non-profit organization (Harris Community Works), co-owner of the global streaming service, TIDAL, arts and museum curator, investor, and more.

In addition, Harris served on the Mayor of Atlanta’s Transition Team, where he focused on policy and legislation; and currently serves on the Reimagining Atlanta Task Force, aimed at creating restorative practices and a community-driven approach to addressing incarceration, ArtsQuest said in its news release.

ArtsQuest says he has been recognized most recently as a thought leader at the United States Capitol and during the Operation Hope and Forbes Magazine business conferences.

According to the news release, his community focus is around driving economic mobility and equity in vulnerable, underserved communities. Harris was also awarded the first-ever “Voice of the Culture” award by ASCAP and is the host of a new #1 rated podcast, expediTIously with Tip “T.I.” Harris.

DaBaby, who is a Charlotte, North Carolina, native and multi-Grammy Award nominee, saw his debut project “Baby on Baby” spend 55 weeks on the Billboard 200, ArtsQuest said in its news release.

ArtsQuest says the album featured the breakout hit “Suge,” while his first official album “KIRK” debuted at No. 1 and included the smash single “BOP.”

Salsa orchestra Grupo Niche, Indie band AJR, and “Weird Al” Yankovic are among the other headliners for the Bethlehem festival that have already been announced.

ArtsQuest says 1,449,000 people attended Musikfest in 2025. The 11-day festival featured over 500 free performances across 16 stages located throughout both the north and south-sides of Bethlehem, ArtsQuest has said.