Rocking Belknap: The guide to Upheaval Festival '25

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Spearheaded by headliners Rob Zombie and Falling in Reverse, this year’s festival features some musical twists and several Michigan bands as part of its three-stage assault. The Local Spins preview.

Back for 2025: Exuberant throngs of heavy metal-loving fans will return to Belknap Park. (Photo/Anthony Norkus)

SCROLL DOWN FOR FESTIVAL ESSENTIALS, SCHEDULE, VIDEOS, TICKET LINKS

Upheaval Festival returns to Grand Rapids’ Belknap Park this weekend and there’s plenty of intriguing metal mayhem to rattle the city’s north end.

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The hard-rocking two-day festival boasts big headbanging names such as Rob Zombie, Falling in Reverse, Wage War, Architects and Crossfade as well as several Michigan-bred bands ready to make a splash and strut their stuff while rubbing elbows with their metal heroes.

Not only that, but this year’s festival boasts a twist with a set from hip-hop/rap-rock/country rap star Yelawolf (4:55 p.m. Saturday on the Upheaval Stage), a multi-platinum-selling artist who just released a new collaborative album, “Whiskey & Roses,” with urban country act J. Michael Phillips.

Yelawolf (Photo/Alectra Busey)

The weekend also features one of Pandora’s “Artists to Watch 2025,” Atlanta emo-rock revivalists The Funeral Portrait, which performs Friday, and up-and-coming Nashville tunesmith Royale Lynn, a Saturday performer who melds hard rock, metal, country and more, displayed on her singles, “Six Feet Deep” and “Redneck Rockstar,” among others.

The weekend features sets by several Michigan bands, including Horizon Theory and Mr. Denton on Doomsday on Friday, and Forge the Sun and Our Vices on Saturday — all of them performing on the “Rising” stage.

“We are pumped to play Upheaval,” said Ally Rose, singer for Detroit’s Forge the Sun, which plays at 5:50 p.m. Saturday. “Getting the opportunity to meet tons of new friends, fans and network with new bands is always a blast. We’ve recently been writing heavier music, so we were very excited to be invited on a heavy rock and metal festival to showcase our new sound.”

The band, she said, also is “honored to represent Michigan” at Upheaval. “We can’t wait to show ‘uprisers’ what Detroit rock ‘n’ roll is all about.”

Forge the Sun (Courtesy Photo)

Metro Detroit’s Our Vices, taking the stage at 4 p.m. Saturday, has been prepping its metalcore and deathcore set, adding new gear and getting ready to perform its new single, “Heartsick,” at Upheaval.

“We love repping Michigan. We’re originally from Flint, but over the past five years or so, most of us have migrated to metro Detroit,” said guitarist Jon Rechsteiner. “The Midwest rustbelt atmosphere can be seen in our merch and heard in our music. We enjoy pulling people in with our bone-crushing riffs and keeping them hooked with catchy melodic choruses.”

Upheaval after parties abound, too. Elevation inside The Intersection in Grand Rapids will feature Attila on Friday night for a post-festival romp, with Garage Bar & Grill, at 819 Ottawa Avenue NW, just a hop, skip and a jump away from Belknap Park, featuring an after-party on Saturday with local favorites Death By Lions, Slumlord Radio and Joey Warhead.

UPHEAVAL FESTIVAL ESSENTIALS

Upheaval Fan Fervor (Photo/Anthony Norkus)

WHEN: Friday-Saturday (July 18-19); gates open at 1 p.m. both days
WHERE: Belknap Park, 30 Coldbrook St. NE in Grand Rapids
WEBSITE: https://www.upheavalfest.com/
THE DRIVE:
53 miles (48 minutes) north of Kalamazoo
157 miles (2 hours, 18 minutes) west of Detroit
68 miles (1 hour, 2 minutes) west of Lansing
141 miles (2 hours, 8 minutes) south of Traverse City
TICKETS: Two-day general admission tickets are $236.07; single-day general admission tickets are $159.27, available online here. A waitlist for VIP tickets — which provide access to a VIP Lounge, exclusive viewing area and dedicated restrooms — also is available.
KNOW BEFORE YOU GO: Bags are restricted to small purses, fanny packs and single-pocket drawstring bags (maximum 14 inches by 11 inches by 5 inches), and no bags mean faster entry. Empty water bottles can be brought in for filling at water stations. No outside beverages or food allowed. Bag chairs are permitted. Also, the festival is cashless for all purchases. (Text 2025 to 616-691-0090 for festival alerts and information.)
PARKING/TRANSPORTION: Premium on-site parking is sold out. Metered parking is available within walking distance, with Grand Rapids’ DASH bus shuttles available from designated parking lots; check out the shuttle route here. For Uber and Lyft ride-share services, have drivers drop riders at Coldbrook Street NE.