Blink
photo by Carmen O'Hagan
Blink
photo by Carmen O'Hagan
Blink
photo by Carmen O'Hagan
Blink
photo by Carmen O'Hagan
Broods
photo by Carmen O'Hagan
Broods
photo by Carmen O'Hagan
Oh Wonder
photo by Carmen O'Hagan
Oh Wonder
photo by Carmen O'Hagan
Oh Wonder
photo by Carmen O'Hagan
Oh Wonder
photo by Carmen O'Hagan
Tove Lo
photo by Carmen O'Hagan
Tove Lo
photo by Carmen O'Hagan
Wiz Khalifa
photo by Carmen O'Hagan
Wiz Khalifa
photo by Carmen O'Hagan
Wiz Khalifa
photo by Carmen O'Hagan
Big Sean
photo by Carmen O'Hagan
Gates opened at noon Saturday to officially kick off Music Midtown 2017. Fans entered Atlanta’s Piedmont Park and quickly took to the two main stages (the Roxy and Salesforce) to claim their spots for the night’s main headliners – Blink-182 and Bruno Mars.
It felt more like the middle of summer than the middle of September, with temps in the nineties. That didn’t stop the throngs of festival attendees throughout the afternoon. Attendance for Saturday seemed higher than in recent years.
Music Midtown’s first day highlighted the diverse lineup that Live Nation Atlanta President Peter Conlon touted earlier this year with the release of the festival lineup. From pop to punk, rap to soul, and everything in between, Music Midtown had it.
London-born pop star Dua Lipa had the honor of being the first artist to take the stage for the weekend festival. Her 1:30 pm set on the Salesforce Stage was also the opener for Bruno Mars who took the same stage at 9:30 pm.
New York based brother-duo AJR played an early set on the Cotton Club Stage, but packed a surprisingly large crowd. The group’s hit song “Weak” was not the only one the fans jumped and sang along with.
Across Piedmont Park, Swedish pop star Tove Lo was drawing quite the crowd herself. The “Talking Body” singer played a 5:30 pm set preceding rapper Big Sean and headliner Bruno Mars.
Wiz Khalifa was another crowd favorite of the night. As his set time, the final one of the night on the Honda Stage, the masses began to chant, “We want Wiz!”
As the day progressed the crowds grew larger in front of the Salesforce Stage, in anticipation of Bruno Mars. Just before the final show of the night, rapper Big Sean performed to a huge crowd. He had an impressive three-tiered stage setup and covered the entire area through the set. He took a momentary break from the high energy and fun of the night to hold a moment of silence and prayer for the victims of hurricanes Harvey and Irma.
Bruno Mars was sure to not disappoint they hype associated with his performance. With a full band, that covered the entire stage in choreographed step, Mars and his crew put on an energetic and engaging set. The previous Super Bowl performer brought all his hits and delivered them one after another to the Atlanta crowd.
Meanwhile at the Roxy Stage, punk rock group Blink-182 played a classic setlist of the songs that made the staple of the 90s. While nostalgia was a key aspect of the show, they also incorporated their newer songs as well.
The night ended with an impressive amount of pyro and explosions from the Bruno Mars set, an appropriate close to an impressive first day for the festival. The second and final day of Music Midtown will begin with Circa Waves and Midnight Larks both playing at 12:30 pm on the Salesforce and Roxy stages respectfully. Mumford & Sons and Future will co-headline with 8:30 pm start times.