Atlanta

Atlanta's live music and entertainment infrastructure spans every scale, meaning a great show is never far away. Here are a few of the most exciting Atlanta venues.

• The Eastern: A purpose-built music and event space in Atlanta's Reynoldstown neighborhood with a 2,200 capacity, The Eastern features a multi-tiered floor plan, a rooftop performance stage, and state-of-the-art sound that can be enjoyed across a wide range of genres.^1,4
• Live! at the Battery Atlanta: This 30,000-square-foot dining and live entertainment complex near Truist Park hosts concerts, sports viewing events, private functions, and nightlife experiences for up to 1,200 guests.^2,17
• Terminal West: Housed inside Atlanta's historic King Plow Arts Center, this intimate venue is beloved for its excellent acoustics and a genre-spanning lineup that has included acts like The Killers and Imagine Dragons.^3,18
• Variety Playhouse: A converted 1940s movie theater with a 1,100 capacity in the Little Five Points neighborhood, Variety Playhouse has been one of Atlanta's most celebrated live music venues since its full renovation in 2016.¹⁹

Atlanta's music scene runs deep, with roots in hip-hop, R&B, and gospel, and branching into indie rock, metal, and electronica across dozens of stages citywide.⁵ Here are some of the festivals you might get to see if you visit.

• Shaky Knees Music Festival: Founded in 2013 by Atlanta booking agent Tim Sweetwood, Shaky Knees is a three-day indie and alternative rock festival held at Piedmont Park, drawing massive crowds with a multi-stage lineup that thrills fans every year.^6,7
• ProgPower USA: The premier progressive and power metal festival in North America, ProgPower USA has been held annually in Atlanta since 2001.^8,9
• ONE Musicfest: One of the Southeast’s largest two-day urban progressive music festivals, ONE Musicfest brings a multi-stage lineup of hip-hop, R&B, soul, Afrobeats, and more to Atlanta, alongside food vendors, visual artists, merch, and cultural activations that celebrate the city’s creative community.²⁰

Atlanta is a city that takes its sports seriously, and its professional franchises have given fans plenty to cheer about across baseball, football, and basketball.

• Atlanta Braves: As one of Major League Baseball’s oldest and most storied franchises, the Braves have won four World Series titles and an MLB-record 23 division titles.¹⁰
• Atlanta Falcons: A founding member of the NFC South in the NFL, the Atlanta Falcons have been competing in the league since 1966.¹¹
• Atlanta Hawks: Atlanta's NBA franchise has been a fixture of the city's sports scene since arriving from St. Louis in 1968.¹²

Atlanta's arts and comedy scenes punch well above the city's weight, drawing national attention through internationally recognized fine arts festivals, a thriving stand-up circuit, and outdoor cultural programming anchored in Piedmont Park.

• Atlanta Dogwood Festival: Founded in 1936 and recognized as the third-oldest fine arts festival in the country, this annual spring celebration in Piedmont Park is a celebration of juried visual art, live music, and family programming.¹³
• Piedmont Park Arts Festival: This two-day summer event brings up to 250 painters, photographers, sculptors, jewelers, and craftspeople to Atlanta's largest park.¹⁴
• ATL Emerging Comedy & Music Fest: Atlanta's comedy festival scene showcases emerging, unsigned stand-up and musical talent across multiple stages and venues throughout the city.¹⁵

Check AXS for current listings and ticketed arts and comedy events in Atlanta.