ONE Musicfest to pause in 2026 as organizers regroup

What they're saying: "Rather than produce the same festival we've done in the past, we're taking this year to build the next iteration of ONE Musicfest with the same bold vision and a commitment to giving you the very best," founder Jason "J." Carter and the festival team said in a statement Friday.

• The festival started in 2010.

Zoom in: Organizers did not offer additional details on why they made the decision, saying only they've "never been content to just throw another music festival."

• "We've pushed culture forward, brought generations together, and built something that didn't exist before we created it," their statement said.

Zoom out: Music festivals have faced growing pressure from rising production and artist costs, changing audience habits, competition from blockbuster stadium tours and softer ticket sales.

Flashback: Music Midtown abruptly canceled its 2022 event amid concerns that Georgia's gun laws could prevent organizers from enforcing a firearms ban at publicly owned Piedmont Park, the AJC reported at the time.

• Music Midtown returned in 2023 but announced a hiatus the following year and has not returned.