Winterjam 2026 stops to worship with fans in Michigan

Winterjam is one of the most well-known touring Christian events… probably ever. And, this year, it was jam-packed with talent — 10 artists who played their hearts out in the name of Jesus. Here’s a recap detailing a little slice of the night when the tour stopped in Grand Rapids, MI.

For Pre-Jam, the first artist who came out onstage was country artist Cliff Preston, a good way to start the show. He talked about how many of the artists would leave their families and day-to-day lives to perform. Even though it was sometimes hard, the pursuit of music is always worth it, especially if you’re spreading the gospel.

The second group to come onstage was the 3 Heath Brothers.

I remember having a hard time keeping up with them, because the three of them were constantly moving around all over the stage. Despite incredibly energetic, the trio managed to stay in harmony with each other and, at the end of the set, one of the brothers did a backflip off the stage! What a way to leave an impression!

The third artist on the bill was Jeremy Rosado, frst gaining recognition through American Idol. Even though he did not win the competition, he decided to continue pursuing his music career afterward, boasting his powerful voice that leaves a definitive impact on his audiences. 

After the first three artists, who all performed three songs each, the real fun began.

The deejay was cracking jokes and playing hype songs, while host Russ Lee of Newsong asked the audience questions. As always, even during intermissions, there was not a dull moment throughout the night. When a countdown started, a ton of people got onstage to hype everyone up, while all the audience could hear was “EMERSON DAYYYYYY!”.

Emerson Day, just like Cliff, was another country artist. I loved watching her because her music had a bit of sass to it, which I think works really well for Christian country. It had a kind of bold, defiant tone toward the devil, especially during her song “Get Behind Me”. What a way to empower the listeners to fight the enemy and his temptations! I was honestly sad her set wasn’t longer.

The next group to take the stage was NewSong, the band that originally started Winterjam.

They host the event every year and also perform each year as part of the lineup. They began their set with “Can’t Keep a Good Man Down” before immediately going into “Church People”, asking where the church people were at, getting the crowd to go crazy for Jesus. They also performed “Arise My Love” — one of their most iconic songs. It is always good to see them perform. Their music can sometimes feel a little cheesy, but it is also very direct, open, and honest about their faith, which is something I have always appreciated about them. Like the 3 Heath Brothers, their harmonization was also something I admire.

The next band to come on stage was Disciple, which was right in my buttrock, headbanging screaming, guitar soloing element. They came out with full energy and did not hold anything back. Kevin Young, as usual, was jumping around and passionately shouting into the microphone, driving home the message that believers should stand strong, that Christ is Lord, and that Christians should be bold and radical for their faith. That intensity pretty much defined the whole set. To drive it even further, the band performed a cover of “Firm Foundation”, a worship song, turning it into a heavier rock version. For the last song, Young grabbed a giant white flag and ran screaming to the back of the arena. He then proceeded to tell the crowd that the real reason everyone had gathered that night was because people needed to hear the gospel; that was the most important part of the entire event. After saying that, he handed the microphone to Zane Black, the speaker, who then shared the gospel with the audience.

Next onstage was Hulvey, a well-known Christian rapper.

His set opened with a video where he wrote down several words describing himself, such as “creative”, “artist”, and “rapper”. However, he eventually crossed all of them out and replaced them with the word “son”, emphasizing his identity as a son of God. After the video ended, he came out onto the stage with “Bring Heaven Down”. I know I said that Hulvey is well-known, but it was so clear when I saw and heard the audience all rapping and singing along to every lyric. Hulvey eventually stepped down from the stage and went into the crowd to high-five people, also ending up at the back of the arena. During the final moments of his final song “Altar”, he got down on his knees to worship the Lord Himself.

The night went on with Matthew West, who, in my opinion, is one of the more legendary artists in Christian music. He started off the night with his single “Don’t Stop Praying” before moving into “Hello My Name Is” — one of my favorites. I couldn’t help but dance, jump, and sing along. Towards the end of the set, West recited a story about how he and his daughter would play lifeguard and after repeating the game multiple times, he eventually got tired of it, he ending up on the deep side of the pool. His daughter, on the other hand, asked him to come closer so she could pretend to save him. Matthew then asked the audience if they were grateful that the Lord doesn’t ask his children to get closer to Him so He can save them.

He then invited his currently grown daughter onstage to sing with him.

After Matthew West was Katy Nichole, a Christian pop star… or as I like to call her, princess who knows she’s a daughter of the one true King. She started off this night strong, especially compared to the last time I saw her when she was still gaining popularity. This time, the stage had cute, girly decorations and fun lighting, which really fit her style. She performed her first song was “Thorns” with a lot of energy, wearing a long, flowy dress and skipping around the stage. Later, she talked about her struggle with anxiety and how she begged God to take it away from her every day. She shared that God did not simply take it away from her, but instead, gave her the strength to ask people for help through it. She closed her set with “In Jesus’ Name (God of Possible)”, the song that first made her famous.

Last, but not least, was Anne Wilson. Like Cliff Preston and Emerson Day, Wilson is a country artist and, well, and she makes it known! Her entire band was rocking cowboy hats and boots, with one guy playing the banjo. One of the songs she performed was “Rebel”, which has a really sassy attitude to it; she strutted across that stage with that same attitude, almost empowering the other ladies to be set apart for Jesus. That same vibe flowed into the song “Sunday Sermons”. Towards the end of Anne’s set, she covered “Holy Forever” and brought Matthew West back out to sing it with her. What better way to end the night than to worship Jesus himself? The last song Anne sang, though, was the hit that made her famous — “My Jesus”.

Winterjam 2026 was the biggest, most iconic yet — and that’s saying something for an event over 30 years old.

It’s an event that brings together different types of Christian artists from different genres of music and different perspectives… Some artists worshipped and lifted hearts this year. Others hyped the crowd up for Jesus. Some used their music to empower the audience to stand up for the truth, while other bands made sure to drive into people’s skulls the truth of Christ’s love. Bonus points, the audience got to hear new music in the process. All to point their audience to the gospel and worship the Lord. This is one of my favorite tours to attend; I have been going for years. Do yourself a favor and go to Winterjam if it comes to your town, you won’t regret going!

Photography Kayla N. Rising

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