Text and Photos by Gaby Deimeke
On the weekend of September 16th, 2023, Piedmont Park in Atlanta came alive with Music Midtown, showcasing dozens of artists across four stages in a musical extravaganza. After its cancellation in 2022 due to production challenges, the event made a grand return, stretching over three days and enriched by local food trucks and brand activations.
JID, who nostalgically remarked about growing up just around the corner from the festival venue, revved up the crowd for a fantastic kickoff on Friday.
Pitbull popped up with a slew of scantily-clad dancers during the sunset set on Friday and had quite a few fans donning fake bald caps and mustaches for his set. Mr. Worldwide played hits ‘Fireball,’ ‘Don’t Stop The Party,’ and ‘Give Me Everything.’
Flume had an entertaining set, mixing EDM tracks on two mixers facing at the front of the stage while trippy visuals floated the screens behind him.
Pink’s two-hour headlining set on Friday was the highlight of the day and simply outstanding. From acrobatic jumps in the air and swinging around the crowd to outfit changes to a sentimental shared song with her daughter, Pink kept the audience enthralled the entire time, and made sure to play all her hits, including ‘Raise Your Glass,’ ‘Just Give Me A Reason,’ ‘Blow Me One Last Kiss,’ and ending with the sassy tune, ‘So What.’
Saturday had a wet start, with rain from the previous day creating a muddy mess in the grass, but fans trudged through bright and early to get a good spot for Billie Eilish, the headliner of the night. She noted that it was her last show of tour before heading back into the studio to work on her new album, which she said was coming “soon.” She, along with her brother Finneas onstage, played all of their hits, opening with ‘Bury a Friend,’ and closing with ‘Bad Guy’ and ‘Happier Than Ever’ before running into the crowd to sign autographs and give high fives.
American Apparel hosted a pop-up event, giving out free Music Midtown screen printed t-shirts and patches to the first 200 fans each day. Halsey’s makeup brand about-face gave makeup touchups, and the cleaning brand Lysol hosted an interactive karaoke pop-up. Local food trucks scattered the festival grounds and kept festival attendees full.
Rock band Sueco entertained the crowd by jumping down off stage and running around the barricade for fans. A wide mix of genres continued through the day, with sets from up-and-coming pop singer Maude LaTour, rapper Yung Gravy, rocker Upsahl, and former One Direction member, Niall Horan, who serenaded the crowd with his smash hit, ‘Slow Hands.’
Notable sets of the night included Fletcher, who recently had to cancel a tour after being diagnosed with Lyme disease. She teared up during her set while expressing her thanks to fans and hopes to be healed soon. The 1975 performed new and old songs alike, with songs from their recently released album ‘Being Funny In A Foreign Language’ and the 10-year anniversary album ‘The 1975.’
On Sunday, the heat returned and Masego serenaded the crowd with his saxophone, Inhaler brought a dedicated Irish fanbase, and JP Saxe wowed the audience with piano ballads and love songs.
Tove Lo flashed the audience during her signature song ‘Talking Body’ and Incubus wowed the crowd as the sun was setting. Lil Baby and Guns N’ Roses closed out the weekend, playing headlining sets on Sunday night filled with guitar solos on one side of Piedmont Park and lots of bass on the opposite side.
Overall it was a stellar weekend of music and fun at Music Midtown, with an absolutely insane lineup, (mostly) good weather and a park that didn’t feel too overcrowded. Memories are already swirling with favorite songs heard, friends made, and a great music festival experience.
