Blissfest blessed with blue skies, rootsy energy; Beaver Island set for myriadic music

Northern Michigan is alive with vibrant music. One much-admired festival, Blissfest, closed out on Sunday, and another, Beaver Island Music Festival, heats up Thursday. A festival recap & a festival preview.

 

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Experiencing live music amid the splendor of northern Michigan’s natural wonders can’t be rivaled.

Just ask the blissful sold-out crowds at last weekend’s Blissfest, held near Cross Village with headlining sets by Galactic, Infamous Stringdusters, Original Wailers and Theo Katzman and a bevy of performances by other national and regional acts on several stages.

Or the smaller-but-just-as-enthusiastic cadre of fans who will make the two-and-a-half hour ferry ride from Charlevoix to Beaver Island for one of the state’s most remote and most unique celebrations, the Beaver Island Music Festival that kicks off on Thursday.

Today, Local Spins recaps Blissfest in words and photos, and previews the upcoming Beaver Island Music Festival.

BLISSFEST REVELS IN ENERGETIC SETS, STELLAR WEATHER

As performer, perennial attendee and Local Spins writer Sean Miller put it, there’s nothing quite like “seeing friends from all over the state coming together for a weekend of music” — especially when they’re coming together at Blissfest.

With more than 100 performances on a half-dozen stages and numerous other music- and family-geared activities, Blissfest 2026 unfurled over three days north of Harbor Springs amid blue skies and festival-friendly weather.

Miller captured some of the highlights in words and photos:

• It was great seeing West Michigan guitarist-singer Austin Benzing perform both solo and with backing vocals and harmonies from the Grand Rapids area band August.

• Petoskey-based Levitator rocked the second stage while fans of all ages danced to both old songs and new from the high-energy rock band.

• Watching the open mic and hearing songs and stories from all ages and walks of life on Saturday morning was a special treat. The youngest performer was photographer/writer Sean Miller’s, two-year-old daughter who sang “Let it Go.”

• It’s always fun walking through the woods and camping grounds to see what camp creations have taken over the festival and what new decorations I’ll find.

• Northern Michigan’s Sierra Cassidy played with her duo partner as i.am.james at the Song Tree, joined by Cassidy’s son, celebrating his third birthday.

• The energy of the crowd at Main Stage this year was unmatched as Nashville’s Infamous Stringdusters and New Orleans’ Galactic hit the stage.

• Colorado-based Banshee Tree had everyone up and dancing during their Saturday night set at Third Stage.

• Louisiana’s Jordan Thibodeaux et Les Rodailleurs was a highlight and brought a killer set to both his Saturday night and Sunday afternoon sets.

• West Michigan’s Kyle Brown & The Human Condition rocked their set at the Blisstrodome on Saturday night.

• Dead at the Winery closed out the third stage Sunday evening to a large crowd packed in to hear their favorite Grateful Dead tunes.

• The Infamous Stringdusters brought a high-energy bluegrass experience to the people of Blissfest Saturday night. (The Infamous Stringdusters followed that with a performance Sunday at Warner Vineyards in Paw Paw; view the photo gallery below.)

PHOTO GALLERY: Blissfest 2026
Photos by Sean Miller

PHOTO GALLERY: The Infamous Stringdusters, Wilson Thicket at Warner Vineyards
Photos by Derek Ketchum

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BEAVER ISLAND MUSIC FESTIVAL 2026: A PREVIEW

For more than two decades, upwards of 1,500 festivalgoers and musicians have been making the annual trek to Beaver Island in the midst of northern Lake Michigan to immerse themselves in live music — most making the trip by ferry from Charlevoix, others by seaplane.

Not surprisingly, the Beaver Island Music Festival ranks as an experience unlike any other, thanks to its remote location and the unique camaraderie inspired by this island environment.

Tirelessly organized by Carol and Dan Burton, and hosted by the Patrons of the Arts in Rural Communities, BIMF 2026 — taking place Thursday through Saturday (July 16-18) — follows the pattern of past festivals with an incredibly diverse lineup of bands from Michigan and across the country.

Festival favorite Aqua Cherry, a reggae and rock fireball outfit from New York, returns to play the festival on Friday and Saturday nights, joining Florida psych-roots-rock band Hymn for Her, Brooklyn indie trio Gooseberry, Grand Rapids rock band The Legal Immigrants, Traverse City funk/electronic band G-Snacks & Five, Howard City country singer Tyler Gitchel, Cleveland bluegrass/folk band Lea Marra & The River Boys and many more on the weekend bill.

The main festival lineup kicks off at 5 p.m. Thursday, but events and performances take place throughout the day in town as well.

Adult day passes are $65-$70; three-day adult passes are $175 (discounts for seniors/children), available online here. Ferry packages also are available but tend to sell out. Get more info below.

BEAVER ISLAND MUSIC FESTIVAL ESSENTIALS

WHEN: Thursday-Saturday (July 16-18)
WHERE: Beaver Island in northern Lake Michigan
WEBSITE: https://bimf.net/
THE DRIVE (to Charlevoix for ferry or airway service):
177 miles (2 hours, 45 minutes) north of Grand Rapids
226 miles (3 hours, 23 minutes) north of Kalamazoo
269 miles (4 hours) northwest of Detroit
209 miles (3 hours, 17 minutes) northwest of Lansing
50 miles (1 hour) northeast of Traverse City
THE LINEUP: Aqua Cherry, Hymn for Her, Gooseberry, G-Snacks, Skitchfall, Tyler Gitchel, South for Winter, Dave & Kristi, Sweet Megg, Jonahan Plevyak, Lea Marra & The River Boys, Charless & Cam, The Legal Immigrants, Chris Winkleman, Tunes Rock Band. Get details and the full schedule at bimf.net.
QUOTES: “The land, the unmatched kindness and care of the curators (The Burtons), close interaction with fans and artists alike. The diversity of music that comes from all over, not just our beloved Mitten, all the wonderful kids-focused and family-forward style.” – Christopher “Wink” Winkelman
“It’s fun rockin’ out on an island in the middle of Lake Michigan.” – Justin Perry of G-Snacks
TICKETS: $175 for a three-day adult ticket; $135 for two-day adult ticket; $65-$70 for one-day adult pass (discounts for teens/seniors); available online here. Children 12 and younger are free. Tickets include camping. In addition, festivalgoers need a ferry pass through Beaver Island Boat Co. or airway service via Island Airways.

Copyright 2026, Spins on Music LLC