Another success gone
How many wildly successful annual events have come and gone in Atlanta? I can only name a few. First Night and Freaknik both immediately come to mind, though there are plenty more to add.
It’s worth wondering whether Atlanta can handle the most successful events that descend upon her streets and parks every year. Will the Pride Festival be next, or is its success not wild enough?
These are the questions that immediately came to my mind when I heard that Music Midtown will be cancelled this year. Promoters gave three reasons for cancelling: money, weather, and the media.
Things will change. This is Atlanta, after all. Music Midtown promoters hinted that they may move the festival to the suburbs. Clearly, the weather is better there. And so is the traffic.
January 6th, 2006 at 7:19 pm
Peter Conlan said it himself, they lost money the last three years.
I don’t know that much about the situation or have any inside info but it sounds to me that he’s just looking to save money on the space and generate interest for when it “reopens” fresh in 2007.
I doubt it will be moved to the suburbs.
January 7th, 2006 at 11:36 am
I heard at least one report that said they cancelled because of problems with MARTA. Perhaps every other day in Atlanta is cancellation day.
January 7th, 2006 at 7:17 pm
I’m not so sure Freaknik was a success in every sense of the word. I wish they would move all the festivals to the suburbs. Gwinnett County would be ideal. That way, events and festivals that clog the streets won’t inconvenience those of us who pay a premium to live in town.
January 18th, 2006 at 11:29 am
i very highly doubt that they canceled Music Midtown because of problems with MARTA, especially since every story i’ve seen regarding their possible relocation mentions that proximity to MARTA is one of their prime considerations for the new site (assuming they stay in Atlanta at all).
isn’t the fact that the festivals and events happen in town part of the reason we’re willing to pay the premium? if we want the central city to become as docile as the suburbs, why am i here? there are the negatives like event traffic, noise, and the oft-seen bad behavior of non-residents (who abhor similar behavior of city dwellers when it’s on their turf, a nicely obscured double-standard made evident by the AJC forums), but the benefits are that these things happen here and play a key part of making the city a unique, vibrant, and different type of place. and every event that leaves Atlanta without a replacement will only drain it a little more. i’m hoping that the Vibe music fest will pick up Music Midtown’s slack.
January 31st, 2006 at 10:42 am
Freaknik was an utter failure. Atlanta never had the ability to deal with the crowds generated by Freaknik. Also if you remember the first year of Freaknik, Comdex was ruined and they vowed never to come back to Atlanta. Comdex generated millions of dollars in immediate revenue and I have no idea how much in extended revenues. Freaknik did not even generate a positive revenue stream during the event and was a hinderence on the local economy. Remember the third year when most businesses closed dirung the week of Freaknik? I would agree with you that the Midtown Music Festival was a success in prior years but the weather has just not cooperated over the past 2 years. The place to have it would be in Suwanee at the ampitheatre using the Gwinnett Civic Center as the backup facility.
January 31st, 2006 at 12:56 pm
In a lot of ways, Al, I think you’re absolutely right about Freaknik. It’s ironic that with such a large convention center, Atlanta has a difficult time retaining large conventions in addition to large outdoor gatherings.
Whether Freaknik (or First Night, or Music Midtown, for that matter) was a financial success is not as relevant as whether it was successful in the sense of attracting large crowds of people. From this perspective, Freaknik was too successful, and the only way Atlanta knows how to deal with hypersuccessful outdoor events is to shut them down.
May 3rd, 2006 at 2:05 pm
BRING FREAKNIK BACK…….
ONE