All About Music Midtown Festival

Atlanta, Georgia, USA

Open-air

XXL – 50k+

All

$$

International

2 Days

Music Midtown is the largest music festival in Georgia, Atlanta.

With almost three decades of festival planning under its belt, Music Midtown has stood the test of time by bringing in thousands of guests and some of the biggest names in music. Following its roaring success and constant drive to be the best in the festival game, it is now Atlanta’s premier festival for all music lovers.

Here’s everything you need to know about Music Midtown. 

The first Music Midtown took place in 1994

Music Midtown festival saw daylight for the first time in 1994, when Atlanta-based promoters Alex Cooley, Peter Conlon and Alex Hoffman realised there was a gap in the market for multi-genre events.

The festival was inspired by the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage festival, and in its first edition attracted 25,000 people a day. Although it was an annual event from 1994 to 2005, Music Midtown experienced a six-year hiatus due to a decline in the number of festival-goers.

When it came back roaring in 2011, the music festival was a one-day event but expanded its running days as years passed. Thanks to its multi-genre approach when it comes to lineups, the event drew in over 300,000 attendees during its peak years.

The festival started picking up in ‘96

In its early years, Music Midtown Festival had already welcomed some of the most established names in the music industry to grace its stages. Joan Baez, Bob Dylan, Lisa Loeb and Norman Blake were prominent names in 1996. 

1996 was a special year for another reason, as children were an important part of Music Midtown. It was the very first year of the Kids’ Stage, where youngsters present at the festival were allowed to watch performances.

In 1998, the festival was reported to have attracted around 180,000 people over three days.

Music Midtown was organized in multiple locations before settling in Piedmont Park

The first edition of the festival took place at 10th Street and Peachtree, before relocating to Centennial Park in 1999.

When it did find its now permanent location at Piedmont Park in 2011, the festival grew exponentially, attracting thousands of people. 

Located near Downtown Atlanta, the urban park brims with scenic spots and hidden gems. Over the years, it became the go-to destination for music and arts events due to its impressive size.

Music Midtown once came to an end – but eventually found its way back

The festival went on a break in 2005, before it finally made its way back to Atlanta’s festival lovers in 2011. The reason for the pause was that Tropical Storm Arlene hit the festival just as it opened, and attendees had to evacuate the grounds. 

Set in Piedmont Park, the 2011 return of Music Midtown had split its performances over two stages in one day. Performances by Coldplay, Young the Giant and Band of Skulls set the bar for their return. 

Past editions of Music Midtown have seen internationally known celebrities

The line-up has been consistently impressive, which is easily one of the main reasons why the festival is so popular.

In 2019, hot sensations like Billie Eilish, Lizzo, 6lack and Kali Uchis were part of the festival. 

The festival’s last edition in 2021 invited artists such as Megan Thee Stallion, Miley Cyrus and 21 Savage to its stages, and so the line-up for 2022 has skyrocketed the expectations of music lovers . 

There’s more than just music to enjoy at this festival

At Music Midtown, you can visit the Angry Orchard Arcade where you can play arcade games. If you’re lucky you might even win a prize.

Attendees can also enter the Truly Hard Seltzer container, where you can try samples of different seltzer flavors, and create a commercial for the brand where you’re the star. 

Piedmont Park is located near the nerve-center of the city if you’re looking for things to do outside the festival. Guests can visit attractions of downtown Atlanta like the Georgia Aquarium, the World of Coca-Cola, High Museum of Art and Museum of Design Atlanta.

You can catch a view of the festival from above

Find your way to the ferris wheel and you can have a bird’s eye view of all the sights and sounds of Music Midtown.

The pop-up ferris wheel is located right in the center of the festival grounds. You’re bound to have a great view of everything below, as well as the city’s skyline.

The festival has an efficient wristband system

At Music Midtown, everyone receives a wristband. The wristbands act as an entrance ticket to the festival, as well as a digital wallet while you are there.

Don’t worry about losing your ticket or cash the during the festival – the digital-forward techniques will save your butt.

These wristbands also act as an added layer of security at the festival, as they get scanned to enter and exit festival grounds – meaning fake wristbands won’t work here.

The only thing better than being a VIP is being a Super VIP

Looking at the perks that are available to VIP and Super VIP guests, it seems it may be a good idea to splurge. VIP guests get dedicated entrances, access to exclusive lounges, complementary food and drinks (alcoholic ones too!), VIP viewing areas and more. 

Super VIP guests get access to a Super VIP festival entrance, a luxury lounge at the main stage, exclusive amenities, gourmet food, and an open bar among other perks.

Music Midtown has been great for Atlanta’s economy

In 2016, the festival had more than $8.6 million in ticket sales with around 130,000 people in attendance.

According to a report by The Research Center at the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce, Music Midtown has an economic impact of about $50 million in total, with around $20 million of it impacting the Atlanta area specifically. That’s pretty huge.