Seven Stars 2026 – A Cosmic Collision of Bass, Funk and Family
The Second Installation of GRiZ’s Own Festival Was Even Better Than The Last!
When I first heard about The Valley of the Seven Stars, a top-notch camping festival curated by iconic artist GRiZ, I knew I had to be there. Held October 9-11th, with an early arrival day on the 8th in Arrington, VA, this fest has a breathtaking backdrop of tall forest trees, rolling mountain hills, and incredible views. Last year’s fest, their inaugural year, didn’t disappoint, so I knew this year would be a guaranteed good time, and honestly? It was better than I ever could have imagined possible. This year, many people returned to a place where they’d already made memories, friendships, and connections, and couldn’t wait to make more. This recent experience became better than the last, with a new Wubski’s Diner, more intentionally created art to be explored at the Ouroboros stages (including a random spiral staircase in the middle of the forest!), and an entirely new stage added to the other end of the venue called the Satellite stage. The high production quality really set the stage for GRiZ to blow us away with his signature saxophone melodies, and this year, they even added fireworks to the sets. The best part, though? Three distinctly different GRiZ sets spanned the weekend and gave fans plenty to anticipate, from soulful, golden-hour melodies to funky, bass-heavy energy.
Stacked Lineups and Astounding Sets In Every Moment
Officially beginning on October 9th, 2026, most attendees flooded in the day before to the LOCKN’ and Oak Ridge Farm for the Thursday pre-party, with venue gates opening at 6 pm. That first night included some incredible acts from Prob Cause, Mocha, Jaenga, and many more. Friday morning, the rest of the grounds filled in fast as everyone prepared for the first real night of the weekend. I was camped in the Scorpio Forest camping area, just like last year, with other attendees filling the rest of the grounds to form a temporary little world of magic. Once all the camps were set up, the gates opened around 2 pm, and the first acts of the night were Zoska, Daily Bread, Mary Droppinz, G Jones, and Ganja White Night. To close out the first official night, we got our first much-anticipated GRiZ set, and it was an absolute BANGER! Jaw-dropping intros, mind-boggling lasers, and songs that hit the soul just right. After that set, the main venue closed for the night, and the three stages outside played until 2 am with sets from Wonky Willa, Thought Process, and a few others. As everyone worked their way back to camp that night to prepare for the next phenomenal day, I could hear laughs, fun, and friends chatting all throughout the grounds.
The Rain Rolled In, But That Didn’t Slow Us Down
As the sun rose on Saturday, calm music filled the forest, light rain fell, and a lineup of morning activities still waited to be explored. The gates opened quickly, and even with a little rain, some astounding sets were still lined up for the night. A Little Sound and Jilli opened the night, followed by a few others, before GRiZ’s highly anticipated Catching the Golden Hour set. CTGH is his absolutely ICONIC sundown set, always promising chill, flowy, funky vibes with a heartwarming feel. The rain seemed to stop just before the music, and we got to experience one of the most incredible GRiZ sets I have ever seen. After his second set, the festival brought stunning shows from Effin, LSDream, and Crankdat as the rain started to pour down heavier, and we all wondered what the next day would hold. Through the night, rain soaked the grounds, and we woke up on Sunday to everything wet, mud surrounding us, and still a smile on everyone’s face; from the other side of the festival, we could hear GRiZ marching through with his marching band. As the storm grew stronger, we were told to go back to our cars to shelter in place. I had heard this before at festivals and worried things would close down; however, as the day progressed, we were told the storm had passed, and the gates would still open.
When The Mud and Muck Lead The Way, It’s Gonna Be A Great Day
Rain turned the Virginia clay soil into straight muck, but we still got our evening lineup. To start the night, we danced in the mud to Gramatik, then a very wet and rainy, yet glorious set from Clozee, followed by Whethan, Zingara, Levity, and The Glitch Mob. As those last few sets wound down, so did the rain, and right before our last GRiZ set, it had almost completely stopped, giving one of the most magical GRiZ sets I have ever experienced. The transitions were seamless, the song selection couldn’t have been more perfect, and the crowd vibes were absolutely unreal. GRiZ has this mind-boggling way of drawing the crowd on a transcendent journey, and all 20,000 of us felt so lucky to be there. After his set, the rain started up again as we all trudged happily through the muck to the next sets across the camping grounds. With a great place to get out of the rain near the satellite stage, and many surprises along the walk to the Ouroboros stage, the last night was immaculate and muddy. We laughed our way through the grounds, laughing and enjoying every inch of wet muck along the way. The Barn Burner stage was our last stop, and we splashed and danced with everyone before walking back to our forest campground for one final night’s rest.
Seven Stars stands out from every other festival that I’ve attended. Not only is it full of kind, loving people, the kind GRiZ himself is proud to call GRiZ fam, but it’s also deeply inclusive, thoroughly thought out, and easy to navigate and enjoy. Water stations are everywhere, with clean porta potties, festival depots scattered throughout that sell almost anything you could need, great food, warm showers, and so much art and fun surprises around every corner. With the ability to tie-dye your own festival shirt, ask one of the many friendly staff for help or directions when needed, and go on side quest after side quest, there is something for everyone and never a reason to be sad. The folks at Seven Stars work hard to meet every anticipated need, uphold inclusivity and respect, keep us all safe, and offer such a breathtaking experience that I often wondered if I was still in real life. I’ll be back every single year, even if it’s raining, because, honestly, for me, the muck and mud made it all the more fun. Seven Stars feels like home to me, a home where I am accepted, understood, welcomed, and shown the best parts of the beautiful souls around me. Be sure to ‘Show Love, Spread Love’ and keep up with all the newest info to be prepared for the 2027 festival installation at sevenstarsfest.com
Photo Credit: Chris Armer and Jacob Parchinski