The iconic northern Michigan music festival unfurling in July augments national stars with regional faves Larry McCray, May Erlewine, Joe Hertler and The Rebel Eves. The lineup and more at Local Spins.
Bringing the Funk to Blissfest: Singer Anjelika “Jelly” Joseph and Galactic are one of the 2026 festival headliners. (Photo/Anthony Norkus)
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For 2026, musical bliss will come in the form of New Orleans funk, Nashville jamgrass, legendary Jamaican reggae and more.
Blissfest, the iconic northern Michigan music festival taking place July 10-12, has announced that Galactic (with singer Jelly Joseph), The Infamous Stringdusters, The Original Wailers (featuring Al Anderson) and Theo Katzman will headline this year’s celebration, with Michigan favorites Larry McCray, May Erlewine and Joe Hertler & The Rainbow Seekers also on tap.
The annual festival unfurling for the 44th time on a 200-acre farm outside Cross Village will boast more than 125 diverse acts performing on a bevy of stages, including Vienna Teng, Jourdan Thibodeaux et Les Rodailleurs, LowDown Brass Band, The Rebel Eves, The Claudettes, Djangophonique, Jordan Hamilton Trio, Dave Sharp Worlds Quartet and Seth Bernard.
The Beauty of Blissfest: Returns in July. (Photo/Vincent Brady)
“This lineup reflects how deeply interwoven all music is,” said Caroline Barlow, artistic director and co-director of the festival.
“What emerged here is inspired by what Joe Boyd writes about in his book, ‘And the Roots of Rhythm Remain.’ It’s about the melting pot of cultures, languages and rhythms. Every style is connected in some way with influences that can span the entire globe, and that root of it is rhythm, the roots of music that persist through blues, jazz, folk, and world traditions.”
World music of all kinds will be on display, along with bluegrass, country, blues, soul, rock, pop and more. “At a festival, you can see the mosaic of music come alive,” noted Barlow. (View the full lineup in the poster below.)
A ‘THRILL’ TO PLAY A ‘MAGICAL’ FESTIVAL, SAY MICHIGAN ARTISTS
For Michigan acts, it’s “a thrill to return to the gigantic weekend that is Bliss,” noted northern Michigan singer and keyboardist Charlie Millard, whose band will once again play the July festival.
“The Charlie Millard Band has performed at Blissfest every few years since 2015 in different iterations and with a variety of special guests. This summit of a festival brings collaboration and is one of the unique aspects of Bliss; there’s most certainly many reunions onstage and surprises to be had. We can’t wait. … Bringing with us a new set, studio album and sound to folks that have followed us for years, as well as plenty of new ears. We’re grateful to have such an opportunity to play our hearts loud and see folks spin with us.”
The Rebel Eves: Returning to one of their favorite festivals. (Photo/Derek Ketchum)
The Rebel Eves indie-folk super-group has been tabbed to play Blissfest for the second time.
“It is still on our list of favorite festivals we’ve ever played,” said band member and singer-songwriter Jilian Linklater. “As three Michiganders, we are proud that such an amazing festival is in our home state. Like most things, the people are what make this festival so great. The environment is so open, fun and uplifting: The folks that attend are so welcoming. There’s a real sense of togetherness at the festival.”
Linklater called the festival grounds “magical,” with the camping area “like a little fairy world. What better place to be than northern Michigan in the summer?”
As always, the festival will also feature hands-on workshops, yoga and sound baths, a children’s tent, crafting and craft show, late-night silent disco and food trucks.
Barlow said the only change from previous years is that organizers have moved the healing arts area “to a dedicated area all under one tent where the ‘Michigan Pickin’ tent was. It will be called the ‘Michigan Healing Arts Oasis.’ The jam pickin’ tent will now be at the Harmony Dome.”
Adult weekend tickets, $225, are available online here, with teen passes priced at $100. Parking, camping, RV and Saturday/Sunday day passes also are available.
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