Spring means lineups for many Michigan music festivals have sprung. Artists appearing at several also are featured in this week’s Local Spins Michigan music showcase radio podcast.
Time to Celebrate: Summer festivals are revealing their lineups throughout the spring. (Photo/Eric Stoike)
SCROLL DOWN FOR SOME FESTIVAL LINEUPS, RADIO SHOW PODCAST
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West Michigan singer-songwriter and guitarist Eric Engblade — who’ll perform this summer at the Forest Trail Music Festival in Free Soil and Blissfest north of Harbor Springs — doesn’t mince words in describing the significance of Michigan’s summer music festival season.
“I grew up going to Michigan music festivals so performing at them really is a childhood dream come true,” he declares.
Multi-instrumentalist and singer Justin Avdek, who’ll also be playing Blissfest in July, appreciates the enthusiasm of festival attendees. “A built-in music listening crowd is always my favorite thing about festivals, especially Bliss,” he says, “and seeing your community thriving and smiling.”
Justin Avdek (Photo/Chelsea Whitaker)
Both Michigan artists will also have new music to share at these summer celebrations: Engblade’s “Plant Our Trees, Vol. 1” and Avdek’s “Songs for Cowboys (For People Who Aren’t Cowboys)” officially drop tonight during a dual-release show at 8 p.m. at Tip Top Deluxe Bar & Grill in Grand Rapids. Details, tickets here.
Songs from both albums also are featured in this week’s Local Spins Michigan Music Showcase on WYCE (88.1 FM) and Interlochen Public Radio, along with another festival favorite, Kalamazoo’s The Go Rounds, who recently released a new recording, “Donut,” and will perform at June’s Buttermilk Jamboree in Delton and Smiling Acres Music Festival in Trufant, as well as frontman Graham Parsons’ own Farm Block Festival taking place in early August. The Rebel Eves are also featured at Buttermilk Jamboree and in this week’s show.
Scroll down for the radio show podcast that also features an interview with Dominic John Davis (of the Jack White band) and music by Larry McCray, Greet Death, Pop Evil, Jack White, G’itis Baggs, Out of Favor Boys and Melophobix. (Read more about Dominic John Davis in this Local Spins Artist Spotlight.)
To help you plan your summer, here are recently announced lineups for several Michigan music festivals. Find a full listing of Michigan music festivals with links to their websites here: MICHIGAN MUSIC FESTIVALS 2025.
• Blissfest, July 11-13, Harbor Springs/Cross Village (wristbands on sale now) – Trevor Hall, ,Ozomatli, Elephant Revival, JigJam, Lindsay Lou, Bobby Alu, Steve Poltz, Toubab Krewe, Bandits on the Run, Corey Harris, Harry Manx, The Mammals, R.O. Shapiro, May Erlewine, Pajamaz, MOLLY, Chirp, Hannah Rose Graves, Jen Sygit Trio, Corey Harris & Cedric Watson and many more.
Dominic John Davis (Photo/David James Swanson)
• Wheatland Music Festival, Sept. 5-7, Remus (member ticket sales begin June 2, public sales June 9) – AJ Lee & Blue Summit, Solas, Steve Poltz, Cristina Vane, The Gibson Brothers, The Revelers, Kittel & Co,. Ladama, The Wild Shoats, Nikki ‘D’ & The Sisters of Thunder, Catfish Keith, La R’voyure, The Go Rounds, Crazy Chestur, The Rebel Eves, The Wild Honey Collective, The Velvet Boys, Creole du Nord, Third Coast Swing, The All American Funk Parade, The Palooka Brothers, Blue Water Ramblers, Ed Dupas, The Schrock Bros, Andy Baker, Mike Ward and more.
• Detroit Jazz Festival, Aug. 29-Sept. 1, Detroit (VIP passes available now) – Branford Marsalis, Jason Moran, John Scofield, Keyon Harrold, Maria Schneider Orchestra, Chucho Valdés, Kenny Barron, Chris Potter, John Pizzarelli, Connie Han, Marion Hayden, Dr. Ruben Omar Sosa and more.
• Forest Trail Music Festival, Aug. 22-24, Free Soil (tickets on sale now) – Myron Elkins, The Gasoline Gypsies, Mark Lavengood Band, Candid Antics, Hannah Rose Graves, Nicholas James & The Bandwagon, Brother Crowe, Nathan Walton & The Remedy, The Erly and more.
• Nor-East’R Music & Art Festival, June 13-15, Mio (tickets available now) – Erin Zindle & The Ragbirds, Wilson Thicket, Schrock Bros featuring The Wilsons & Peter Madcat Ruth, Amy Petty, Michael Robertson, Michelle Held, The Rough & Tumble, Annie Bacon & Her OSHEN, Ben Traverse, Badass Women Band, Jill Jack, The Whiskey Charmers, Push the City Cypher and many more.
Smiling Acres: May Erlewine in 2024. (Photo/Chelsea Whitaker)
• Smiling Acres Music Festival, June 27-29, Trufant (tickets available now) – The Go Rounds, Roosevelt Diggs, The Legal Immigrants, Jason Singer of Michigander, May Erlewine, Grace Theisen Trio, Erin Zindle & The Ragbirds, Desmond Jones, Cabildo, Billy Gunther & The Midwest riders, Candid Antics, The Incantations, Djangophonique, Mark Lavengood, Silver Creek Revival and more.
• Buttermilk Jamboree, June 13-15, Circle Pines Center in Delton (tickets on sale now) – Mucca Pazza, Laura Rain & The Caesars, Adrian + Meredith, Crys Matthews, Full Cord, The Go Rounds, Jordan Hamilton, Kait Rose & The Band of Thorns, The Mainstays, Red Sea Pedestrians, Samuel Nalangira, The Bootstrap Boys, Cabildo, Chirp, The Mickeys, Megan Dooley Trio and many more.
• Bus Benefit by Buses by the Beach, May 23-26, Smiling Acres in Trufant (passes on sale now) – Cold Leather Seats, Nicholas James & The Bandwagon, Kyle Brown & The Human Condition, Josh Rose & The Founding Fathers, Lady Ace Boogie, The Mainstays, Whorled, Adrian + Meredith, Hunter Root, Roosevelt Diggs and more.
• Movement, May 24-26, Hart Plaza in Detroit (tickets on sale now) – Anfisa Letyago, Carl Cox, Carl Craig, Chase & Status, DJ Gigola, DJ Minx, DJ Nobu, Ela Minus, HiTech, Jamie XX, John Summit, Klangkuenstler, Marcel Dettmann, Patrick Topping, Sama’ Abdulhadi, Sami Virji and many more.
• Upheaval Festival, July 18-19, Belknap Park in Grand Rapids (tickets on sale now) – Rob Zombie, Falling in Reverse, Architects, Crossfade, The Plot in You, Taproot, Scene Queen, The Funeral Portrait, Return to Dust, Wage War, Yelawolf, Dead Poet Society, Vended, Bodysnatcher, Royale Lynn, Nevertel and more.
• Breakaway Music Festival, Aug. 15-16, Belknap Park in Grand Rapids (tickets on sale now) – Zedd, Rezz, Gryffin, ISOxo, Badger, Disco Lines, DJ Mandy, Frank Walker, Inzo, Jkyl & Hyde, KLo, Mitis and more.
• Electric Forest, June 19-22, Double JJ Resort in Rothbury (wristbands available now) – Justice, Liquid Stranger, Sara Landry, Tiesto, Louis the Child, Worship, Fisher, Disclosure, Vintage Culture, Cloonee, Zeds Dead, Barry Can’t Swim, Khruangbin, Of the Trees, Mochakk, String Cheese Incident, Lilly Palmer, LowDown Brass Band, Evening Elephants, Loco Dice, Will Clarke and many more.
Upheaval Festival (Photo/Anthony Norkus)
• Charlotte Bluegrass Festival, June 19-21, Eaton County Fairgrounds in Charlotte (tickets on sale now) – Seldom Scene, Appalachian Roadshow, Volume Five, The Tennessee Bluegrass Band, Junior Sisk, Edgar Loudermilk Band, The David Mayfield Parade, Crabgrass, Kentucky Just Us, Cedar Creek and more.
• Beaver Island Music Festival, July 17-19, Beaver Island (tickets on sale now) – Birdie Country, Audrey Dupuis, South for Winter, The Whiskey Charmers, Jonathan Plevyak, The Real Ingredients, Carver Commodore, Katy Gullien & The Drive, Nathan Walton & The Remedy, Heat Above, G-Snacks, Joe Bockheim, Dave Boutette & Kristi Davis, Distant Stars and more.
• Tamarack Music Fest, July 25-26, Morley (tickets on sale now) – Aqua Cherry, The Fat Animals, Benzie Playboys, Brian Oberlin, Jaik Willis, The Bootstrap Boys, The Smokin’ Dobroleles, Cosmic Knot, Megan dooley, The Incantations, Leprecons, Hawks & Owls, Beaver Xing, The Turnips and more.
• Battle Creek Caribbean Festival, Aug. 16, Battle Creek – The Hurricane Reggae Band, Roots Vibrations, King Mellowman, DJ Assane.
• Porcupine Mountains Music Festival, Aug. 22-23, Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park in Ontonagon (tickets on sale now) – Scythian, Buckwheat Zydeco Jr. & The Legendary Ils Sont Partis Band, Damn Tall Buildings, The Slambovian Circus of Dreams, Charlie Parr, Miss Tess, Jeffrey Foucault, The Bootstrap Boys and more.
• Big Fam Music and Arts Festival, Sept. 26-28, The Groves of Michigan in Brooklyn (tickets on sale now) – Seth David, Qualia, Lowcation, Saturna, Saka and more.
• Michigan Irish Music Festival, Sept. 11-14, Heritage Landing in Muskegon (tickets on sale now) – Lunasa, Siomha, Blackthorn, Runa, Crossbow, Ally the Piper, Goitse, Gotak, Ruth & Max Bloomquist, Seamus Kennedy, Socks in the Frying Pan, The Peelers, Skerryvore, Whorled, Toby Bresnahan and more.
Your festival lineup not listed here? Email your performance roster and details to info@localspins.com.
PODCAST: Local Spins on WYCE (4/18/25)
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