On Aug. 1, Atlanta’s Music Midtown festival was canceled due to the state’s laws surrounding guns in public parks. The event was set to host thousands of people and big-name artists over two days in September.
“Hey Midtown fans – due to circumstances beyond our control, Music Midtown will no longer be taking place this year,” the statement says on the festival’s website. “We were looking forward to reuniting in September and hope we can all get back to enjoying the festival together again soon.”
Georgia residents are legally permitted to carry guns in public places such as Piedmont Park, but the event generally bans weapons.
The decision to cancel the show follows a court ruling this year that upheld a 2019 ruling which made it harder for firearms to be restricted from private events that are hosted on private land.
The festival, which started in 1994, has seen an array of big-name artists performances such as Eminem, Bruno Mars, Miley Cyrus, Maroon 5, Jonas Brothers, and more.
In a Twitter post, Stacey Abrams, Democratic Nominee for Governor of Georgia, made a statement about the cancellation of the festival.
The cancellation of Music Midtown will cost Georgia’s economy $50 million.
It's shameful, but not surprising, that the governor cares more about protecting dangerous people carrying guns in public than saving jobs and keeping business in Georgia. pic.twitter.com/8cAECHE7IF
— Stacey Abrams (@staceyabrams) August 1, 2022
“Brian Kemp’s dangerous and extreme gun agenda endangers the lives of Georgians, and the cancellation of Music Midtown is proof that his reckless policies endanger Georgia’s economy as well,” Abrams said. “It’s shameful, but not surprising, that the governor cares more about protecting dangerous people carrying guns in public than saving jobs and businesses in Georgia.”
