The warm-weather festival season has hit its stride with the collision of Polish Fest, Lakefront Festival of Art and Summer Soulstice, followed by Summerfest's three-weekend takeover. With everyone’s minds in fest mode, East Town Association came through with loads of details about this year’s Bastille Days, which runs from July 17-20 at Cathedral Square Park.
“Despite challenges caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and reduced attendance during the 2024 RNC, East Town Association remains strong thanks to the continued support of our sponsors and community partners,” the association’s executive director Eddie Sturkey said in a release.
“We’re incredibly grateful to our sponsors, whose support allows us to provide free community programming year after year. As a nonprofit that operates without public funding, East Town Association relies heavily on sponsorships and event revenue to sustain its operations. Thanks to returning sponsors like Educators Credit Union, we’re proud to bring Bastille Days back once again for all to enjoy.”
That enjoyment starts Thursday, July 11, with a full day of fest-ing capped by the annual Storm the Bastille 5K Run/Walk. Commemorating the 1789 action by revolutionary insurgents attempting to seize control of the political prison, the comparatively laid-back contemporary fun run will once again wind through the East Town and Historic Third Ward neighborhoods, setting the tone for the three remaining days of the festival. Register for the run/walk by June 30, and you’ll score a discounted rate and special-edition shirt.
In the hours before the run and the days after, Bastille Days will of course provide an array of vendors peddling food, beverages and products of all sorts. On the eat-and-drink side of things, returning favorites include Beignet Francaise, Lake Park Bistro and Lagniappe Brasserie, who will be joined by newcomers like Lupi & Iris, Margaux Brasserie, Xavier’s Crêpes and Baked Cheese Haus.
The entertainment options will be similarly abundant, with more than 60 musical acts spread across four stages, as well as daily performances from Madame Gigi’s French Can-Can Dancers and the return of the Bastille Days Drag Show presented by Milwaukee Pride.
You can find the full entertainment schedule below and more information on this year’s Bastille Days on the East Town Association website.
Bastille Days 2025 schedule
Thursday, July 17
Educators Credit Union Main Stage
- 11:45 a.m. — Omar Sagna & Sindoolaa
- 3:15 p.m. — Jerry Grillo French Cabaret
- 6:15 p.m. — Brett Newski & The Bad Inventions
- 9:05 p.m. — Extra Crispy Brass Band
Gruber Law Offices "One Call...That's All" Stage
- 12:15 p.m. — Madame Gigi's Outrageous French CanCans
- 1:15 p.m. — Classic Alice
- 4:10 p.m. — Madame Gigi's Outrageous French CanCans
- 5:10 p.m. — Platinum
- 8:20 p.m. — Madame Gigi's Outrageous French CanCans
- 9:20 p.m. — Big Spoon
Beaux Arts Stage
- 11:30 a.m. — Navy Band Great Lakes Liberty Call Brass Band
- 12:30 p.m. — Learn to Speak French
- 3 p.m. — Tamarind Tribal Belly Dancers
- 4 p.m. — Milwaukee Hittaz
- 5:35 p.m. — Carmen Nickerson Band
- 8:50 p.m. — Professor Pinkerton's Irrelevant Orchestra
Kilbourn East Stage
- 11:30 a.m. — Kevin Soucie
- 2:30 p.m. — Miss Ingrid
- 5:30 p.m. — AR/YR
- 8:30 p.m. — French DJ Chill - John Stuart
More To Enjoy
- 9 p.m. — Storm the Bastille 5K Run/Walk
Friday, July 18
Educators Credit Union Main Stage
- 11:45 a.m. — Paradise Jazz Band
- 2:45 p.m. — Navy Band Great Lakes Pops Ensemble
- 4:15 p.m. — Marc the Zani
- 6 p.m. — Esquires II
- 8:45 p.m. — Samba Da Vida MKE
- 9:30 p.m. — Pandanza Dance Company & DJ Kiran Vedula
Gruber Law Offices "One Call...That's All" Stage
- 11:30 a.m. — Deep Pockets
- 2 p.m. — Madame Gigi's Outrageous French CanCans
- 3 p.m. — Genevieve Heyward Band
- 6 p.m. — Madame Gigi's Outrageous French CanCans
- 7 p.m. — Radio Radio
- 9:45 p.m. — Madame Gigi's Outrageous French CanCans
- 10:05 p.m. — Bastille Days Drag Show Presented by Milwaukee Pride
Beaux Arts Stage
- 11:45 a.m. — Tamarind Tribal Belly Dancers
- 12:30 p.m. — Learn to Speak French
- 1:15 p.m. — Power Play
- 2 p.m. — Learn to Speak French
- 3:45 p.m. — Pretendacle
- 6 p.m. — Undercover Organism
- 9:15 p.m. — Bonifas Electric Band feat. Bryan Lynch
Kilbourn East Stage
- 11:30 a.m. — Ced
- 2:30 p.m. — VLNTYN
- 5:30 p.m. — Genevieve Heyward
- 8:30 p.m. — French DJ Chill – Jayx
More To Enjoy
- 8:45 p.m. — Samba da Vida MKE Second Line Parade
Saturday, July 19
Educators Credit Union Main Stage
- 11 a.m. — School of Rock Shorewood
- 12:25 p.m. — Milwaukee French Immersion School
- 1:20 p.m. — Tamarind Tribal Belly Dancers
- 3:05 p.m. — Robin Pluer
- 6:30 p.m. — Something To Do
- 9:45 p.m. — La Jarry
Gruber Law Offices "One Call...That's All" Stage
- 12:15 p.m. — Madame Gigi's Outrageous French CanCans
- 1:15 p.m. — Andrew Gelles Band
- 4:15 p.m. — Madame Gigi's Outrageous French CanCans
- 5:15 p.m. — The First Wave
- 8 p.m. — Madame Gigi's Outrageous French CanCans
- 9 p.m. — Breaking Cadence
Beaux Arts Stage
- 11:45 a.m. — Christopher's Quartet
- 12:45 p.m. — Learn to Speak French
- 2:15 p.m. — Learn to Speak French
- 2:45 p.m. — Maple Road Blues Band
- 3:45 p.m. — Pretendacle
- 6 p.m. — Buckwild
- 9 p.m. — Ana Everling Quartet
Kilbourn East Stage
- 11:30 a.m. — Sweet Bobby & Da Tommy Gunn Show
- 2:30 p.m. — Octavio Arcanjo
- 5:30 p.m. — Duosonic
- 9 p.m. — French DJ Chill – Carbonella
More To Enjoy
- 5:15 p.m. — Traditional French Mass at The Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist
- 9 p.m. — Samba Da Vida MKE Second Line Parade
Sunday, July 20
Educators Credit Union Main Stage
- 12:05 p.m. — Ced
- 1:30 p.m. — Blind Fiction
- 4:45 p.m. — Sugo
Gruber Law Offices "One Call...That's All" Stage
- 12:15 p.m. — Crimes Against Nature
- 1:25 p.m. — Video Sex Priest
- 2:35 p.m. — The Dirty Sweet
- 3:45 p.m. — Higher Education Records
- 4:45 p.m. — Black Belt Theatre
- 6:05 p.m. — Scarlet
Beaux Arts Stage
- Noon — Learn to Speak French
- 12:15 p.m. — Milwaukee Hittaz
- 1:15 p.m. — Learn to Speak French
- 2:15 p.m. — Robin Pluer
- 4:30 p.m. — Extra Crispy Brass Band
Kilbourn East Stage
- 12:15 p.m. — Party of One
- 3 p.m. — French DJ Chill – Borg
