Upheaval Festival Brings a Weekend of Metalcore to Michigan

On the weekend of July 19th, we attended the Upheaval Festival in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Headlining Night One was Godsmack, and throughout the day we had Saliva, Killswitch Engage, Sevendust, Of Mice and Men and many more!

Bad Omens Headlines Upheaval Festival. Photo by Kelly Hough.

Day Two had the most insane line up, which I personally looked forward to. Headlining the night was none other than Bad Omens for their second festival headliner appearance which was really sick to see. Throughout day two we had Drowning Pool, From Ashes to New, I See Stars, Beartooth, Badflower and many more!

I See Stars at Upheaval Festival. Photo by Kelly Hough.

This was my first time attending Upheaval, and personally, they made an Upriser out of me! This festival had very different vibes than the few I’ve been to previously. The fans were outstanding and so fun to talk to throughout the weekend. The staff was also phenomenal, and I loved watching them also having fun while working. To me, that's the most important thing to see. The vibe for Upheaval was nothing but upbeat with too many mosh pits to count.

From Ashes To New at Upheaval Festival. Photo by Kelly Hough.

My favorite view from this festival was at the top of the hill. There's nothing more euphoric than hearing “The Death of Peace of Mind” live while watching crowd surfers and mosh pits from above, let alone seeing and hearing the entire crowd in an uproar. Seeing From Ashes to New at sunset at the Lookout Stage at the top of the hill was one of the most breathtaking experiences from the entire weekend.

The line up this year was undeniably stacked and brought all kinds of different fans which was so cool to see.

Upheaval did everything right as a festival making sure you're okay, instantly being there for fans when they were sick or hurt, and having water on deck to stay hydrated.