As Atlanta prepares to welcome global visitors for the World Cup, the Atlanta Beltline is planning a two-day festival designed to celebrate the city’s culture, food, music and community spirit along the Southside Trail.
Atlanta Beltline Fest will take place June 20-21 at Pittsburgh Yards and will feature live match screenings, musical performances, local vendors and family-friendly programming. The free ticketed event comes as Atlanta hosts several FIFA World Cup matches this summer.
Festival organizers say the event is intended to create a gathering space for both residents and international visitors while also supporting Atlanta-based artists, entrepreneurs and nonprofit organizations.
“This is a once-in-a-lifetime experience, and we want to make room for everyone to be a part of it,” said Clyde Higgs, president and CEO of Atlanta Beltline, Inc. “We’re creating a free, welcoming space where local residents, entrepreneurs, artists and communities can celebrate together and visitors from around the world can experience the culture that defines our city.”
The festival will run from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. both Saturday and Sunday at Pittsburgh Yards, located at 352 University Ave. SW. Organizers said attendees can expect large-scale outdoor match screenings throughout the weekend, including a featured watch party Sunday for the Atlanta-hosted Spain vs. Saudi Arabia match.
In addition to soccer programming, the event will include live DJs, food vendors, retail pop-ups, arts and culture performances and immersive experiences along the Beltline corridor.
The event also arrives during a significant moment for the Beltline project. Ahead of the summer matches, the Beltline is expected to complete a long-anticipated connection between its Eastside, Southside and Westside corridors. According to organizers, the trail system now includes 18.3 miles of completed paved trail, including 16.7 miles of continuous mainline trail.
Organizers selected Pittsburgh Yards partly because of its connection to nearby neighborhoods including Pittsburgh, Peoplestown, Adair Park, Chosewood Park and South Atlanta. Beltline leaders said the goal is to ensure surrounding communities benefit from the increased activity and economic opportunities connected to the summer events.
In addition to the festival, the Beltline is also accepting applications for its “Summer of Soccer: Atlanta Indie Market Experience,” which will run June 13 through July 15 across six Atlanta Beltline Marketplace locations.
Applications are now open for food vendors, small businesses and nonprofits interested in participating in Atlanta Beltline Fest, with additional opportunities also available through the Beltline’s Summer of Soccer Indie Market Experience.
Additional announcements regarding performers, vendors and programming schedules will be released in the coming weeks.
