Atlanta Rocks the Stage with Music Midtown 2015

Elton John performing at Music Midtown 2015

            Over 300,000 people. Thirty artists. Four stages. Two days. One park. And one day later, my ears are still ringing from the excitement of Music Midtown at Piedmont Park in Atlanta this past weekend. This weekend marks my fourth year attending this music festival, and I have observed the concert grow bigger and bigger each year. The festival originally began in 1994, ran annually until 2005, and then returned in 2011. There are many differences between my first year attending the festival in 2012 and my most recent experience this year, 2015. In 2012 there were much fewer attendees, less expensive ticket prices, only two stages, and one final act to close the show each night. This year, not only did the number of attendees, ticket prices, number of stages and performers increase, but also several extra amenities were added including artist markets, a Ferris wheel, an “artist signing shack,” increased number of vendors, and a useful Music Midtown app.ger each year. The festival originally began in 1994, ran annually until 2005, and then returned in 2011. There are many differences between my first year attending the festival in 2012 and my most recent experience this year, 2015. In 2012 there were much fewer attendees, less expensive ticket prices, only two stages, and one final act to close the show each night. This year, not only did the number of attendees, ticket prices, number of stages and performers increase, but also several extra amenities were added including artist markets, a Ferris wheel, an “artist signing shack,” increased number of vendors, and a useful Music Midtown app.

Music Midtown 2012

            Overall, the value of Music Midtown to both attendees and vendors has increased significantly. Even with the increased ticket prices, the music festival is still a huge bang for your buck. I was able to watch 15 out of the 30 performances, which amounted to only $11 per show. This is an incredible deal considering that a ticket to a concert of any one of the 4 final performers could easily be $165 alone.  Music Midtown also presents an amazing opportunity for businesses as well. With 300,000 people in one location, it is so easy for businesses to market themselves to an audience who may not have been exposed to the company otherwise. The department store Belk and car manufacturer Honda are 2 of the 14 largest sponsors, and they each had stages in their names. Between acts, their advertisements, as well as those of the other big sponsors, displayed on huge screens on both sides of the stage for all concertgoers to view. These company names were repeated countless times as attendees planned their schedules and traveled back and forth from one stage to another. Honda also sponsored a “signing shack” for fans to get autographs from their favorite artists, and Belk sponsored a lounge with meet and greets as well. Not only did these sponsors increase their word-of-mouth marketing, but they also connected their brands to a fun experience by which their customers will remember them.

            Music Midtown also performed wonderfully on social media, making use of several different channels. The festival has 82,256 likes on Facebook, 11,200 followers on Instagram, and 44,000 followers on Twitter. Posts were frequently written with accompanying photographs and video footage before, during, and after the festival to engage their audience and increase excitement.

Music Midtown Facebook Page Statistics

            For myself and thousands of my fellow festivalgoers, Music Midtown is one of the highlights of the year. From the line-up release, to ticket sales, and throughout the concert, the festival marketing team successfully builds hype for the weekend that continues to exceed my expectations every year!