9 essential Atlanta arts events this weekend

Each week, ArtsATL curates a selection of the most exciting arts and culture events happening in Atlanta this weekend, highlighting nine must-see experiences. 

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Thursday

Once Upon a One More Time

This new musical weaves 23 of Britney Spears’ hits into a tale that involves a fairy godmother who gifts classic fairy-tale heroines with copies of The Feminine Mystique. See it at Out Front Theatre from October 22 through November 7.

Atlanta Symphony Orchestra: Gershwin and Nielsen

Pianist Sullivan Fortner joins the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra for the beguiling sounds of Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess and Rhapsody in Blue. After intermission, the orchestra drops into overdrive for Carl Nielsen’s Fourth Symphony, nicknamed The Inextinguishable. The concerts mark the debuts of Estonian conductor Kristiina Poska and Fortner. Concerts are at 8 p.m. October 22 and October 24.

Sam Taylor-Johnson: She Was I

Jackson Fine Art opens its fall season with a survey of career-defining work by internationally celebrated British artist Sam Taylor-Johnson. This extensive solo exhibition coincides with the publication of the artist, photographer and filmmaker’s major new monograph, Sam Taylor-Johnson: The Self and the Portrait, published by Rizzoli. It opens with a reception from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. on October 22 and will be on view through January 23.

Friday

Climate Film Festival

In recognition of the International Day of Climate Action, the Festival will feature screenings of Groundswell and The Tree Economy, along with the opportunity to learn more about local, relevant arts and environmental organizations. There will also be screenings of short films at the event, which will take place at The Porter Sanford III Performing Arts & Community Center on October 23 and October 24.

Stay in Your Lane: A Celebration of 50 Years of Car Wash

Honoring the creative lineage and cultural impact of the iconic film Car Wash, the event explores where the film came from, what its legacy means today and the creative lanes it continues to open for future generations. Guests will enjoy a special screening of the film followed by conversation, reflection and celebration surrounding its lasting influence on Black cinema, culture, music and storytelling. It happens at 7 p.m. October 23 at The Tara.

Cycle

Killer Mike will host the Atlanta theatrical premiere of an award-winning documentary following a Wisconsin family’s six-year search for answers after 18-year-old Ty’Rese West was killed by a Mount Pleasant police officer. The special one-night event takes place October 23 at the Plaza Theatre, bringing together Killer Mike, filmmakers Laura Dyan Kezman and Atlanta-born Co-Director and narrator William Howell and Ty’Rese’s mother, Monique West.

Wontanara Festival

Now in its 7th year, this Afro-diasporic cultural experience offers three full days of world-class drum and dance workshops, panel discussions, a 30-vendor Black-owned artisan market, food trucks, a free outdoor DJ activation and, new for 2026, a full-scale Saturday night live cultural concert, The Awakening, at a 365-seat theater. It happens October 30 through November 1 at the Southwest Arts Center in South Fulton.

Saturday

Hilary Hahn, Matthias Goerne and Yekwon Sunwoo

Violinist Hilary Hahn returns to Spivey Hall at 3 p.m. on October 24 for a rare opportunity to hear her in recital and experience an extraordinary collaboration with renowned baritone Matthias Goerne and Cliburn gold medal pianist Yekwon Sunwoo. Central to the program, which will highlight Hahn and Goerne separately and together, is the world premiere of a new work by composer Reena Esmail, co-commissioned by Spivey Hall for Hahn and Goerne.

Shepard Fairey: New Day Rising

ABV Gallery hosts the first solo exhibition by Shepard Fairey in Atlanta, presenting more than 150 works that explore his signature imagery and cultural commentary. It opens with a reception from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. on October 24 and continues through January 3.

More things to do this weekend and beyond

The American Black Film Festival Atlanta Pop-Up will feature a screening of Brown Sugar, which includes a conversation with star Taye Diggs about the making of the film, its cultural impact and why it continues to resonate with audiences more than two decades later. The Festival happens on October 24 and October 25 at AMC Madison Yards 8 and also includes a screening of the premiere episode of season three of P-Valley and many more events … Robby Hoffman is an Emmy-winning writer and Emmy-nominated actor and comedian whose work spans stand-up, television and podcasting. She starred opposite Michelle Williams in FX’s critically acclaimed limited series Dying for Sex and HBO’s Hacks, where she earned an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series. She’ll be at Variety Playhouse at 4:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. on October 25 … The Emory Chamber Music Society of Atlanta partners with First Presbyterian Church of Atlanta for its next Bach’s Lunch concert at noon on October 23. As part of his farewell tour as a flute soloist before turning to conducting and composing full-time, Ransom Wilson, one of the world’s great flutists, joins them to perform music from Mozart to Martinu … Beacon Dance, now in its 65^th performing season, will present a new evening-length work, It Takes a Village … To Dance!, at 8 p.m. on October 23, October 24 and October 25 at The B Complex Gallery (1272 Murphy Ave. SW). This new work, lasting approximately 60 minutes, is collaboratively choreographed by the ensemble and will feature a multigenerational and mixed-ability cast of 10 … To commemorate the 50th anniversary of the publication of The Great Santini by Pat Conroy, there will be a one-night-only screening of the film version on October 27 at the Tara Theatre. Actor Michael O’Keefe (who played Conroy’s alter ego in the movie), along with writer Cassandra King Conroy and other members of the Conroy family, will be attending. O’Keefe and King Conroy will have a brief discussion of the film … Catch a special 35mm screening of Caligula: The Ultimate Cut, including a Q&A with editor and author Aaron Shaps, who will have signed copies of his new book, Caligula: The Official Story of the Film on sale in the lobby. The event begins at 7 p.m. on October 22 at the Plaza Theatre.