Locals React as Grand Rapids’ Acrisure Amphitheater Reveals Opening Lineup

Fans in West Michigan have been eagerly waiting for news of the opening lineup of the area's newest concert venue. Now that it’s out, locals are buzzing over the artist reveal.

What do you think of the lineup?

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As Grand Rapids’ newest outdoor concert venue has been taking shape, residents across West Michigan have been speculating for months about who would be first to take the stage. You would assume it would be someone with ties to the area, right?

Out of the gate, local fans of Michigan-native and Grammy winner Billy Strings were quick to throw his name into the hat. Why not? Billy spent time growing up and performing in the area and in return has donated to local non-profits to support affordable housing, his son spent time in the NICU at Helen DeVos Children's Hospital, and he's likely to be spotted in the area jamming from time to time.

Billy loves Grand Rapids, and Grand Rapids loves Billy!

That's why concert-goers were a little confused when the new Acrisure Amphitheater announced their first official concert: country artist Russell Dickerson on May 30, 2026. Now, that was just the first concert announcement and not the announcement of the first concert.

So, the speculation continued! Which Michigan native would be the first to take the stage? Jack White, rapper NF, Stevie Wonder, and Greta Van Fleet were names that constantly came up among locals. However, on November 19, 2025 Acrisure Amphitheater put all the rumors to rest:

Lionel Richie, The War & Treaty, and Brian Vander Ark will be the first to take the stage on May 15, 2026.

We're guessing Lionel was chosen given his connection to Detroit's Motown Records, Grammy-nominated husband and wife duo The War & Treaty hail from Albion, Michigan, and Brian Vander Ark is a founding member of Grand Rapids' own The Verve Pipe.

I've had the pleasure of seeing The War & Treaty perform live in Kalamazoo and you may recognize them from their Ozempic commercials. Brian often pops up at various venues across the area, such as Warner Vineyards and The Ark in Ann Arbor, and is very active on Tiktok. Three notable acts, but not exactly the direction I thought they were headed. Reactions to Acrisure Amphitheater's big reveal on social media include:

• "lol, what a missed opportunity to have Billy Strings open this venue." - Justin W.

• "Why no metal shows? 90% of the shows announced are all old washed up artists" - Alex P.

• "Solid" - Trevor B.

• "Still no Billy Strings . Very disappointing." - Joshua O.