Last updated: Sept. 29, 2026. This guide is refreshed monthly.
Key Takeaways for October Shows
Grand Rapids offers a stacked October 2026 concert calendar with Modest Mouse, Dan + Shay, Bring Me The Horizon, The Red Clay Strays, and more across the city’s main rooms.
Acrisure Amphitheater expands the downtown run of venues, which already ranges from 200-capacity club rooms to the 12,000-seat Van Andel Arena.
Judah & the Lion is the key OnesToWatch roster artist with an upcoming Grand Rapids date on October 23 at The Intersection.
Whitney and Willow Avalon played their Grand Rapids dates earlier this cycle and now sit in the Past Shows section as reference points.
OnesToWatch Live highlights emerging-artist dates so fans can spot roster-caliber shows while they still land in smaller rooms.
The Roster Is the Recommendation
OnesToWatch has spent ten years and 850+ artists deciding which emerging acts deserve attention. OnesToWatch Live applies that filter to a live calendar, so if an artist is on the roster, their dates appear here. Grand Rapids illustrates how that curation meets a changing venue map. Acrisure Amphitheater opened May 15, 2026, joining a downtown corridor that runs from 200-seat club rooms to the 12,000-seat Van Andel Arena.
This range lets fans catch rising artists in intimate spaces before they move up the ladder. The most useful detail this guide can offer is that a roster-caliber artist is still playing a 1,600-seat room, and that window is closing. For October 2026, the OnesToWatch artists in focus are Judah & the Lion, Willow Avalon, and Whitney. Judah & the Lion has the remaining live Grand Rapids date on October 23 at The Intersection, while Willow Avalon and Whitney appear later in the Past Shows recap.
Quick Ticket Links: OnesToWatch Artists in Grand Rapids
These are the OnesToWatch roster shows tied to Grand Rapids this cycle, with Judah & the Lion as the active upcoming date.
Judah & the Lion — The Boys Are Back Tour — Friday, Oct. 23, 2026 | The Intersection | Grand Rapids, MI
Get Tickets for Judah & the Lion (Etix)
Get Tickets for Judah & the Lion (Ticketmaster)
OnesToWatch Past-Show Ticket Links
Whitney — Whitney Live 2026 (past show) — Monday, Sept. 14, 2026 | The Pyramid Scheme | Grand Rapids, MI | Support: Emma Ogier
View Whitney Grand Rapids Ticket Info
Willow Avalon — supporting Brooks & Dunn, Neon Moon Tour 2026 (past show) — Friday, Sept. 25, 2026 | Acrisure Amphitheater | Grand Rapids, MI
View Brooks & Dunn Grand Rapids Ticket Info
This Weekend in Grand Rapids (Sept. 29 – Oct. 4, 2026)
W.I.T.C.H. with Ficus — Tuesday, September 29, 2026 | The Pyramid Scheme | 8:00 PM | Tickets from $33.45
Jay Buchanan — Tuesday, September 29, 2026 | The Stache at The Intersection | doors 7:00 PM, show 8:00 PM
Taking Back Sunday — Wed., Sept. 30, 2026 | GLC Live at 20 Monroe | doors 6:00 PM, show 7:00 PM
Jeru The Damaja (with The Fist Coalition, Gwopped Up $peedy, and DJ Ill One) — Wednesday, September 30, 2026 | The Pyramid Scheme | 9:30 PM
Octave Cat — Thu., Oct. 1, 2026 | The Pyramid Scheme | doors 7:00 PM, show 8:00 PM
Tony Rock (18+) — Thursday, October 1, 2026 | The Intersection | doors 6:30 PM, show 7:30 PM
Dan + Shay (with Tyler Hubbard and Josh Ross) — Friday, October 2, 2026 | Acrisure Amphitheater | 7:00 PM | Ticket prices vary by market and start at approximately $40
Modest Mouse (w/ Caroline Rose) — Fri., Oct. 2, 2026 | GLC Live at 20 Monroe | 7:00 PM. Ticket prices vary by source and fee inclusion, ranging from about $60 to $96.25. Some listings start around $66.50.
El Ten Eleven — Fri., Oct. 2, 2026 | The Pyramid Scheme | 7:00 PM | Tickets listed around $48
Grand Rapids Symphony: The Music of Star Trek (cond. Bob Bernhardt) — Friday, October 2, 2026 | DeVos Performance Hall | 7:30 PM | Ticket prices for the October 3 performance start at about $31.25; no $28 price is confirmed for the October 2 date
San Holo — Fri., Oct. 2, 2026 | The Intersection | official show 7:30 PM (doors 7 PM) with official tickets at $35 advance / $40 day of show. Secondary-market tickets start around $59–$73.
The Red Clay Strays (with The Revivalists and Haley Reinhart) — Saturday, October 3, 2026 | Van Andel Arena | 6:30 PM | Ticket prices vary by market demand rather than starting at a fixed $54
Joe Russo’s Almost Dead — Sat., Oct. 3, 2026 | GLC Live at 20 Monroe | 6:30 PM | Tickets from $64.00
Lindsay Lou — Sat., Oct. 3, 2026 | The Big Room (975 Ottawa Ave NW, Grand Rapids, MI) | 7:00 PM | Tickets available from $47.00
Zach John King — Sat., Oct. 3 | The Stache at The Intersection | 7:30 PM | Secondary-market get-in ticket prices vary by source and time, currently around $86–$87 on some trackers
Grand Rapids Symphony: The Music of Star Trek (cond. Bob Bernhardt) — Sat., Oct. 3, 2026 | DeVos Performance Hall | 7:30 PM | Tickets starting at $31.25
Lee Emi — Sat., Oct. 3, 2026 | The Pyramid Scheme | 8:00 PM | Tickets from $25.00
The Full October 2026 Calendar by Venue
GLC Live at 20 Monroe (2,600 Cap. | 11 Ottawa Ave NW)
Modest Mouse (w/ Caroline Rose) — Fri., Oct. 2, 2026 | 7:00 PM. Ticket prices vary by source and fee inclusion, ranging from about $60 to $96.25. Some listings start around $66.50.
Joe Russo’s Almost Dead — Sat., Oct. 3, 2026 | 6:30 PM | Tickets from $64.00
Taste of Chaos (feat. Hollywood Undead, In This Moment) — Tues., Oct. 6, 2026 | 4:00 PM | Tickets from $56.05
Skillet: Comatose 20 Years, Still Screaming Tour (with Autumn Kings and Escape the Fate) — Saturday, October 10, 2026 | doors 6:00 PM, show 7:00 PM
Ryan Bingham and The Texas Gentlemen — Still Gettin’ Away With It Tour — Fri., Oct. 16, 2026 | doors 7:00 PM, show 8:00 PM
Night of the Living Drag — Sun., Oct. 18, 2026 | 7:00 PM
Reggaeton Rave (18+) — Fri., Oct. 23, 2026 | 9:00 PM
Sleeping With Sirens: An Ending In Itself Tour — Sat., Oct. 24, 2026 | doors 6:00 PM, show 7:00 PM
The Story So Far — Tues., Oct. 27, 2026 | doors 6:00 PM, show 7:00 PM
Blue October: The Foiled 20th Anniversary World Tour (w/ Danny Malone) — Thurs., Oct. 29, 2026 | doors 7:00 PM, show 8:00 PM
Gasolina Halloween Party (18+) — Fri., Oct. 30 | 9:00 PM
The Intersection and Its Stages (133 Cesar E. Chavez Ave SW, Grand Rapids, MI 49503)
The Intersection in downtown Grand Rapids operates four stages under one roof. The main Showroom holds 1,600, Elevation holds 800, The Stache holds 400, and The Mint holds 200.
Tony Rock (18+) — Thursday, October 1, 2026 | The Intersection | doors 6:30 PM, show 7:30 PM
San Holo — Fri., Oct. 2, 2026 | The Intersection | official show 7:30 PM (doors 7 PM) with official tickets at $35 advance / $40 day of show. Secondary-market tickets start around $59–$73.
Zach John King — Sat., Oct. 3 | The Stache | 7:30 PM | Secondary-market get-in ticket prices vary by source and time, currently around $86–$87 on some trackers
Thrown — Tuesday, October 6, 2026 | Elevation | 7:00 PM | Ticket prices vary by source and section, starting around $59
The Jack Wharff Band — Wed., Oct. 7 | The Stache at The Intersection | 7:30 PM | Tickets starting from around $48
Alana Springsteen — Fri., Oct. 9, 2026 | Elevation | 7:30 PM | Resale ticket prices starting around $38–$40
Julia Wolf — Mon., Oct. 12, 2026 | Elevation | 8:00 PM
The Linda Lindas — Tuesday, October 13, 2026 | Elevation | doors 7:00 PM, show 8:00 PM
Michael Franti Trio — Tuesday, October 13, 2026 | The Intersection | 8:00 PM
Jeff Dye — Wed., Oct. 14, 2026 | The Showroom at The Intersection | 8:00 PM
SuperSonic: Oasis Tribute — Sat., Oct. 17, 2026 | Elevation | 8:00 PM
A.F.I. (with support from Choir Boy) — Tuesday, October 20, 2026 | The Intersection | doors 7:00 PM, show 8:00 PM
Austin Snell — Thursday, October 22, 2026 | Elevation | 7:30 PM
Judah & the Lion — The Boys Are Back Tour — Fri., Oct. 23, 2026 | The Intersection | doors 6:30 PM, show 7:30 PM
Jessica Audiffred (18+) — Fri., Oct. 23 | Elevation | 9:00 PM
Spite — Sun., Oct. 25, 2026 | Elevation
The Longest Johns — Wednesday, October 28, 2026 | Elevation | 8:00 PM
Evan Honer — Tuesday, Oct. 27, 2026 | Elevation | 8:00 PM
Get Tickets for Judah & the Lion at The Intersection
Acrisure Amphitheater (201 Market Ave. SW)
Dan + Shay (with Tyler Hubbard and Josh Ross) — Friday, October 2, 2026 | 7:00 PM | Ticket prices vary by market and start at approximately $40
The Pyramid Scheme (420 Standing / 210 Seated | 68 Commerce Dr SW)
El Ten Eleven — Fri., Oct. 2, 2026 | 7:00 PM | Tickets listed around $48
Lee Emi — Sat., Oct. 3, 2026 | 8:00 PM | Tickets from $25.00
Messa — Mon., Oct. 5, 2026 | 8:00 PM | Tickets from $27.27
Amélie Farren — Tues., Oct. 6, 2026 | 8:00 PM | Tickets from $30
Feeble Little Horse — Thursday, October 8, 2026 | 8:00 PM | Tickets starting from around $42–$54
Acid Mothers Temple — Thursday, October 15, 2026 | 7:30 PM
Beth Stelling: Let Me Get Loose + Virginia Anzengruber — Sat., Oct. 17, 2026 | 8:00 PM
Ian Sweet — Tues., Oct. 20, 2026 | most listings show 8:00 PM, while the venue calendar lists 7:00 PM
Noah Gundersen — Thurs., Oct. 29, 2026 | 8:00 PM
Dancin’ With The Devil: Halloween Party — Fri., Oct. 30, 2026
Van Andel Arena (130 W. Fulton St.)
The Red Clay Strays (with The Revivalists and Haley Reinhart) — Saturday, October 3, 2026 | 6:30 PM | Ticket prices vary by market demand rather than starting at a fixed $54
Bring Me The Horizon — POST HUMAN: NeX GEn – The Third Ascension Program Tour (with Motionless in White and The Plot in You) — Thursday, October 8, 2026 | 7:00 PM | Ticket prices vary and are subject to change, with current pricing available via Ticketmaster
Anthony Hamilton (w/ Leela James, Raheem DeVaughn) — Fri., Oct. 16 | 8:00 PM
Zach Top — Sat., Oct. 17 | 8:00 PM
DeVos Performance Hall (2,543 Cap. | 303 Monroe Ave NW)
Grand Rapids Symphony: The Music of Star Trek (cond. Bob Bernhardt) — Fri.–Sat., Oct. 2–3, 2026 | 7:30 PM | Resale tickets starting at approximately $31
Lucy Darling: You’re Welcome — Sun., Oct. 4, 2026 | 7:00 PM
Neil deGrasse Tyson — Mon., Oct. 5, 2026 | 7:30 PM
Grand Rapids Symphony: America at 250 (cond. Cosette Justo Valdés) — Fri.–Sat., Oct. 9–10
Broadway Grand Rapids: The Notebook — Tues.–Sun., Oct. 13–18
Alton Brown — Monday, October 19, 2026 | 7:30 PM
Outlander In Concert — Tues., Oct. 27 | 7:30 PM
Grand Rapids Symphony: Disney Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas In Concert Live-to-Film — Friday, October 30, 2026 at 7:30 PM and Saturday, October 31, 2026 at 2:00 PM
St. Cecilia Music Center
Kenny Barron Trio — Thursday, October 8, 2026 | 7:30 PM | Tickets listed at approximately $124.69 all-in
Dan Tyminski Band — Tuesday, October 20, 2026 | 7:30 PM
Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center — Thurs., Oct. 29
Royce Auditorium (24 Ransom Ave. NE)
Kenny Barron Trio — Thurs., Oct. 8, 2026 | 7:30 PM | Tickets available from $81.00
Concerts by Genre
Rock and Metal
Bring Me The Horizon (w/ Motionless in White, The Plot In You) — Oct. 8 | Van Andel Arena | Ticket prices vary and are subject to change, with current pricing available via Ticketmaster. The British band formed in Sheffield in 2004 and is widely described as metalcore. Their POST HUMAN: NeX GEn tour is flagged as high demand.
Taste of Chaos (feat. Hollywood Undead, In This Moment) — Oct. 6 | GLC Live at 20 Monroe | Tickets from $56.05
Skillet: Comatose 20 Years, Still Screaming Tour (w/ Autumn Kings, Escape the Fate) — Oct. 10 | GLC Live at 20 Monroe
A.F.I. (w/ Choir Boy) — Oct. 20 | The Intersection Showroom
Sleeping With Sirens: An Ending In Itself Tour — Oct. 24 | GLC Live at 20 Monroe
The Story So Far — Oct. 27 | GLC Live at 20 Monroe
Messa — Oct. 5 | The Pyramid Scheme
Feeble Little Horse — Oct. 8 | The Pyramid Scheme
Country and Folk
Dan + Shay (with Tyler Hubbard and Josh Ross) — Oct. 2 | Acrisure Amphitheater | Ticket prices vary by market and start at approximately $40
The Red Clay Strays (with The Revivalists and Haley Reinhart) — Oct. 3 | Van Andel Arena | Ticket prices vary by market demand rather than starting at a fixed $54. The Mobile, AL band’s single “Wondering Why” surpassed 75 million streams on Spotify by mid-2024, crossing 100 million Spotify streams by June 2024.
Judah & the Lion — The Boys Are Back Tour — Oct. 23 | The Intersection Showroom
Alana Springsteen — Oct. 9 | Elevation at The Intersection | Resale ticket prices starting around $38–$40
Ryan Bingham and The Texas Gentlemen — Oct. 16 | GLC Live at 20 Monroe
Zach Top — Oct. 17 | Van Andel Arena
Austin Snell — Oct. 22 | The Intersection Showroom
Dan Tyminski Band — Oct. 20 | St. Cecilia Music Center
Get Country Tickets for Judah & the Lion
EDM and Electronic
San Holo — Oct. 2 | The Intersection | official show 7:30 PM (doors 7 PM) with official tickets at $35 advance / $40 day of show. Secondary-market tickets start around $59–$73.
Octave Cat — Oct. 1 | The Pyramid Scheme | doors 7:00 PM, show 8:00 PM. The trio features Eli Winderman of Dopapod on keyboards, Jesse Miller of Lotus on bass and modular synth, and Charlie Patierno on drums. Their sets move from stripped-down jazz grooves to analog synth dance music, drawing on Herbie Hancock jazz-funk and Four Tet-style electronica.
Jessica Audiffred (18+) — Oct. 23 | Elevation at The Intersection | 9:00 PM
Reggaeton Rave (18+) — Oct. 23 | GLC Live at 20 Monroe | 9:00 PM
Gasolina Halloween Party (18+) — Oct. 30 | GLC Live at 20 Monroe | 9:00 PM
Indie and Alternative
Modest Mouse (w/ Caroline Rose) — Oct. 2 | GLC Live at 20 Monroe | Ticket prices vary by source and fee inclusion, ranging from about $60 to $96.25. Some listings start around $66.50. The Pacific Northwest band is touring behind their album An Eraser and a Maze.
El Ten Eleven — Oct. 2 | The Pyramid Scheme | Tickets listed around $48
The Linda Lindas — Oct. 13 | Elevation at The Intersection | 8:00 PM. The L.A. band is supporting their third album Gotta Get Out.
Blue October: The Foiled 20th Anniversary World Tour (w/ Danny Malone) — Oct. 29 | GLC Live at 20 Monroe
Ian Sweet — Oct. 20 | The Pyramid Scheme
Noah Gundersen — Oct. 29 | The Pyramid Scheme
Feeble Little Horse — Oct. 8 | The Pyramid Scheme | Tickets starting from around $42–$54
Festivals and Multi-Day Events Near Grand Rapids
October 2026 does not feature a standalone multi-day music festival inside Grand Rapids city limits. The closest named festival, the EGR Harvest Festival on October 10, 2026, is a one-day event in East Grand Rapids. The regional festival calendar leans toward September and nearby cities. Kalamashoegazer 17 runs September 4–5 at Bell’s Eccentric Cafe in Kalamazoo, the 53rd Annual Wheatland Music Festival runs September 11–13, and the Michigan Irish Music Festival runs September 17–20 at Heritage Landing in Muskegon.
Several multi-night concert runs and cultural events still anchor October inside Grand Rapids:
ArtPrize 2026 ran September 18 through October 3, 2026, across downtown venues, awarding over $400,000 directly to artists from a $600,000 grants and prizes pool. The ArtPrize Awards Celebration took place October 3 at Acrisure Amphitheater.
OktoberfestGR ran Friday, September 25, 2026 from 3 PM to 10 PM and Saturday, September 26, 2026 from 12 PM to 10 PM at Riverside Park (3061 Monroe Ave NW, Grand Rapids, MI 49505), with free admission, imported German beer, food, games, and live music.
The Michigan Made Craft Beverage Tasting Festival — Friday, October 9, 2026 at BattleGR (284 Dodge NE Suite 100, Comstock Park, MI 49321), featuring 20+ Michigan distilleries, breweries, cideries, and wineries, plus live music and axe throwing.
Grand Rapids Symphony: The Music of Star Trek — two-night run, Oct. 2–3 at DeVos Performance Hall.
Grand Rapids Symphony: America at 250 — two-night run, Oct. 9–10 at DeVos Performance Hall.
Broadway Grand Rapids: The Notebook — six-night run, Oct. 13–18 at DeVos Performance Hall.
Grand Rapids Ballet: Broken Wings — two multi-night runs, Oct. 16–18 and Oct. 23–25 at Peter Martin Wege Theatre.
Opening Acts Worth Arriving Early For
Many October 2026 Grand Rapids dates feature OnesToWatch-caliber artists in support slots. Arriving early turns an existing ticket into a discovery tool, as the headliner crowd meets its next favorite act.
Willow Avalon — supported Brooks & Dunn on the Neon Moon Tour 2026 at Acrisure Amphitheater, Sept. 25. A OnesToWatch roster artist in a large outdoor setting.
Emma Ogier — opened for Whitney at The Pyramid Scheme, Sept. 14.
Caroline Rose — supporting Modest Mouse at GLC Live at 20 Monroe, Oct. 2. A 2,600-capacity room with a support slot that rewards early arrival.
Motionless in White — a special guest supporting Bring Me The Horizon at Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids, MI on October 8, 2026. The Platinum-certified Scranton group blends metal, hardcore, goth, industrial, and electronic elements.
The Plot In You — a special guest supporting Bring Me The Horizon on October 8, 2026 at Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids, MI, alongside Motionless In White. The Ohio quartet’s 2018 album DISPOSE remains a highlight of their catalog.
Past Shows: OnesToWatch Artists Who Already Played Grand Rapids
These shows had already taken place as of Sept. 29, 2026. They provide context for recent OnesToWatch roster activity in Grand Rapids.
Whitney (w/ Emma Ogier) — Mon., Sept. 14, 2026 | The Pyramid Scheme (420 cap.) | Whitney Live 2026. The Chicago indie rock band is known for Julien Ehrlich’s falsetto and their 2016 breakout album Light Upon the Lake.