This weekend, thousands of people will gather at Pullman Yards for the 20th annual SweetWater 420 Fest, featuring a vibrant lineup of local bands and beyond, all centered around a ‘fan-first experience’ that pays homage to the festival’s roots.
Hosted annually by SweetWater Brewing Company, an Atlanta-based craft brewery owned by Tilray Beverages, this year’s festival promises to be bigger and better than ever before, boasting top headliners, great beers, and non-stop fun, according to Tilray Beverages North America President Ty Gilmore.
The 2025 festival has been described as a sort of ‘sweet spot’ for SweetWater Brewing, showcasing Georgia-grown artists such as Drive-By Truckers and Linqua Franqa alongside notable groups like the Revivalists and Cypress Hill.
Festival-goers will enjoy features including a general stage and an ‘Exclusive Kush VIP’ area for certain performances.
Unlike some previous years, such as the 2022 event at Centennial Park that attracted 80,000 people with three stages, this year’s festival has a more intimate setting while still being larger than last year’s single-stage event focused solely on local bands.
SweetWater 420 Fest has undergone various changes in venues over the years, initially starting as a bar crawl with a hired band, then moving to various locales, notably Oakhurst and Candler Park, before exploding in size at Centennial Park in the mid-2010s.
Last year, the festival moved to Pullman Yards and underwent a last-minute transformation.
“If somebody looks at 420 Fest at Pullman Yards versus 420 Fest at Centennial Park, it’s a completely different vibe, different size, different makeup, different experience,” said SweetWater Brewing senior brand manager Evan Woolard.
Woolard explained that the festival had to move from Centennial Park to Pullman Yards, likening it to an analog version of the immersive Las Vegas Sphere venue.
However, weeks before the festival was set to begin with headliners Beck and Slightly Stoopid, organizers announced a shift to a more ‘intimate’ festival with a completely different lineup.
In lieu of big names and high ticket prices, attendees were welcomed with free entry and a $10 donation to the Waterkeeper Alliance, leading to a lineup dominated by small, local acts.
Organizers even refunded previously purchased tickets, marking a surprising shift for attendees but seen by Woolard as a process of ‘starting over and starting a foundation.’
“This change forced us, even the organizers, to have a clearer idea of what to expect,” Woolard said.
Despite the unexpected developments of the previous year, Woolard noted that the SweetWater Brewing team learned valuable lessons.
Thus, the 2025 festival will blend elements from last year’s event with features from earlier festivals.
Organizers reported that VIP tickets have already sold out and anticipate an attendance of about 18,000 to 20,000 over the span of the three-day weekend.
A significant focus of this year’s festival is its environmentalist stance, with Woolard stating that $10 from every ticket sold will be donated to the Waterkeeper Alliance, a worldwide network of environmental organizations dedicated to protecting bodies of water.
“If you talk to our marketing guys, brewers, beer tenders, anybody at SweetWater, one of the first things they’ll tell you is you can’t have good beer without clean water,” Woolard emphasized.
The festival, taking place just days prior to Earth Day on April 22, is viewed as a ‘celebration of Mother Earth.’
To further this commitment, organizers have incorporated green initiatives at Pullman Yards, such as a VIP stage powered by solar energy and composting and recycling options for food vendors.
All SweetWater beers and drinks will also be served in cans, representing ongoing experimentation to integrate an environmentally friendly mission into a weekend filled with exceptional music and beer.
The celebration will also include a ‘Planet 420 Zone,’ where SweetWater and the Waterkeeper Alliance will showcase their initiatives, a family area, bike and scooter valet, a ‘BoatHouse’ featuring a pool, merch, and a VIP lounge.
“It’s the best weekend of the year,” Woolard concluded.
SweetWater 420 Fest will take place from April 18-20 at Pullman Yards.
Tickets and the full lineup are available online, with daily general admission tickets priced at $80 and weekend admission starting at $195.
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