A milestone year for RiseFest turned into a record-setting weekend in Sheldon, as the Christian music festival drew more than 30,000 attendees and surpassed a long-discussed attendance goal.
According to RISE Ministries, total attendance for the two-day festival reached 30,100 people, including 14,200 attendees on Friday and 15,900 on Saturday. Organizers also reported 52 baptisms during the event.
The weekend marked the 20th anniversary of RiseFest and the 25th anniversary of RISE Ministries.
Surpassing a Long-Discussed Goal
Rise Ministries Founder and CEO Rob Roozeboom says organizers had been trying for several years to break Sheldon’s all-time attendance record.
Organizers had previously hoped to surpass the largest documented gathering in Sheldon history — a 1924 Ku Klux Klan rally estimated at 25,000 people. RiseFest fell short of that mark in 2024, drawing 23,970 attendees, which was still a festival attendance record at the time.
This year’s total exceeded that mark by more than 5,000 people.
Youth and Family Turnout
Roozeboom says the record-setting weekend was driven by strong attendance from families and young people, particularly during Friday night’s performances.
This year’s lineup included artists such as Josiah Queen, Phil Wickham, Ben Fuller, Terrian, Hulvey, and Katy Nichole.
Taking Back Ground
The festival’s 2026 theme centered around “Taking Back Ground,” a message Roozeboom says focused on faith, restoration, and spiritual renewal.
For the first time in festival history, baptisms were also held during the event. Roozeboom described emotional moments involving families being baptized together after making decisions to follow Christ.
Challenges Behind the Scenes
Roozeboom says organizers faced some logistical challenges throughout the weekend, particularly with parking and crowd management, but credited volunteers and staff for adapting quickly as attendance surged beyond expectations. He also noted that RISE Ministries is continuing to deal with a hacking issue involving the festival’s ticketing platform. As of Tuesday morning (June 16), Roozeboom said they were very close to resolving the issue.
Despite those challenges, Roozeboom says the overwhelming feeling following the weekend is gratitude.
Tickets for RiseFest 2027 are currently available at a discounted rate of $52 through the end of the day on Friday.
