10 Can't-Miss Atlanta Music Festivals

SweetWater 420 Fest in April features big-name bands taking the stage as part of this annual festival from Atlanta-owned SweetWater Brewing Company. In addition to enjoying music and art, festivalgoers can taste SweetWater beers and attend presentations from brewing experts. The festival also has a comedy stage featuring local talent and an eco-village with hands-on workshops.

The Shaky Knees Music Festival in May in Atlanta's Central Park features musicians like The Black Keys, Smashing Pumpkins, The Strokes, Joan Jett & the Blackhearts and many more.

If you think getting into a music festival is out of your budget this year, check out the cost of the Atlanta Jazz Festival: $0. While the main part of the festival is Memorial Day weekend, every day in May will feature a free jazz event at jazz clubs, neighborhood parks and locally owned restaurants as part of 31 Days of Jazz. The Memorial Day weekend events all happen at Piedmont Park.

Southern sounds reign supreme at the Candler Park Music & Food Festival in the large park near Atlanta's Little Five Points. Held in the summer, the 2019 lineup included Dispatch, Greensky Bluegrass, Dr. Dog, Trampled by Turtles, Stephen Marley, Larkin Poe, Funk You, Aqueous and Webster. Proceeds from the festival benefit Atlanta Contact Point, an organization that hosts free play days in Atlanta parks each year.

Tunes from the Tombs in June is one of the most unique music festivals in Atlanta. Featuring local musicians, this event hosts numerous stages of entertainment in addition to food trucks and tours, all on the grounds of Historic Oakland Cemetery.

As one of the state's largest music fests, Music Midtown draws fans to Atlanta every September. The long list of acts in the weekend lineup covers many musical genres and features some of the industry’s biggest names. The fest, held outdoors in Piedmont Park in September, has seen acts by the likes of Ludacris, Jane’s Addiction, Pearl Jam, Artic Monkeys, Red Hot Chili Peppers and T.I.

Electronic musicians, DJs and bands perform alongside cirque-style acts during the Imagine Music Festival (September), featuring dance music at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

ONE Musicfest attracts more than 50,000 music fans to Centennial Olympic Park to hear hip hop, EDM, reggae, funk, trap, house, alternative rock and soul music. The eclectic mashup of urban artists have included Gucci Mane, Wu-Tang Clan, Three 6 Mafia, Outkast, Kendrick Lamar, Lauryn Hill, T.I, Jill Scott, Janelle Monae and many more.

Hip-hop takes the stage in October during the annual A3C Festival & Conference. The festival is predated by a three-day conference that brings together artists, creatives and entrepreneurs in the music industry to empower and educate those that shape hip-hop music, technology and culture. The festival at the Georgia Freight Depot features some of the most renowned artists in hip-hop.

Nationally recognized singer-songwriters gather in October for Alpharetta's Wire and Wood Songwriters Festival. Fans get a behind-the-scenes look at the stories that inspired country, rock, blues, Americana and bluegrass songs. Featuring veteran songsmiths and local up-and-coming talent, the festival converts the streets of downtown Alpharetta into concert stages.

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