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

Spamalot

We recently told you about the local connection to the touring production of Monty Python’s Spamalot, which continues this week at the Fox Theatre through July 26. The Tony-winning musical is based on Monty Python and the Holy Grail and was created by the British comedy troupe’s own Eric Idle.

Lynyrd Skynyrd and Foreigner

You won’t find many original members in either Lynyrd Skynyrd or Foreigner these days. Still, the music lives on, and you can hear it on the Double Trouble Double Vision Tour at Ameris Bank Amphitheatre on Thursday, July 23. All of the musicians who recorded Lynyrd Skynyrd’s 1973 debut album have passed on, but the current lineup includes longtime vocalist Johnny Van Zant, brother of original vocalist Ronnie Van Zant, and guitarist Rickey Medlocke, who was part of the band in the days before their first album. Similarly, Foreigner, has only one official original member in the band, but guitarist Mick Jones no longer tours because he’s battling Parkinson’s disease.

Focus 2026

This exhibition by the Atlanta Photography Group is an open-themed, Georgia-artist-only photography exhibition. There’s an opening reception from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. on July 23, and the show will be on view through August 21.

Friday

Kathryn Kampovsky: The Fade

Johnson Lowe Gallery presents this solo exhibition of new works by self-taught Atlanta artist Kathryn Kampovsky. The show opens with a reception from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. on July 24 and will run through September 12.

Mindful Seeing

Spalding Nix Fine Art presents this series of four exhibitions by Carlyle Wolfe Lee, Tim Hunter, Amanda Joy Brown and Scotty Peek. These exhibitions invite viewers to slow down, look closely and deepen their awareness of the natural world through four distinct artistic perspectives. There will be receptions from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Friday, July 24, and noon to 4 p.m. on Saturday, July 25. The shows will be on view through September 11.

Joe Gransden’s Big Band

Join the send-off for Joe Gransden’s Big Band at Eddie’s Attic before they head to Dizzy’s Club at Lincoln Center in New York for a 100th birthday celebration of Tony Bennett on August 3. The show, happening at 7 p.m. on July 24, is a benefit for The Atlanta Musicians Emergency Relief Fund, a local nonprofit organization dedicated to providing financial aid and assistance to musicians from Atlanta’s musical community.

Saturday

Atlanta Ice Cream & Wellness Festival

Aside from air conditioning, there’s no better way to beat the heat than with ice cream, and this 16th annual celebration in Piedmont Park has you covered for that. Experience sweet treats, family fun, live music and the Wellness Zone at Piedmont Park from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday, July 25.

Buford Highway Arts Festival

Happening from 7 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. on Saturday, July 25, at Atlanta Chinatown, the evening will feature three short films — Nuestra Realidad, Con Permiso and Wokman — all with local ties, that explore the immigrant experience. The Festival will also have live music, spoken-word poetry and an exhibition of visual art from students at Cross Keys High School and Sequoyah Middle School. The Asian Student Alliance will offer a special presentation on the story of Buford Highway. It’s a great way to learn more about the area’s vibrant and diverse communities. You’ll also have the chance to meet and support local nonprofits serving the Buford Highway corridor. And don’t forget to explore the Atlanta Chinatown shops and grab a bite to eat. This night is a celebration of community, of story and of the people who make Buford Highway what it is.

Sonic Impressions

Experience an abstract, nonfigurative art exploration of sound translated into visual form, where rhythm, memory and musical structure shape color, composition and material expression. It opens with a reception from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. on July 25 and will be on view through August 29 at ArtsXchange’s Jack Sinclair Gallery in East Point.

More things to do this weekend and beyond

Noah Kahan, who headlined the opening night of the Shaky Knees Music Festival in 2024, returns to Atlanta to play at Truist Park on Monday, July 27. He’s touring in support of his fourth album, The Great Divide, which hit No. 1 on the Billboard 200 album chart and had the biggest vinyl sales week for a rock album in the modern era (meaning since 1991, when electronic sales tracking began).