Live it Up at Lakefront Live
What do you get when you combine free live music, rental paddlecraft, and incredible lake views? Lakefront Live, our beloved lake-facing concert, back for its second year as a three-event series after its extraordinary debut in 2022.
At Lakefront Live, the band turns 180 degrees on the UW Credit Union Terrace Stage to face Lake Mendota, playing toward an audience on canoes, kayaks, paddleboards, floaties, and other watercraft.
This summer, there are three times as many chances to enjoy this special music-meets-the-outdoors experience! Head over to the Memorial Union Terrace July 6 to listen to country and blues band The Grouvin Brothers, or Aug. 10 to soak in Cork n’ Bottle String Band. (The first concert of the 2023 series, featuring Birddog Blues Band, took place June 8.) Music for both events start at 6 p.m.
Enjoy the concert from the water with low-cost paddlecraft rentals through Outdoor UW – only $16 for the entirety of the event. You can hop on a kayak, cruise on a canoe, or float on a paddleboard. Pro tip: reserve a spot on a craft in advance and show up earlier to ensure you get the paddlecraft you have your heart set on!
If you left your set of sea legs – or, technically, lake legs – at home, you can still join in the fun and enjoy the live music from the comfort of a sunburst chair, with a fresh frank from the Brat Stand or ice cream from the Daily Scoop in hand.
Or, you can always paddle over in your own watercraft to enjoy the show!
The outdoor extravaganza Lakefront Live is planned by the student leaders of the Wisconsin Union Directorate Music Committee and the Wisconsin Union’s Outdoor UW, the University of Wisconsin–Madison’s outlet to the outdoors.
Lakefront Live is just one of the many Terrace events this summer – catch free live music from the UW Credit Union Terrace Stage four nights a week, and check out terracesummer.com for a full schedule of Terrace events and activities. For more information on Lakefront Live, visit union.wisc.edu/about/news/lakefront-live-2023. Looking for other ways to enjoy Wisconsin’s outdoors? Outdoor UW is your outlet to the outdoors with everything from paddling rentals throughout the summer to hiking events. Outdoor UW is open most of the year and has ways to get outdoors year-round. Visit union.wisc.edu/outdooruw for more information.
