Def Leppard with special guest Tesla to Headline Summerfest 2025 Thursday, June 19 at American Family Insurance Amphitheater

MILWAUKEE, WI (December 12, 2024)– Summerfest presented by American Family Insurance is excited to welcome Rock and roll Hall of Fame® inducted icons and rock music legends Def Leppard with special guest Tesla to the American Family Insurance Amphitheater on the festival’s opening day, Thursday, June 19, 2025, for an unforgettable night of rock ‘n’ roll. Known for their timeless hits and energetic live shows, the evening will include performances from Def Leppard’s legendary catalog, including chart-topping classics hits like “Pour Some Sugar on Me,” “Photograph,” and “Love Bites.”

With over 110 million albums sold, two prestigious U.S. Diamond Awards, and a Rock & Roll Hall of Fame® induction, Def Leppard—Joe Elliott(vocals), Phil Collen (guitar), Rick Savage (bass), Vivian Campbell (guitar),and Rick Allen (drums)—are hailed as one of the greatest live rock bands of all time. Known for ground breaking albums “Pyromania” and “Hysteria.” and an arsenal of hits like “Rock of Ages,” “Pour Some Sugar on Me,” and “Foolin’,” they bring unmatched energy and showman ship to the stage. Since launching their catalog on streaming platforms in 2018, the band has gained 5.5 billion streams and continues to expand its global fanbase.The band’s critically acclaimed album Diamond Star Halos debuted in Billboard’sTop 10, while “Drastic Symphonies” with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra reached #4 in the UK, spending 15 weeks at #1 on Billboard’s Classical chart.After a recent collaboration with Tom Morello on “Just Like 73,”which soared to #1 on the Classic Rock chart, Def Leppard remains a dominant force,inspiring new generations with its electrifying live performances.

Tickets go on sale Wednesday, December 18, 2024, at 10:00 a.m. at Summerfest.com and Ticketmaster.com or in person at the American Family Insurance Amphitheater Box Office, and include admission to Summerfest the dayof the show.

About DefLeppard

With more than 110 million albums sold worldwide and two prestigious Diamond Awards in the U.S., 2019 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame® inductees Def Leppard- Joe Elliott (vocals), Phil Collen (guitar), Rick Savage (bass), Vivian Campbell (guitar) and Rick Allen (drums) — continue to be one of the most important forces in rock music. Over the course of their career, the band has produced a series of classic ground-breaking albums that set the bar for generations of music fans and artists alike. The group’s spectacular live shows and arsenal of hits have become synonymous with their name, leading Def Leppard to be heralded as the world’s greatest live rock band. Def Leppard’s influential career includes numerous hit singles and ground-breaking multi-platinum albums,including two of the best-selling albums of all time, Pyromania and Hysteria—the former of which is now celebrating its 40th anniversary — capturing the group’s legendary tracks, bringing together classic Leppard hits such as “Rock of Ages”, Pour Some Sugar on Me” and “Foolin.”  For the first time, in January 2018 Def Leppard debuted their full recording catalog worldwide via streaming and download platforms. As they did with the original release of their records, Def Leppard dominated the worldwide charts again, which found their albums charting in the iTunes Top 10 in more than 30 countries, including Hysteria at #3 in the US, and #5 in the UK (36 years after the album had charted at #1 in the Billboard charts).  Def Leppard also had the #1, #2 and #3 records on the US catalog albums chart. The band have gone onto amass a staggering 5.5 billion streams since 2018, reaching a younger 18-44 demographic that now represents 58% of their fanbase. Additionally, the band have garnered an impressive 18 million followers across their social media platforms. In May 2022, Def Leppard released their critically and commercially acclaimed twelfth studio album Diamond Star Halos. The album debuted at #1 on the Apple and Amazon Music charts,scored a Top 10 debut on Billboard’s Top 200 Albums chart,marking the band’s eighth Top 10 album of their career, and garnered a #1 debut on Billboard’s Hard Rock chart. Globally, Diamond Star Halos notched numerous Top 10 chart entries including a Top 5 debut in the UK. Following this success, the band released their 13th studio album Drastic Symphonies with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra in 2023. The album charted at #4 in the UK album charts – their highest UK chart entry in over 32 years—and spent an impressive 15 weeks at #1on the Billboard Current Classical chart. In early 2023, the band scored a U.K. #1 Netflix film with their cameo in the acclaimed movie Bank Of Dave. The band will return for the film’s highly anticipated sequel, Bank of Dave 2, set for release in 2025. Following the close of their historic 2018 co-headline stadium and arena run in North America, Def Leppard sold more than 1,000,000 tickets, a massive feat in today’s touring world. DefLeppard & Mötley Crüe topped that number yet again with another sold outstadium run in 2022 & 2023 selling over 2.1 million tickets across the globe while performing in 27 countries and on five continents. As always, the group continues to push the boundaries with their electrifying live shows and filled stadiums across North America again with Journey this past summer on their Summer Stadium Tour. Most recently, the band teamed up with legendary guitarist Tom Morello for their single “Just Like 73”, which soared to #1 on the MediabaseClassic Rock chart.ww.defleppard.com

About Tesla

That they are still roaring and soaring should be no surprise.That’s just how they are built. TESLA may have been born in the mid 80s, but their bluesy, soulful sound is strongly embedded in the roots of organic,authentic, 1970s rock and roll. The same roots that produced bands like TheAllman Brothers, Grand Funk Railroad, AC/DC, Lynyrd Skynyrd, and Aerosmith.  The ground started shaking in Sacramento, CA, in 1984; gold country that would soon be producing some platinum. They started out as City Kidd, until a suggested name change to TESLA, honoring the eccentric inventor Nikola Tesla who pioneered all things electrical. Their 1986 platinum debut album, Mechanical Resonance, included Top 40 hits “Modern Day Cowboy” and “Little Suzi.” 1989’s double-platinum The Great Radio Controversy included hits “Heaven’s Trail (No Way Out)” and “Love Song”. Suddenly, TESLA,who had been touring with bands such as Def Leppard and David Lee Roth, earned headlining status. In 1990, TESLA helped reshape the face of modern rock music by stripping down to the Five Man Acoustical Jam, an informal collection of their biggest hits peppered with rock and roll classics by the Beatles, Stones,and others. This album produced their biggest hit single to date, a cover of Five Man Electrical Band’s “Signs.” Other 90s albums from Tesla include platinum selling Psychotic Supper and Bust a Nut. The band continues to record and release material including 9 new albums since 2000 and recently debuted their new single, “Time To Rock!”  TESLA has endured many of the same taste-changing challenges that affected many in the post- grunge world, but through it all, their blue-collar work ethic and dedication to the faithful fan base has helped them not just survive, but thrive. TESLA’s legacy is alive and well as they continue to record and sell out venues all over the world. As comfortable, rugged, and dependable as your favorite pair of boots, they endure. TESLA is a celebration of the greatest spirits of rock and roll.

About Summerfest presented by American Family Insurance
Summerfest presented by American Family Insurance is one of the most iconic celebrations of music in America, hosting the industry’s biggest acts for an unforgettablelive music experience.  Since its inception in 1968, Summerfest continues to distinguish itself as a premier national music festival and has developed an unrivaled reputation, consistently featuring hundreds of performances across 12 stages, throughout the 75-acre festival grounds along Lake Michigan. Summerfest will take place over three weekends – June 19-21, June 26-28, July 3-5, 2025. For more details, visit Summerfest.com, or follow us on social media @Summerfest on Facebook, Instagram, X, and TikTok.

Milwaukee World Festival, Inc., producer of Summerfest, continues to fulfill its nonprofit mission of bringing the community together and providing a showcase for performing arts, activities, and recreation to the public, through music and special events.

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.