The 14th annual A3C Festival & Conference goes down this October in Atlanta, Georgia, with the five-day gathering featuring workshops, panels, mixers, and many other events, along with a musical lineup not to be missed.
Set to take place Oct. 6-7 at the GA Freight Depot in Atlanta, the A3C Festival this year features a mix of hip-hop heavyweights and rising stars alike. Today, Complex announces the first round of acts performing on the outdoor stage, which includes: Wu-Tang Clan, Lil Wayne, the Diplomats, J.I.D, Mannie Fresh, PRhyme, Young M.A, Currensy, Conway & Westside Gunn, Childish Major, and Deante Hitchcock.
"We’re really excited about producing a dope hip-hop festival in downtown Atlanta. It’s important to have cultural events in the city," Mike Walbert, A3C Director, told Complex. "There’s something special about hosting this festival in the capital of hip-hop culture with the state capital building and skyscrapers in the background.
"This is the second year we’ve hosted the A3C Festival at the GA Freight Depot and we’re committed to producing an amazing experience for hip-hop. We’re one of the only festivals in the world that bridge the gap between hip-hop’s icons and the future stars," he added. "We think it’s important, but it’s also in our DNA, it’s who we are. This year we’re adding a DJ stage and are redeveloping our indoor stage to be a national platform for the best hip-hop artists on the come-up and a launching pad to propel them to the next level."
2018 also marks the 25th anniversary of Wu-Tang's classic debut album Enter the Wu-Tang: 36 Chambers, so it's only right A3C got the entire crew involved in more than just the performance, which is being dubbed the Wu-Tang Experience. More info on what that entails is coming soon, but trust, it will be something special. "Working with the Wu-Tang Clan to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Enter the Wu-Tang: 36 Chambers, is unreal," Walbert said. "36 Chambers is one of my earliest memories listening to hip-hop, and one of my favorite albums of all time. We’re working with a lot of Atlanta companies and organizations to honor Wu-Tang Clan and produce an experience unlike anything seen before."
"It’s the YMCA of music festivals," Raekwon said of A3C. "The 'cultures' invincible big brother! Very important to the Atlanta movement and beyond!!"
Food trucks and live art are among the other festivities that will be available during the festival portion of A3C.
You can view a selection of acts set for A3C Festival this year below, with the lineups for the indoor stage and DJ stage—curated by ATL’s WERC Crew and Controllerise—to be announced soon. For more information on the event and ticket purchase, visit here.
