The Board of Directors for Milwaukee World Festival, Inc. has approved and announced several changes in admission ticket pricing for Summerfest 2006, including a reduction in the price of weekday, daytime admission and a slight increase in the price of evening and weekend admission.

The changes will also feature several new advance sale options, which will provide patrons with the opportunity to purchase discounted and added-value tickets.

For Summerfest 2006, the price of a weekday (noon - 4 pm) adult ticket purchased at the gate will be only $8 -- a savings of $4, compared to 2005. Evening and weekend adult admission tickets purchased at the gate will be $15. Children and senior tickets will remain $3.

Beginning Thursday, Dec. 15 at noon, patrons can purchase a two-day pass through Ticketmaster for only $20, representing a $10 savings off the 2006 gate price. This highly discounted ticket will only be available through March 31. From April 1 through June 15 the price of the two-day pass will increase to $23, which represents a savings of $7. Single-day passes can be purchased for $14 from today through June 15.

The various discount options and the retail promotion will take the place of the 3-day pass and the Big Gig Value Card, both of which will be discontinued in 2006.

While Summerfest has managed to maintain a gate admission price of $12 for the past three years, 2006 pricing has been modified to better reflect the current market value and conditions. In addition, the adjustment will enable the festival to focus on improving the quality of the festival, including the musical lineup, and manage perpetually increasing entertainment production costs.