Guide to Breakaway Music Festival 2025: From Rezz to Delato, Mitis, Disco Lines & more

Local Spins’ Looking for the Perfect Beat columnist Todd Ernst digs into the offerings and artists of the electronic music celebration unfolding this weekend at Grand Rapids’ Belknap Park.

 

SCROLL DOWN FOR SCHEDULE, USERS’ GUIDE

If Breakaway 2024 proved anything, it’s that West Michigan is willing and able to embrace emerging talent as well as established headliners.

With near record tickets sales, that strategy is not entirely by accident as fan demand has caused Breakaway to migrate to even more cities across the United States, 12 total to be exact.

“The idea has always been to get ahead of next year’s talent booking process as soon as possible, especially with some of our headliners, and we always enjoy bringing a mix of different dance music genres that we attempt to curate specifically for Grand Rapids fans’ musical tastes,” Breakaway’s talent buyer Mike Avdey told Local Spins in 2024.

Prime Social Group of Columbus, Ohio, and MiEntertainemt Group of Lansing debuted Grand Rapids’ Breakaway in 2017 — at a location that somewhat triangulated major festivals like Movement in Detroit, ARC in Chicago, and Electric Forest in Rothbury.

“For eight years, Grand Rapids has felt like a second home to Breakaway,” said Zach Ruben, Breakaway co-founder. “Our partnership with MiEntertainment has been invaluable and we’re excited to continue to build on the incredible support the city and the locals have shown us.

Together over the years, we’ve been proud to expand the local music scene at the beautiful Belknap Park by showcasing a diverse mix of EDM, pop and hip hop. The talent we’re bringing to headline our Breakaway Michigan festival in the heart of Grand Rapids is nothing short of elite.”

Truth be told, watching Breakaway Michigan evolve within West Michigan has been one of the coolest things I have witnessed in my 35-plus years in this industry. At the top of that list: the new second stage, aka The Launch Pad, at the top of Belknap Park, which will return in 2025, presumably with more assets and armed with high-end production. The Launch Pad has more of a proper club feel than anything else, and it struck me this was more of the house music artists laying down the groove.

Of course, MiEntertainment knows Belknap Park better than most, as the company also produces the rock music festival Upheaval there every July.

“Breakaway Michigan has evolved into a vibrant celebration at Belknap Park that has significantly shaped the cultural landscape of West Michigan since 2017,” said MiEntertainment partner Chris Meyer.

“Its growth reflects not only our commitment to live music and community but also the increasing demand for immersive experiences that bring people together. We’re proud to be a catalyst for creativity and connection, making a lasting impact in Grand Rapids.”

Breakaway Michigan 2025 will feature performances by headliners Rezz, Zedd, Gryffin and ISOxo; along with undercard sets from well established artists like Badger, Disco Lines, DJ MANDY, Frank Walker, INZO, Jkyl & Hyde, Klo, MitiS, MUZZ, Nikita, The Wicked, OMNOM, STVSH, Tape B, Viperacive, VNSSA and Wax Motif. Michigan’s own up-and-coming Delato also returns to the festival.

New to the event this year is host Bobby Hendrickson of Instagram’s social media magnet @DJLoversClub — a great example of Breakaway’s forward-thinking ethos, as Bobby has become one of the electronic music’s most prominent voices. He does an amazing job of advocacy, education, and every once in a while, some amazing humor to lighten the mood.

Perhaps just as important is Breakaway’s new artist incubator called Breakaway Projects, which will serve as a cutting-edge record label and management venture to champion emerging talent and elevate the next generation of artists.

With 20 national touring acts, four DJ’s local to West Michigan, and a small army of up and comers at the Silent Disco, the 2025 festival covers a lot of territory and favorite styles. Historically, I don’t offer much context about the headliners, because to be frank they’re the headliners and don’t need much recognition.

Thus, below are a handful of artists worthy of your attention in alphabetic order.

---

MUST-SEE PICKS

Delato (4 p.m. Saturday, The Launch Pad) – The recently graduated from high school 18-year-old from Mount Pleasant has showcased some of the most forward thinking production efforts I have experienced, never-mind from someone his age. Perhaps my only snag with the weekend, is wanting to hear his newest effort “La De Da” in a dark steamy warehouse where grit like this belongs. I don’t make many predictions nor promises in this industry, but make sure you join Delato’s ride early on as a decade from now he is going on the main stage at events like EDC and Ultra.
https://www.instagram.com/delato_music
https://open.spotify.com/artist/4ZAuCZ8WiXMqG84F5iKY1m

---

Disco Lines (7:25 p.m. Friday, Main Stage) – A few years back, the Boulder, Colo.-based Disco Lines was a bit of an emerging yet off-the-radar dark horse leading into Electric Forest, but his set at the Carousel Club was one that shook Rothbury to its foundation.
Coming off of massive festival appearances at Coachella and EDC, along with a highly coveted residency at LIV Las Vegas, he is hardly an under-card act as his time slot might suggest. His smash hit, “No Broke Boys,” with vocalist Tenashe is coming up on 100 million listens on Spotify in barely two months since its release, making it the summer anthem of 2025.
https://www.instagram.com/discolines
https://open.spotify.com/artist/5Kmr0b3ip8g9P2i0dLTC3Z?si=kslXOJyMQwuKIgnyM-gVgw

---

MitiS (7:35 p.m. Friday, The Launch Pad) – It’s not very often you hear of a Philadelphia-raised, classically trained pianist with Carnegie Hall experience who’s also an artist on the electronic music festival circuit, but that is exactly where the piano-driven melodic bass artist MitiS has landed. Captivating, emotional and inspiring, the Groove Cruise resident DJ is certain to hit you in “all the feels” as the saying goes.
https://www.instagram.com/mitis
https://open.spotify.com/artist/16yUpGkBRgc2eDMd3bB3Uw?si=faQg7q64QuW-BFW03Xffpg

---

OMNOM (7:35 p.m. Saturday, The Launch Pad) – With a sound that is somewhere between Dom Dolla and Layton Giordani, OMNOM’s bass-house and tech-house productions often found on John Summit’s Experts Only label are one of a kind. His blistering 2023 collaboration with Odd Mob (aka Hyperbeam) on “Losing Control” claimed the No. 1 spot on Beatport’s Top 100. Not long thereafter, the duo teamed up again on “Okay Fine,” which was one of the top club anthems globally. If there is one artist not to missed this weekend it’s the L.A.-based OMNOM.
https://www.instagram.com/imomnom
https://open.spotify.com/artist/3PYRXP25JcbqhvNaJYcnWy?si=Fah9OxCeReu6SOymckvp4A

---

Wax Motif (8:40 p.m. Saturday, The Launch Pad) – When you hear fans use the colloquial saying, “They’re the real deal,” it’s artists such as Wax Motif they have in mind. The Australian-born and L.A.-based DJ and producer teamed up with Kyle Watson for their 2025 summer smash, “Push Up,” but it was his 2022 debut album, “House of Wax,” that cemented him somewhere between chilled summer vibes and dance floor bangers.
https://www.instagram.com/waxmotif
https://open.spotify.com/artist/7zm3aSdmGiOkTt0aZFSO8R?si=VkvMSQNtQsu-V1SaO8qKjw

---

TICKETS, GETTING TO BELKNAP PARK AND PRO-USER TIPS

General admission two-day tickets to Breakaway are $199.02, with a VIP option at $299. A one-day Friday pass is $110 ($199.01 VIP), with Saturday passes $99 ($160 VIP). Get tickets and more information online here.

The official after-parties take place at 10:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday at The Intersection in Grand Rapids. Friday’s affair will feature sets from Inzo, Lowke and Blüejay; details, tickets here. Saturday’s after-poarty will feature Wax Motif, Chase Carter and Delato. Tickets and information here.

While primarily known for its ice arena, ball diamonds and pickleball courts, Belknap Park makes an ideal festival site. What many don’t know is that in the 1970s, an earthwork sculpture called Grand Rapids Project X was created by artist Robert Morris, and cut into the hillside.

Those driving to the festival can park a few blocks west in the Monroe North area, as it is a safe/short walk to Belknap Park. Consider that if you want events like Breakaway to continue, it helps to be respectful to the surrounding area by not littering and the likes.

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 will be safe and in good company. Also, there are 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.

Keep an eye on Breakaway’s social media feeds for real-time updates and optimal Lyft/Uber pick-up and drop-off areas.

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 goes a long way in establishing the long-term success of an event such as Breakaway.

---

BREAKAWAY FESTIVAL 2025: THE SCHEDULE

Copyright 2025, Spins on Music LLC