Background

The Sweetwater 420 Music Festival has been a staple of Atlanta's music scene for nearly two decades. Having witnessed its evolution from the intimate setting of Candler Park in 2005 to the bustling atmosphere of Centennial Olympic Park in downtown, the festival had, for many years, successfully struck a balance between accessibility and excitement. However, when the festival shifted to Pullman Yards in the Kirkwood neighborhood for 2024, it seemed like a convenient location, especially since it was just a 15-minute walk from my house. With headliners like Beck and Slightly Stoopid, I was eager to see what the new venue had to offer, despite the hefty ticket prices of around $400 for a two-day VIP pass. Unfortunately, what should have been a straightforward festival experience turned into a logistical nightmare.

The Ticketing Debacle

Two weeks before the event, Sweetwater 420 made an abrupt announcement: they were changing the entire pricing structure, refunding all tickets, and offering free replacements through their notoriously clunky ticketing system. As if this wasn't chaotic enough, the announcement came with the news that the original headliners were no longer on the bill. The resulting scramble to redeem free tickets through a glitchy system left many frustrated, with reports on Reddit indicating that some people were never able to secure their entry. After several attempts with different codes from emails and the original ticket, I eventually managed to redeem mine, but the whole process was unnecessarily convoluted.

 Saturday's Shaky Start

Despite the rocky beginning, I was hopeful that the festival would still deliver on its promises of great music and a fun atmosphere. My group arrived early to catch Andy Frasco and the U.N., and while the crowds were light, everything seemed to be running smoothly. However, as the day progressed, the cracks in the festival's organization began to show. The lines for general beer were staggering, stretching 40 minutes or more, and the portable toilets were far from sufficient for the number of attendees. They ran out of beer for general admission early in the night. Even VIP attendees faced 20-minute waits for beer, a stark contrast to the shorter lines of past years at Candler and Centennial.

 The VIP area was supposed to offer exclusive amenities, but it fell short of expectations. There was only one trailer for VIP bathrooms, leading to ridiculously long waits, especially for women. To make matters worse, the festival grounds lacked running water, despite the adjacent apartments having full facilities. It felt like a severe oversight for a venue of this size.

 Adding to the disappointment was the "Honeypot" tier, a premium experience that turned out to be a complete rip-off. A friend who purchased this ticket reported lackluster amenities, with free BBQ as the only highlight. The viewing area wasn't any better than VIP.

 Sunday's Slower Pace

Sunday was a more laid-back affair, with fewer attendees and a calmer atmosphere. The lighter crowd made some of the previous day's issues less noticeable, but it was clear that the festival had missed the mark in terms of planning and execution.

 Overall Impression

My overall takeaway is that the Sweetwater 420 Music Festival's move to Pullman Yards was a failure of planning, management, and execution. It seems likely that the low ticket sales led to headliner cancellations, resulting in a cascading series of logistical and operational problems. The venue owner, Atomic Entertainment, may have oversold their capabilities, leading to a festival experience that left attendees feeling disappointed and disillusioned.

 While the Sweetwater 420 Music Festival has a strong legacy, this year's event serves as a cautionary tale of what can go wrong when an event's planning and execution don't meet expectations. If the festival is to regain its former glory, significant changes will be needed to restore attendee trust and ensure a smooth, enjoyable experience

I sat it out this year but curious how it was? If you went, pls drop a quick review of what you liked / didn’t like.

Would like to sell for $10 each OBO

I have a bad feeling this post will get slammed, but I'm genuinely curious after spending $9 per beer yesterday...

I saw a lot of people brought beer in with them (I know they must have brought them in because they were Creature Comforts not Sweetwater). Don't misunderstand, I want to support this festival and with two tickets, a poster, shirts and like 12 drinks yesterday, I feel like I did an okay job.

Now, today, I would love to save myself a few bucks and get a beer or two inside on my own.... But, how? How'd y'all get this done?

I should have borough tickets that allow me to reenter, I live literally across the street from Pullman, but I didn't look up the rules until it was too late.

Any hints?

Looking for one Sunday pass for today. Please DM if you have one available

$20 - Selling 2 Sunday Tix - PayPal G&S for your protection.

update: sold

Trying to decide if it’s worth going to post rain.

Thanks.

Looking for a free one, or someone to send in advance, and I will pay after it’s used.

I don’t want to send money first, or no one will send the ticket.

Can anyone confirm if there is bike parking or bike valet? Couldn't find any info on the Sweetwater or Pullman Yards websites.

Just snagged a ticket heading down from Gwinnett. What’s the situation? Little info on site. Thanks

If anyone has two general admission tickets that they would be willing to come off on, let me know, please ❤️

Thanks

Will pay $20/each. HMU if you’ve got some!

Sent money to Any_statistician7216. Now no response for an hour. I know but the guy sent some blurred qr codes so I was hopeful. Was gonna be someone's outing for a bday. Fucking people.

Title

Will pay $10 each for them, let me know!

DM me plz it's my wife's bday. Need them desperately.

Please let me know if anyone has one extra ticket for Sunday! :D

I’ve never been. What to expect? Why do I get the feeling they oversold this?

Hey yall! Slept on actually buying these amidst all the lineup/price changes. Would love 3 one-day tix for Saturday and willing to pay a bit above the sale (donation?) price!

Hit my line and stay beautiful :)

Don’t want anyone else to get scammed @ColossalHegemony scammed me saying he had tickets. I Zelle’d him the money and now he’s gone unresponsive with no tickets. Not going to get them. Everybody avoid at all costs.

Hi there! On the prowl for a Sunday pass to 420fest! I'm willing to pay extra $ to the kind soul who blesses me with their ticket:) 2-day pass preferred, if available!

I can Zelle, Venmo, or CashApp!

Bought 2 GA Sunday tix at full price and wanted to wait for the refunds before redeeming the freebies. Tried to do this via the link they sent out for full-price ticket refunds. Am I locked out?

Need 4 Saturday tickets. Pls HMU

I got mine but the process was very confusing and i hear others are having problems. What has your experience been like?

We just decided to go and I was going to buy Kush VIP, then saw some people posting online they got their VIP ticket refunded with just an upcharge for VIP once they made GA free. Is this true? Is there a code or something somewhere? Or is it just 97 no matter what. Any help is super appreciated!! Just don’t want to overpay if not necessary