Music Midtown started out with a bang Saturday, Sept. 17, but it fell flat for many attendees on the second day due to bad weather and even worse management.
In a conversation about Georgia music festivals, it’s impossible to ignore Music Midtown. It has been held in Atlanta annually since 1994, minus a hiatus from 2006 to 2010. According to the AJC, this year’s festival drew in approximately 70,000.
Saturday was arguably the biggest day of Music Midtown, with performances by DNCE, Lil Wayne, 2 Chainz and twenty one pilots. Though the temperature only reached 86 degrees, the heat drove some attendees home early.
“Saturday was ridiculous,” junior communication major Aja Miller said. “We even ended up leaving before twenty one pilots because [the heat] was so unbearable.”
One major issue on Saturday was an abundance of overheated and dehydrated patrons. Though all the on-site vendors were selling bottled water — and there was a free bottle-filling station — many people elected to drink alcohol instead, which sped up their dehydration. During many performances later in the day, including G-Eazy and twenty one pilots, attendees had to be helped and even carried out of the crowd by friends, security and on-site paramedics.
Despite the heat, the general consensus was that Saturday was a success — one that did not carry over into Sunday.
Rain started around 3:30 p.m. and showed no signs of stopping. Umbrellas were on the list of contraband items, and shelter was limited to VIP guests, so many attendees left the venue to seek shelter at local restaurants.
After lightning was spotted in the area, the event was put on hold and all guests were asked to evacuate the park. Event officials made the announcement over speakers at every stage as well as through their mobile app #musicmidtown and social media, but not everyone received the news.
“I chose to leave,” Miller said. “The rain made the day start to become more of a hassle, and I didn’t think the festival resumed after they evacuated.”
Some attendees took issue with this and refused to leave, escalating the situation. Security guards working at the event were reportedly aggressive with persistent attendees, according to videos and narratives circulating on Twitter. Attendees claim on social media that security guards grabbed arms, yanked people around and even put one man in a chokehold.
Music Midtown has yet to comment on these reports.
Ninety minutes after the emergency evacuation, Music Midtown officials announced via the #musicmidtown app and social media that gates would reopen, and they posted a revised schedule featuring all of the artists who had been slated to perform. Daniel Craig made a surprise appearance on stage to present The Killers.
“I stayed until the rain finished because I wasn’t going to let it make me miss out on a great experience,” said junior psychology major Sarah Mohamad. “Even with the downpour, everyone was vibing and having so much fun. It was a good atmosphere.”
Reviews about the festival overall are mixed. Some feel that it was poorly managed by staff, while others argue that Music Midtown officials did the best that they could, given the weather.
