It’s finally the weekend DMV music fans look forward to all year – All Things Go (ATG) festival weekend! In the years since ATG was first launched, it has grown into the DMV’s premiere music event, and fans have been waiting patiently since Lana Del Rey closed out last year’s festival to return at Merriweather Post Pavilion. ATG promises to be bigger and better than ever, celebrating its 10th festival and expanding to New York City (on the same weekend!). Here’s everything you need to know about ATG.
ATG was launched in 2014 at Union Market and featured artists such as Future Islands and Tove Lo. ATG has gained a reputation for curating a diverse lineup that reflects its community. Since 2018, the festival headliners have been women and non-binary musicians, including Lana Del Rey, Boygenius, Maggie Rogers, MUNA and Lorde. This year’s lineup is stacked with women and non-men artists, continuing to be an outlier among festivals where women typically represent less than 20% of the featured artists. Beyond the stage, ATG has created a fan-forward community of music lovers who value and celebrate diversity and creativity.
So what can you look forward to at this 10th ATG festival?
Where & When:
ATG festival weekend is Sept. 28th and 29th at Merriweather Post Pavilion. Gates open at 10:30 a.m. and the first set begins at 11:30 a.m. at the Pavilion and Chrysalis Stages.
Lineup:
This year, we can look forward to 36 acts spanning 2 stages. Highlights from this year’s lineup include Bleachers (always a fan favorite), Janelle Monáe, Ethel Cain (returning after an amazing set last year), Remi Wolf, Renée Rapp and Chappell Roan. Hozier will close out the festival on Sunday evening. I encourage you to check out the early sets featuring a number of emerging artists. The talent is deep and you just might get to see the next big thing.
Food:
ATG typically features food from various DMV restaurants, including gluten free and vegan options, as well as the standard Merriweather options. I highly recommend the chocolate and vanilla twist custard – I promise you won’t regret it!
In and Around the Venue:
If you have time between sets, go explore the rest of the venue, particularly the art! There are multiple sculptures created by French artist Bernard Pras depicting iconic artists Dolly Parton, Miles Davis and Robert Plant. I can’t begin to do justice to the pieces – you need to see it yourself to understand how Dolly Parton’s hair is made of musical instruments and Robert Plant’s chest is a wheelbarrow!
You can also expect various community organizations that promote diversity, inclusivity and engagement to have a presence, including Calling All Crows, The Ally Coalition, Reverb, Headcount and Rock the Vote.
Tips:
- Parking is included with your ticket but you must pre-select your parking section before the show, which can be done here
- Merriweather is a cashless venue
- Follow ATG instagram (@allthingsgo) – they will likely post a festival map and provide important updates throughout the festival
- Keep an eye out for Boomy (iykyk)