AnnaBeth Crittenden, Campus Carrier Assistant Entertainment Editor
The Georgia area will host a variety of music festivals in the upcoming month. These festivals span artists and genres from indie to rock and are spread throughout Georgia—focused mainly in Atlanta and Rome.
Sweetwater 420 Fest: This music festival takes place in Centennial Olympic Park in Atlanta and runs from April 17-19. The festival boasts four stages with over 45 bands playing over the three days. Sweetwater 420 Fest is headlined by the rapper Snoop Dogg, with other artists such as 311, Thievery Corporation, Primus, Cage the Elephant and Gov’t Mule playing as well. The festival will also include a 5K race, an arts and crafts festival, a “Not-So-Silent” Disco and a Comedy Tent. Tickets can be found on the Sweetwater 420 Fest’s website and cost $42 for one day of the festival, and $75 for all three days.
Shaky Knees Music Festival: The Shaky Knees Music Festival takes place in Central Park in Atlanta from May 8-10. The festival’s music style is more independent, as it is headlined by bands such as The Strokes, The Avett Brothers, Wilco, Pixies, Social Distortion, and Tame Impala. The festival has bands playing through the night, with late night sessions by RIDE, James Blake, The Shadowboxers and Milky Chance, among others. These late night shows can be ticketed separately and begin at 11:30. Tickets for these shows cost $15-$27, depending on the popularity of the band. However, full day tickets can be purchased for $99, and give audiences the chance to see several bands, as opposed to the one band seen during the late night show. Tickets can be purchased online at the Shaky Knees Festival’s website.
Shaky Boots Music Festival 2015: This music festival is the country version of the Shaky Knees Music Festival. This new festival debuts on May 16-17 at the KSU Sports and Entertainment Park in Atlanta. This festival is headlined by country stars such as Brad Paisley, Rascal Flatts, Blake Shelton, The Band Perry and Dierks Bentley. Unlike the Shaky Knees Music Festival, the Shaky Boots Festival has no late night shows. Tickets to this festival are $95 for one day and $185 for the full weekend. The tickets can be found on the Shaky Boots’ website or on Ticketmaster.
Counterpoint Music and Arts Festival: Counterpoint, hosted in Kingston Downs, near Rome, is a three day festival lasting from May 22-24. The artists at the festival span several styles and include Widespread Panic, Zedd, The Roots, Kygo, and Knife Party. The festival also celebrates art through a huge art festival. This art festival includes “Art Village” which boasts rare art and memorabilia. Tickets to Counterpoint range from $65-$95 for single days or $195 for the full weekend. Camping passes are also available to purchase. Tickets can be found on Counterpoint’s website.
The Wrecking Ball: This music festival, hosting music styles ranging from hardcore to emo, will be hosted at The Masquerade in Atlanta from Aug. 8-9. This festival is celebrating its 25th year as it brings bands such as Coheed and Cambria, Descendants, Thrice, Desaprecidos, Glassjaw and The Get Up Kids. Although the festival begins on Aug. 8, the event kicks off on Aug. 7 with a Punk Rock Karaoke Pre-Party. This allows fans of the music style the chance to perform their favorite songs before hearing them live over the weekend. Tickets to the event are $110 for both days, with an extra $15 charge for the Karaoke Pre-Party. Tickets can be found on the Wrecking Ball Atlanta’s website.
TomorrowWorld: The world’s largest 21+ music festival will be hosted in Chattahoochee Hills, outside of Atlanta, from Sept 25-27. This festival is the international version of Tomorrowland, an all electronic festival. Although the 2015 lineup has not been set, the festival in years past has called on artists such as David Guetta, Dimitri Vegas and Like Mike, Bassnectar and Zedd. Tickets are already on sale and are $357 for a full weekend pass, with extra charges added for those wishing to use the campsite. Tickets can be found on the TomorrowWorld website.