Shaky Knees 2025 Finds Its Groove at Piedmont Park

On Friday afternoon, as the late-summer sun stretched across Piedmont Park, the first waves of festivalgoers streamed through the gates of Shaky Knees 2025. For more than a decade, Atlanta’s signature rock and indie festival has bounced between dates and venues, but this year marked its boldest leap yet: a move from its springtime slot to September, and a relocation to the city’s crown jewel green space.

By sundown, when Deftones thundered into “My Summer (Shove It),” the experiment already felt like a success. Tens of thousands of fans packed the lawns, skyscrapers framing the stage in the distance, as the festival announced itself to Midtown in the loudest way possible.

Over three days, September 19–21, tens of thousands of fans filled the park’s rolling lawns under the ATL skyline. They came for a lineup that blended high-gloss nostalgia with buzzy upstarts: My Chemical Romance, Blink-182 and Deftones headlined, flanked by Alabama Shakes, Vampire Weekend, Lenny Kravitz, Public Enemy, Wet Leg and Mdou Moctar. Even Weird Al Yankovic showed up for a delightfully offbeat set, a reminder that Shaky Knees still knows how to keep things fun.

The shift to Piedmont Park worked on several levels. With more space than its old digs, stages felt less cramped and the city’s skyline became part of the experience. It almost changed the character of Shaky Knees. The location offered more room to spread out, better sightlines, and an unmistakably Atlanta backdrop. Stages were nestled between rolling greens and tree-lined paths, creating a more open and airy layout than past festivals.

Shaky Knees, by Keira Lindgren

IDLES, by Keira Lindgren

Highlights included a blistering Friday night set from Deftones, Alabama Shakes’ emotionally charged Saturday performance led by Brittany Howard, and sing-along nostalgia moments from Sublime and Pixies.

IDLES brought politically charged punk energy to an afternoon crowd, while Yankovic’s parody-laden show added a dose of levity.

The weekend’s only constant complaint was overlapping sets. Fans had to choose between IDLES or Wet Leg, Sublime or Pixies — the kind of tough calls that can define a festival experience.

HIGHLIGHTS

Wet Leg, by Keira Lindgren

Wet Leg, the Isle of Wight duo fronted by Rhian Teasdale and Hester Chambers, has made a habit of turning skeptical or distracted crowds into converts, and their Shaky Knees set was no exception. Launching straight into “Being in Love,” they quickly found the balance between cheeky irreverence and sharp musicianship that has made them one of indie rock’s most buzzed-about acts.

As the sun dipped low over Piedmont Park on Sunday, a familiar bassline rolled out across the festival grounds, and the energy shifted instantly. Sublime, now fronted by Jakob Nowell — son of late original singer Bradley Nowell — took the stage at Shaky Knees 2025 and delivered one of the weekend’s most unifying sets. For many in the crowd, it was pure nostalgia. The band’s blend of reggae grooves, ska rhythms, and punk grit has been the soundtrack to backyard parties and road trips for nearly three decades, and hearing it live again felt like opening a time capsule. When they launched into “Santeria,” the audience didn’t just sing along — they took over, their voices carrying louder than the band at times. Strangers draped arms around each other, couples swayed, and the park briefly transformed into a massive communal jam session.

JVB, by Keira Lindgren

Joey Valence & Brae stormed the stage and flipped the mood on its head. The Pennsylvania duo, known for their throwback-to-the-’90s hip-hop sound and breakneck live energy, turned their Shaky Knees slot into a chaotic block party.

Musically, their set leaned heavily on uptempo tracks designed to get people moving. Newer songs hinted at more complex production, but they never lost the raw, DIY party vibe that first got them attention on TikTok.

If there was one band determined to blow the roof off Shaky Knees 2025 (even without an actual roof) it was Cage the Elephant. Taking the stage on Saturday night, the Kentucky-born rockers unleashed the kind of chaotic, sweaty, cathartic performance that has become their trademark. Within minutes, Piedmont Park felt less like a festival field and more like a powder keg.

Shaky Knees 2025 felt like a festival testing its future. The move to Piedmont Park opened new possibilities but also raised questions about how it can balance size with comfort. It delivered on the promise of big-name headliners and discovery-friendly undercards, but it also revealed the limits of space, shade, and scheduling.

Still, the energy was undeniable. Across the weekend, fans young and old, punks and indie kids, longtime Atlanta residents and out-of-towners, mingled across the park’s lawns. The festival felt less like a fenced-in event and more like a city ritual, something woven into Atlanta’s identity.

View the full weekend gallery below

Photos by Keira Lindgren