There are few concerts that come to mind that proceed without their lead vocalist. Perhaps some with Morrissey, although in those cases the performance often doesn’t even get off the ground. The most recent Poppy show at Upheaval Festival in Grand Rapids (Michigan), however, did go ahead… just not with Poppy on stage.
Because of the dangerously poor air quality caused by smoke from wildfires still ravaging Canada, the singer chose not to take the stage. Her band, for its part, kept to the scheduled time and delivered a one-hour instrumental set, while its members wore N95 masks to protect themselves.
The scene left many in the audience puzzled: a spectator recounted on social media that, after about half an hour of performance, they were still waiting for Poppy and weren’t sure whether this was part of the act or if something had gone wrong.
As was to be expected, opinions varied. Many understood that it was a health-related matter, but others criticized the lack of advance notice that Poppy would not perform.
Hours later, Poppy went to Instagram to explain the situation: “Because of the dangerous air quality and our schedule, I couldn’t join the band on stage. In those conditions it wasn’t safe. Perhaps you noticed that our set was purely instrumental. To those who faced those conditions, I applaud you.”
For its part, Upheaval Festival released a statement reiterating that the safety of artists and attendees was the priority, while recommending the use of masks and urging local authorities’ guidance to be followed as long as pollution levels remained elevated.
Poppy standing up @UpheavalFest pic.twitter.com/iqoUFBzCID
— Hillydoe (@michiganjamomma) July 17, 2026
