Grand Rapids loves a good music festival, and we host a diverse range of single-day and multi-day outdoor concert events from May through September. Gather your music-loving buddies, grab your sunscreen and get your tickets for a day or more of sun, fun and live music!
Local Spins Fest
May 18, 2024
The preeminent chronicler of the West Michigan music scene celebrates the start of the summer concert season with a day showcasing up-and-coming and veteran acts from around the region. Local Spins Fest takes place in downtown GR and lineup/ticket information is announced on the Local Spins website.
Festival of the Arts
June 7-9, 2024
Since 1970, this downtown GR street festival has made performances by local musicians part of its mission to engage the community with art of all kinds. View the 2024 entertainment lineup as soon as it’s announced. Festival of the Arts is FREE to attend!
Upheaval Festival
July 19-20, 2024
“Welcome to the Uprising” is the invitation at this raucous rock festival held in downtown’s Belknap Park. The Upheaval Festival has scheduled 20+ music acts for 2024, including Godsmack, Killswitch Engage, Bad Omens and Beartooth.
Shagbark Music & Arts Festival
August 1-3, 2024
Formerly known as the Cowpie Arts Festival, this long-running family-friendly event features regional and national acts from a variety of genres, plus an art gallery, puppet shows, fire dancers and more. The Shagbark Music & Arts Festival is held on its beautiful namesake farm, 20 minutes from downtown GR.
Breakaway Music Festival
August 16-17, 2024
Wiz Khalifa, Big Gigantic, Illenium, DJ Snake and The Chainsmokers are just a few of the performers who have appeared in years past at this Belknap Park event. The Breakaway Music Festival has called itself the “leading college-focused touring festival in the U.S.” – but it’s fun for all ages and customized for the GR market.
Return to the River Music & Art Festival
August 24-25, 2024
This free festival features live music, cool art installations, circus performers, walking tours and more. Return to the River is spread across three of downtown GR’s riverside parks: 555 Monroe, Sixth Street Park and Canal Park.
Confluence Festival
September 20-21, 2024
This annual festival explores what’s possible when art, music, science and technology converge, with a lineup of musicians that exemplify a theme like the “intermingling of musical genres” and the “blurred boundaries between national and local bands.” The Confluence Festival is a FREE event held in downtown GR.
Fallasburg Arts Festival
September 14-15, 2024
Picturesque Fallasburg Park, about 20 minutes from downtown GR, is the setting for this free annual festival. The Fallasburg Arts Festival includes outdoor concerts, 100+ unique fine art and fine craft booths, food booths, a children’s craft area and more.
Music Festivals from Grand Rapids to the Lakeshore.
Photo by Use Information: Credit Experience Grand Rapids
Lakeshore Festivals
Grand Rapids makes the perfect home base for attending these festivals located 40-50 minutes from downtown. Book a GR hotel so you can enjoy big-city culture and dining during festival off-hours.
Walk the Beat - White Lake
July 24, 2024
This free outdoor music festival features 30+ acts across a variety of musical genres. White Lake’s Walk the Beat includes 19 venues throughout Whitehall and Montague, about 50 minutes northwest of GR.
Unity Christian Music Festival
August 7-10, 2024
This annual festival focuses on the best in Christian music, but also includes great food, fellowship and family fun. The Unity Christian Music Festival offer free concerts during its Day Zero pre-event the Wednesday before the festival. Held at Muskegon’s Heritage Landing Park, about 40 minutes northwest of GR.
Walk the Beat - Grand Haven
August 10, 2024
Grand Haven’s Walk the Beat hosts 50 bands in 25 venues across a half-mile stretch of the city’s downtown. Grand Haven is about 40 minutes from GR.
Burning Foot Beer Festival
August 24, 2024
A celebration of beer, beach, art and music, the Burning Foot Beer Festival is held along the spectacular Lake Michigan shoreline every year. Enjoy a stellar lineup of regional and national musicians, sample beer from dozens of Great Lakes breweries and even camp on the beach, if you’re so inclined. (Just don’t wear shoes.) Ticket sales begin June 8 at 5pm.
Michigan Irish Music Festival
September 12-15, 2024
Held every year in September, the Michigan Irish Music Festival features six stages of live music, hosting 20+ Irish and Irish-inspired performers, plus dance, food, culture and more. It takes place at Heritage Landing Park in Muskegon.
A Pleasant Drive
These festivals are all located within a 40-60 minute drive of Grand Rapids. Many offer on-site camping, but day passes are often available for non-campers. Get a hotel in GR and enjoy a comfortable bed each night.
Bus Benefit
May 24-27, 2024
Organized to raise funds for the Grand Rapids-based Phoenix Society of Burn Survivors, this Memorial Day weekend festival features live music from local and regional performers plus rustic camping in the woods and fun family activities. The Bus Benefit is held at Smiling Acres campground in Trufant, about 40 minutes northeast of downtown GR.
Buttermilk Jamboree
June 14-16, 2024
The family-oriented Buttermilk Jamboree music festival features dozens of local and regional performers, workshops, local food and goods vendors, craft beer and wine, rustic camping and more at Circle Pines Center in Delton, about 50 minutes southeast of downtown GR.
Electric Forest
June 20-23, 2024
This eccentric and imaginative festival focuses on electronic and jam band music, art and camping. Tens of thousands attend Electric Forest each year at the Double JJ Resort in Rothbury, just under an hour from GR. The 2024 event is sold out, tickets for 2025 go on sale in December.
Smiling Acres Music Festival
June 28-30, 2024
Dozens of bands from across the country and close to home come to Smiling Acres campground for three days of live music, food, art, camping and community. An open mic lets you do some performing of your own. The Smiling Acres Music Festival is located in Trufant, about 40 minutes northeast of downtown GR.
Michigan Fern Fest
July 9-14, 2024
The music lineup and the entire experience of Fern Fest is specifically curated to drive connection and foster community for women, trans and non-binary folks, and those that live on the spectrum of the feminine spirit. It’s six days of camping, music, workshops and more. It’s also held at Smiling Acres campground in Trufant.
Wild Thyme Music Festival
July 21-23, 2024
Fat Blossom Family Farm in Allegan – 40 minutes southwest of GR – is the site of this “micro-festival” limited to under 500 attendees. Camping, workshops and artisan vendors are also part of the family-friendly Wild Thyme experience.
Tamarack Music Festival
July 26-27, 2024
There are only 175 tickets available for “the best tiny festival in the Mitten State,” which features 20+ musical acts from various genres plus rustic camping, arts & crafts booths, food vendors and artisan vendors. The Tamarack Music Festival is held in Morley, about 40 minutes northeast of downtown GR.
The Fair Ground Festival
July 27, 2024
The Thornapple Arts Council brings a lineup of female-led bands to the Barry Expo Center Fairgrounds. The Fair Ground Festival is about 40 minutes southeast of downtown GR.
Grateful Bear Campout
August 2-3, 2024
30+ musical acts take the stage during the Grateful Bear Campout, which also showcases cannabis products from Michigan’s top growers. Held at Smiling Acres campground in Trufant, about 40 minutes northeast of GR.
Many of our Cultural Festivals & Celebrations also include concert elements, usually highlighting music from different heritages and regions of the world. Need to get your groove on right now or during your next trip to Grand Rapids? Check our Events Calendar for the date(s) you want and click “Music” under Categories.