Severe weather forced the temporary evacuation of thousands of people from the Shaky Knees music festival at Piedmont Park on Saturday night.
The evacuation just before 7 p.m. caused gridlock on Midtown streets and neighborhoods as heavy rain, wind, and lightning moved in.
Rough Draft Associate Editor Sammie Purcell was one of the concertgoers who left the park.
“They initially paused the bands because of the lightning and then very quickly told us to evacuate,” Purcell said. “After that, the rain started pretty quickly and staff and security starting rushing people out.”
Many attendees sought shelter across the street at Midtown High School, in parking garages, and local businesses nearby hoping the park would reopen and the music would continue.
Just before 9 p.m., Shaky Knees posted on social media that they would reopen the gates at 9:20 p.m. and that the music would continue.
However, many fans were disappointed to learn that only Twenty One Pilots would perform. Other top acts, including Pierce the Veil, The Prodigy and Pavement, were cancelled for the evening.
Attendees voiced their displeasure on Shaky Knees’ social media, with many commenting that they were told the entire evening had been cancelled and left the area. There was a two-hour gap in communication from the festival between the evacuation notice and word that the park would reopen for Twenty One Pilots.
The evening storms produced heavy rain, lightning, thunder, and hail in parts of the metro, while Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport was under a groundstop due to the weather.
The weather also forced the cancellation of the annual Atlanta Beltline Lantern Parade, which was set to take place on the Southwest Trail. Officials said the event would be rescheduled.
