Worship in the Pines makes its debut this fall at SPAC — Saratoga Springs’ outdoor amphitheater at 108 Avenue of the Pines — as an inaugural one-day Christian music festival with a headliner whose crossover trajectory has made him one of the more closely watched figures in contemporary American music. Whether you follow this genre or not, filling 25,000 seats across SPAC’s sheltered sections and sloping lawn on a September Friday night constitutes a real institutional bet on the format, and the lineup behind Brandon Lake is substantial enough to take seriously.
About Brandon Lake
Lake arrives in Saratoga as a five-time Grammy-winning worship leader and singer-songwriter — he serves at Seacoast Church in Charleston, South Carolina when not on the road, a distinction that matters in CCM circles and speaks to an audience that fills arenas through genuine devotion rather than mainstream radio rotation. His fifth studio album, King of Hearts (Provident Label Group, 2025), runs 16 tracks spanning gospel, country, pop, rock, and rap — an ambitious scope that the touring numbers appear to vindicate. The King of Hearts Tour has covered 50 cities; the summer 2025 leg sold out entirely. The pivot moment behind much of that momentum was “Hard Fought Hallelujah,” a remix collaboration with Jelly Roll that delivered Lake his first Billboard Hot 100 entry and a Grammy for Contemporary Christian Music Performance/Song. The arithmetic of that particular collaboration speaks for itself.
The Worship in the Pines bill adds Crowder, Elevation Rhythm, Hulvey, Rend Collective, Lost & Found, and Gabe Von Oven. Festival sponsors include K-LOVE, New York National Guard, and Houghton University.
About the Venue
SPAC — Albany Med Health System at SPAC — sits at 108 Avenue of the Pines in Saratoga Springs, NY 12866. The outdoor amphitheater holds 25,000: 5,200 sheltered seats and a sloping lawn for an additional 20,000. Event-specific policies are in effect for this show: no outside chairs (rentals available for advance purchase), clear bag policy, no alcohol permitted, and water bottles must be empty or factory-sealed at entry. This is a family-oriented event and the ground rules reflect that accordingly.
Tickets & Pricing
Tickets are on sale now. Early access lawn tickets started at $30 all-in; VIP upgrades — including fast lane entry, VIP Club access, and terrace club options — are available separately. Doors and programming begin at 4:00 PM. Browse all upcoming Capital Region concerts at Upstate Concerts. Buy tickets here.