Most Popular Music Festivals In Georgia

Georgia is buzzing with a vibrant mass of music festivals that keep tourists and locals on their toes throughout the year. So, if you are scouring Georgia in hopes of uncovering the best music festivals in Georgia, this is the list for you.

1. Tbilisoba

One of the most festivals in Georgia country marks the founding day of the capital city along with the autumn harvest season, and is celebrated with great fanfare and joyful festivities. Tbilisoba celebrates the rich diversity and culture of the country through traditional dance performances, theatre & music shows, fantastic fruit and cheese displays, fireworks and so much more. While most festivities are centred in the beautiful Old Town of Tbilisi as well as several city parks, Rike Park along the left bank of Mtkvari River showcases the rich wines of Georgia to be sampled and savoured by visitors. Art & craft stalls lining the city streets, grape-crushing and food festivals serving the country’s culinary specialities make the festival even more special.

2. Art-Gene Festival

One of the most popular music festivals in Georgia, Art-Gene festival pays tribute to the musical traditions and heritage of the country every year since 2003. Held at the Museum of Ethnography in Tbilisi, the week-long festival features folk music and dance performances along with contemporary music shows and craft displays. The open-air festival gives tourists a chance to witness the rich culture of Georgia while enjoying the cool summer breeze with a glass of wine or beer. There are handicraft stalls & workshops as well as food counters to relish the delicious Georgian cuisine at the festival venue. There are several performances & exhibitions in nearby towns like Adjara and Guria whic can be checked at the festival

3. New Wine Festival

Amongst the newest addition to the list of interesting festivals in Georgia country, this is a fitting tribute to the country’s love for wine. Georgia is considered to be the oldest wine producing country in Europe and has a rich selection of world-class wines produced locally. End of spring season marks the time for unsealing the traditional wine-making vessels called qvevri and thus the perfect occasion for sampling more than 60 varieties of Georgian wines. The gorgeous weather, wonderful wines and sumptuous Georgian barbecues are reason enough to plan your visit during this time. New Wine Festival celebrates the good life amidst rolling greens near Tbilsi every year, accompanied by some great music and dance performances. Surely it’s time to say Gaumarjos (cheers in Georgian) with the locals!

4. Shatiloba

High up in the north Caucasus Mountains lies the breathtakingly beautiful region of Khevsureti bordering Chechnya. This picturesque region is the venue for one of the most authentic festivals in Georgia rooted in the local traditions. Dedicated to the UNESCO world heritage site of the beautiful Shatili village, Shatiloba showcases traditional hand-crafted goods, local cuisine and Khevsur beer all held in Khevsur stone houses and towers. The festival also features traditional music, folk performances, Georgian wrestling and thrilling mountain horse races amongst locals. Do not forget to sample the mouth-watering Khinkali prepared by locals as you dig into the delicious Shatiloba feast with your generous hosts.

5. Rtveli

most important autumn festivals in Georgia that celebrates the grape harvest with lots of fun, music, good food and of course great wine! With a wine-making history of 8000 years, grape harvesting is a special time in Georgian wine country when locals celebrate with friends and family after a bountiful harvest. Just like old times, some families let their children and grandchildren indulge in grape-stomping fun during this time. Though this is a family-oriented festival, the charming locals warmly welcome visitors to participate in the celebrations. You can have loads of fun helping them out with cutting grape bunches, transferring them to wine-making clay-pots and finally sharing the delicious festive meal of barbecue, khachapuri, local cheese and freshly baked bread.

6. Afropunk Festival

The Afropunk Festival is a Music Concert that includes live music, film, fashion, and art performances produced by an influential community of black artists. The festival made its debut at the Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM) in 2005, and has since expanded to other parts of the world. Afropunk’s changes to its diverse cultural showcase has allowed for the festival to build its masses to 60,000 attendees.

This year’s edition is back in Atlanta offering an exciting weekend-long musical experience that caters to their diverse community. Top performances include artists like Foushée, Rico Nasty, Smino, and more.

Not to mention that they’ll also have a number of delicious black-owned food trucks to give attendees extra energy between concerts!

7. Music Midtown

Music Midtown is an annual music festival in Atlanta. The festival usually occurs in September every year for several days, and there are always big name artists that come shine on stage. In 2018, there were big names such as Post Malone, Kendrick Lamar, Imagine Dragons, Fall Out Boy, and many more. There tends to be more hip hop artists at the festival, but of course, there are all ranges of music genres to be heard there. No matter what kind of music nerd you are, there is something out there for everyone. I've been to the festival for two years in a row, and it was fun both times.

This year, Music Midtown will be September 14-15, and the well-known headliners are Travis Scott, Panic! At the Disco, Cardi B, Billie Eilish, and Vampire Weekend.

8. Shaky Beats Music Festival

Shaky Beats is a festival that happens every May. Before the Georgia heat gets so bad that it is nearly impossible to be outside all day, people can listen to talented artists all weekend. Some of the biggest names from last year's lineup was Big Gigantic, Martin Garrix, San Holo, and Fisher. The lineup for 2020 has not be released yet.

9. Shaky Knees Music Festival

Last year was my first time going to the Shaky Knees festival, and it was so fun. A lot of the bands were artists that I didn't know about, but I find some new artists that I loved. That's the magic about music festivals: you get to find new music that you obsess over for the next few months. Some of my favorite artists at Shaky Knees were Electric Guest, Wallows (who's lead singer was the main character from the popular TV show "13 Reasons Why"), Cage The Elephant, Tame Impala, and Foals.

10. AthFest Music and Arts Festival

AthFest is a three day music and arts festival in the college town of Athens, Georgia. The festival will feature many local musicians, as well as local kid musicians at KidFest. The festival raises money for AthFest Educates, a non-profit organization that gives grants to further music and arts education in Athens youth. Every year the festival brings together the community of Athens through music, arts, and kid-friendly functions. This year, there will be a water slide for kids to play on.

The festival was June 20-23 in downtown Athens this year. There were a wide range of musicians, from country singers, Ashley Walls, the Tuten Brothers Band, and Janie Waddell, as well as hip hop/rap artists like KidArsenic and Kxng Blanco.

Harshal is a technology enthusiast and a writer. he had the interest to write articles related to technology, software, education and health. He is currently working as a content writer for Synapse LLC. Besides writing, he likes to travel.