There will be no One Musicfest this year, organizers announced Friday afternoon.
“This is not an ending,” organizers said in a news release sent to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “It’s an opportunity to build the next chapter of One Musicfest with the same bold vision that has guided us since day one.”
One Musicfest, created by Jason “J.” Carter in 2010, typically occurs in late October in Piedmont Park. Last year, Ludacris, Future and Doechii were among the headliners. A lineup and ticket information for this year’s festival weren’t announced before Friday’s announcement.
Credit: Ryan Fleisher for the AJC
Credit: Ryan Fleisher for the AJC
The festival didn’t specify what prompted the hiatus. In June, One Musicfest teased in a social media post that more information about this year’s event would be shared soon. Earlier this month, organizers helped produce a free Ludacris concert at Piedmont Park for the FIFA World Cup, under the One Musicfest banner.
“This pause gives us the runway to finally execute the full game plan: new partnerships, bolder creative experiences, and a deeper convergence of music, culture, technology, and community,” the Friday statement read.
One Musicfest is scheduled to be back in 2027, organizers shared.
For nearly two decades, One Musicfest has grown into one of the most prominent Black-owned music festivals in the country, attracting over 100,000 fans each year. Top artists like Outkast, Kendrick Lamar, Janet Jackson and Lauryn Hill have headlined.
The event began at King Plow Arts Center in 2010. It later moved to Lakewood Amphitheatre, where it stayed for several years. Because of the festival’s success, it moved again to Central Park and Centennial Olympic Park, before making its debut at Piedmont Park (a larger venue) in 2023.
Credit: Ryan Fleisher
Credit: Ryan Fleisher
One Musicfest was slated to return to Piedmont Park in 2024, but organizers moved it back to Central Park, citing “challenging logistics and economics facing the festival industry.” The recent change marks the first time that One Musicfest has taken a hiatus since its inception, excluding the 2020 pause because of the COVID-19 pandemic. At that time, the festival opted for a virtual option.
The festival is one of several in metro Atlanta to either take a break or stop entirely over the past few years. Music Midtown, which also occurred at Piedmont Park, announced a hiatus in 2024 and has yet to return. Similarly, the EDM festival Imagine at Kingston Downs in Rome canceled in 2024.
However, Shaky Knees Music Festival, most notable for indie and rock acts, still has a strong following and will return to Piedmont Park for the second consecutive year in September. Last year, Breakaway Music Festival (a traveling EDM event) debuted in Atlanta at Center Parc Stadium. It returned to the venue in May, garnering roughly 30,000 attendees over two days.
Braves Country Fest, a one-day musical celebration at Truist Park, debuted in June with Ella Langley and Cody Johnson as headliners.
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