Guide to Breakaway Music Festival 2026: From FISHER to Grabbitz, KREAM & more

Local Spins’ ‘Looking for the Perfect Beat’ columnist Todd Ernst digs into the offerings of the electronic music celebration unfolding this weekend at Grand Rapids’ Belknap Park, including pro-user tips.

 

SCROLL DOWN FOR SCHEDULE, TICKET LINKS, USER TIPS

Each August, I sit down to write this column and reach for a single word to describe where Breakaway Michigan sits in its evolution.

A few years back, the operative word was “incremental.” In 2023 it became “exponential,” and I went so far as to call the Tiësto-and-Deadmau5 leap a “tectonic shift.” Last year, I marveled that watching this thing grow up in West Michigan has been one of the coolest things I’ve witnessed in my 35-plus years in this industry.

This year, the word is “institutional.”

I don’t use that one lightly, and I mean it as a compliment, of course.

A little context for those new to Breakaway or even this column: Prime Social Group of Columbus and MiEntertainment Group of Lansing launched Breakaway Michigan in 2017 — at a location somewhat triangulated between major festivals such as Movement in Detroit, ARC in Chicago and Electric Forest in Rothbury. What started as a bet on an underserved market has become, by the brand’s own accounting, the nation’s largest independent multi-city touring festival.

Fast forward to 2026: In March, Breakaway closed a nine-figure Series B valuation that Nasdaq trumpeted from a jumbotron in Times Square — the kind of milestone that turns a scrappy festival brand into a genuine institution. But if you’ve watched this thing from the beginning, that sort of altitude comes as no great surprise. This has always been a company in perpetual growth mode.

And it’s still growing. Breakaway’s 2026 tour hits a record-high 13 cities nationwide — including three brand new markets in New York City, Houston and Salt Lake City — with Michigan landing as the eighth stop of the run. The new capital, the company says, will fuel a push overseas, with multiple festivals planned across Asia next year.

Co-founder Adam Lynn framed it as a reflection of what the team has built, adding that the company is finally ready “to take Breakaway to the world.” Fellow co-founder Zach Ruben, for his part, credited years of building “infrastructure and a culture that scales.” None of that, of course, happens without the fans in markets like ours showing up year after year.

Truth be told, I never imagined the little festival that debuted on a Grand Rapids hillside almost a decade ago would one day be the subject of a Times Square pronouncement. But here we are — and here’s the part I never tire of pointing out: Grand Rapids was only the second Breakaway ever created. That means our humble hillside on the north edge of downtown is quite literally part of the foundation that this now-national brand was built upon, and West Michigan has had a hand in shaping what Breakaway has become since darned near Day 1.

Closer to home, MiEntertainment — which also produces the metal-driven Upheaval Festival at Belknap every July — once again knows this park better than anyone.

Breakaway Michigan 2026 will feature headline sets from FISHER, Subtronics, Gigantic NGHTMRE (the combined force of Big Gigantic and NGHTMRE), it’s murph and a special bass set from Two Friends. The undercard runs deep with Canabliss, Daniel Allan, D.O.D, Dr. Fresch, Grabbitz, HILLS, Know Good, KREAM, LOSTBOYJAY, PHRVA, SKILAH, TWINSICK, Wuki and YDG — plus a homegrown contingent of West Michigan’s own Blüejay, KHØDA LEON, Lowke B2B RØNAN, MattB and RIINK.

Historically, I don’t offer much context about the headliners — to be frank, they’re the headliners and don’t need much recognition from me. This year, though, I’m making a couple of exceptions, because a few of the names at the very top of the bill happen to be artists I’d send you to see even if they were spinning at 3 in the afternoon. Thus, below are a handful of artists worthy of your attention, in alphabetical order.

MUST-SEE PICKS

Daniel Allan (6:40 p.m. Saturday, The L.A.B) – If your taste in dance music leans toward the emotional, song-driven end of the spectrum, do not sleep on Daniel Allan. The Brooklyn-based producer has built a reputation as one of electronic-pop’s great collaborators, stitching together glittering synths, big hooks and a genuine pop songwriter’s instinct. It’s a different dialect than the four-on-the-floor and bass sets that surround it on this bill, and that contrast is exactly why I’d carve out time for it.
https://www.instagram.com/danielallanmusic/
https://open.spotify.com/artist/5JQ1XqKJ2Art01rF4tu1Ra

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D.O.D (8:40 p.m. Saturday, The L.A.B) – The U.K. has long been a reliable exporter of house and tech-house talent, and D.O.D sits comfortably in that lineage. Known for infectious, festival-sized bass lines and edits that detonate a dance floor, he’s the kind of artist whose tracks you’ve almost certainly heard even if you didn’t catch the name. For my four-on-the-floor friends, this is a set built for peak-hour movement.
https://www.instagram.com/dj_dod/
https://open.spotify.com/artist/0Cs47vvRsPgEfliBU9KDiB

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FISHER (9:45 p.m. Friday, Main Stage) – Let’s start with the obvious. When one of the biggest house music artists on the planet is anchoring your weekend, you clear the schedule. The Australian former pro bodyboarder turned dance-music juggernaut built an empire on the simplest of premises: enormous, grinning, impossible-not-to-move-to tech-house. His breakout “Losing It” earned a Grammy nomination and still stands as one of the defining festival anthems of the last decade, and a FISHER set is equal parts world-class DJing and stand-up comedy. If you’ve somehow never experienced him in a field full of people losing their minds, do yourself a favor this weekend.
https://www.instagram.com/followthefishtv
open.spotify.com/artist/1VJ0briNOlXRtJUAzoUJdt

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Grabbitz (5:25 p.m. Saturday, Main Stage) – Here’s a wildcard I love that the Breakaway team booked. The Buffalo, New York-bred Grabbitz is a rare multi-hyphenate — a producer who also sings, writes and refuses to be boxed into a single genre. You may know him best from his collaboration with deadmau5 on “Let Go,” but that only scratches the surface. Expect a set that veers from melodic and vulnerable to downright heavy, sometimes within the same breath. If you appreciate an artist who can actually perform and not just press play, post up for this one.
https://www.instagram.com/grabbitz/
open.spotify.com/artist/4fv1OFJywZ7DHCz3mVQQ45

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it’s murph (8:35 p.m. Friday, Main Stage) – Here’s the exception I’m most fired up about. it’s murph has been on one of the more remarkable ascents in recent memory, vaulting from buzzy up-and-comer to bona fide headliner on the back of relentlessly high-energy house and tech-house that’s tailor-made for a crowd like ours. West Michigan — planted right in that triangulation of Movement, ARC and Electric Forest as I mentioned up top — has always had an appetite for four-on-the-floor grooves with a little grit to them, and murph delivers in spades. This is the set that’ll capture exactly why his rise has been so fast: Don’t be the one who slept on it.
instagram.com/itsmurph
open.spotify.com/artist/3zW0xazqnHoq9QV9zBROVC

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KREAM (7:30 p.m. Friday, Main Stage) – The Norwegian sibling duo of Markus and Daniel Slettebakken has spent the better part of a decade refining a melodic house and bass sound that’s equal parts radio-ready and dance floor-ready. It’s polished, it’s euphoric, and it translates beautifully to an outdoor stage as the sun goes down over Belknap. If you’re bringing someone to their first festival this weekend, KREAM is an accessible on-ramp into why we all keep coming back.
instagram.com/wearekream
open.spotify.com/artist/0DdDnziut7wOo6cAYWVZC5

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LOCALS WORTH NOTING

Blüejay (4:00 p.m. Friday, The L.A.B) – West Michigan’s Andrea Jeffries aka Blüejay has become one of the more talked-about rising names in the region’s dubstep and bass community, and Local Spins readers may recall we recently caught up with the artist who embraces a “high-energy” sound within a welcoming local EDM scene. There’s something special about watching a hometown act step onto a Breakaway stage, and if you want to say you saw them before the rest of the country caught on, this is your set.
instagram.com/andreajeffries_
soundcloud.com/andrea-jeffries-950955545

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DJ Dolce (10:00 p.m. Saturday, Breakaway official after-party — The Intersection, Elevation) Room) – Chad Carter — better known around these parts as DJ Dolce — draws direct support for Wuki on Saturday night, and has been rocking dance floors for better than 25 years, and yes, that lands him squarely in the same age bracket as a few of your parents. Here’s the thing, though: that’s a feature and not a bug. Some of the most locked-in performances you’ll hear at festivals, large and small alike, come from the folks who’ve been at it the longest — call it aging like fine wine if you want, I just call it a master at work.
instagram.com/djdolce.32
mixcloud.com/DOLCE32

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TICKETS, GETTING TO BELKNAP PARK AND PRO-USER TIPS

TICKETS: Breakaway offers several tiers this year. Two-day general admission starts at $159, with VIP starting at $249, along with an Ultimate VIP option and the 21-and-up Space Deck Terrace. For those seeking the most premium experience, Space Deck tables are available by inquiry. Get tickets and more information online here.

THE SETTING: One of the “headliners,” for lack of a better word, at Breakaway has always been the natural setting of Belknap Park. While primarily known for its ice arena, ball diamonds and pickleball courts, the park also features an earthwork sculpture called Grand Rapids Project X, created by artist Robert Morris in the 1970s and cut into the hillside. At the top of that hill, attendees get a bird’s-eye view of the action — and it’s where you’ll find the Silent Disco, featuring a small army of West Michigan’s best up-and-coming DJ and producer talent.

ON-SITE: Beyond the presenting-sponsor CELSIUS activation, this year’s footprint includes a White Claw Surge VIP lounge and a slate of branded experiences from the likes of Tito’s Handmade Vodka, BeatBox, hiyo, NOYZ, Loose Lucy’s and the harm-reduction nonprofit End Overdose, with official festival merch powered by BELLA+CANVAS.

PARKING: If you’re driving, it’s easiest to park a few blocks west in the Monroe North area, as it’s a safe and short walk to Belknap Park. Please consider that if you want events like Breakaway to continue, it helps to be respectful of the surrounding area by not littering and the like. Keep an eye on Breakaway’s social media feeds for real-time updates and optimal Lyft/Uber pick-up and drop-off areas.

PARENTS: If you’re thinking of dropping off your kids and returning for a pickup later, might I suggest the Embassy Suites or Canal Park on North Monroe. There are plenty of people walking this same path, so they’ll be safe and in good company. There are also plenty of local establishments to hang out at if you’re looking to have a date night while the kids are off at the show.

RESPECT THE VENUE AND THE NEIGHBORHOOD: It always helps to remember to be a good steward of your city, as we aren’t afforded many opportunities such as Breakaway in Grand Rapids. Small gestures like picking up trash, helping strangers find their way, and thanking people like Grand Rapids police and firefighters for their respective efforts go a long way toward establishing the long-term success of an event such as Breakaway.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Todd Ernst has been an electronic music DJ and promoter for 35-plus years, and performs as the artist TELLURIUM. While his days are spent as the owner of an indie real estate brokerage, he also owns EXSIGN, an experiential design entity that manages corporate, non-profit and nightlife events like Irish On Ionia and TEDxGrandRapids. He regularly provides insights into the electronic music world with his ‘Looking for the Perfect Beat’ columns at Local Spins.

BREAKAWAY 2026: THE SCHEDULE

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