Nostalgia Was the Real Headliner at ONE Musicfest 2025

This year’s ONE Music Fest didn’t hinge on new trends or viral moments. It was all about the classics. The festival’s lineup leaned heavily on legacy acts whose hits still soundtrack cookouts and car rides decades later. From ’90s icons to early-2000s chart-toppers, the energy across both days proved that nostalgia still holds the strongest pull in music.

Presented by P&G, ONE Music Fest 2025 once again transformed Atlanta’s Piedmont Park into a center of sound and community. While the event has always been a celebration of culture, the mix of live music, storytelling, unique activations, and southern pride felt familiar in the best way.

Even with a lineup of newcomers like Doechii and Leon Thomas, the crowd energy seemed most electric when the classics hit. Throughout the weekend, I’d often find myself thinking about how these artists were literally the soundtrack to my adolescence. And to be able to see it come alive again, this time with full production, thousands of screams, and dozens of memories attached, was an almost indescribable feeling.

Saturday opened strong and stayed that way. Wale’s go-go-inspired set flowed naturally into Kehlani’s smooth R&B performance, a reminder that the genre could never die. Her vocals were effortless as she performed her Billboard Hot 100 Top 10 hit “Folded,” sending us into a full sing-along.

The tone shifted completely when The Dungeon Family took over the P&G Stage. Seeing Big Boi, Goodie Mobb, Killer Mike, and Sleepy Brown together again felt like Atlanta honoring itself in real time.

Of course, the tribute to the late Rico Wade was emotional. Watching his sons and Atlanta radio legend Greg Street present the first-ever Rico Wade Vanguard Award to producer 30 Roc. The moment reminded everyone that a big part of the city’s music legacy began in Wade’s basement in East Point, Georgia.

On the OMF Stage, The Roots’ set was the highlight of the night. Seeing Quest Love lose himself on the drums remains unmatched. They moved through classics like “You Got Me” and “Proceed” before Havoc of Mobb Deep stepped out next, his gritty NYC energy following closely behind him.

Then, Busta Rhymes and Spliff Star turned the stage into chaos (in the best way possible). It was the best crowd of the night. Once the intro to “Pass the Courvoisier Part II” started, it was a done deal. I immediately knew the performance would be the highlight of Day 1. Busta and Spliff’s synergy is still perfect. Their energy was infectious, their timing flawless.

The finale of The Roots set welcomed Mary J. Blige, who slowed things down in her trademark look: a glittering leotard paired with thigh-high boots. Performing “What’s the 411?” and “I Can Love You,” she glided across the stage with the same confidence and grace that have defined her career. Her voice was steady, and every note landed exactly where it should.

Artists like Mary and Busta Rhymes prove that experience still matters. Decades in, they perform with the same fire that made them legends in the first place. The songs may be older, and I’ve seen her live before, but it never feels repetitive. Each show feels fresh, like I’m hearing those hits again for the first time.

And there was still one last performer left: Future’s headlining set. Surprisingly, this is Future’s first time headlining the festival. Performing in front of a massive ATL skyline projection, the rapper celebrated the 10th anniversary of Dirty Sprite 2 while honoring his late cousin Rico Wade.

Saturday ended on a high note, and I was excited for Day 2. But nothing could have prepared me for the absolutely dreadful weather that awaited.

Sunday started gray and very wet. Winds were nearly 15 MPH. The rain, though consistent, wasn’t light in the least. It came in steady sheets that quickly turned the grass into mud, leaving my black (now brown) biker boots as a souvenir.

But if anyone thought that would slow things down, they underestimated Atlanta. People wrapped themselves in ponchos, hoodies, blankets, and plastic bags, still ready for Day 2.

Luckily, the rain was the perfect touch to each performance that day. The weather made the performances feel raw. Leon Thomas’s set was one of the day’s best surprises. Switching between drums and guitar, he played with the confidence of someone who’s been doing this for years. When Wale joined him for “Feelings on Silent,” the crowd came alive, umbrellas waving like flags.

Then came Jazmine Sullivan. The timing of the rain was almost poetic. Her set started right as the drops turned heavier. Instead of running for cover, the crowd stayed. She performed through the storm, her voice cutting through the downpour as she honored her late mother on what would have been her birthday. It was one of those moments you can’t recreate.

Doechii followed with her own brand of controlled chaos. Opening with “Nosebleeds,” she danced atop a Spanish moss-covered pedestal unbothered by the weather.

By the time Ludacris’ “Ludacris & Friends” set began, I was soaked, cold, and ready to go home. I almost did, until the rain stopped. I sucked it up and headed over to the P&G stage. Just as the lights dimmed, his intro video played like a movie trailer, compiling footage of Atlanta landmarks and early 2000s moments. Then the hits came one after another: “Move B*tch,” “Stand Up,” and “How Low.”

The surprise guests turned the set into a full event. Jermaine Dupri appeared first, opening with “Welcome to Atlanta.” Then came Jadakiss, Jeezy, Chingy, Shawnna, and Bobby V, who all rotated through their biggest hits, each one turning the park into a different era.

Ludacris got a surprise of his own when LL Cool J joined him on stage. LL’s smooth delivery during “Loungin (Who Do You Love)” sealed the weekend in the best way, as a 300-drone light show lit up the Atlanta skyline with a peach, and a glowing “I LOVE ATL.” It felt like the perfect ending to a long, nostalgic weekend.

The highlight of the set was Fergie walking out for “Glamorous.” I still don’t know how I had any voice left after that. It took me a second for the crowd to register what was happening, but once we did, our screams were deafening. Maybe not everyone in the audience understood how big that moment was, but for those of us who grew up watching her music videos on MTV in the mornings while getting ready for school, it hit hard.

The moments instantly took me back to my tween years. “London Bridge” and “Glamorous” were on every radio countdown and felt like the height of cool. Hearing her perform again after all this time felt surreal. Her voice had a little more grit to it, but it sounded just the same: grounded and still completely in control. Ludacris seamlessly jumped in for his verse like no time had passed, and the two played off each other with the same chemistry that made the 2006 hit so addictive.

It wasn’t the flashiest performance of the weekend, but it was the one that stuck with me the most. It reminded me that some songs could never lose their charm.

The final surprise came when Usher joined for “Lovers & Friends” and “Yeah!”

Wearing an all-black leather fit, Usher helped close out the night, giving his fellow ATL-ien his flowers. “Ladies and gentlemen, let’s give Luda his flowers tonight. 25 years strong, we’re growing, brother. You are a king, not just in the south but all over the world. The greatest records, you’ve been an amazing actor. Even more of an astounding, incredible entrepreneur,” he said.

At this point, everyone was drenched and cold, but we didn’t care. The festival had managed to pull off two full days that honored the past without feeling stuck in it.

Earlier in the week, ONE Music Fest hosted OMF Unplugged at State Farm Arena on October 23. Before the show kicked off, founder J. Carter took the mic, grinning as he called this year’s lineup one of his all-time favorites. He described the festival as “a love letter to Atlanta,” and that energy definitely carried through the weekend. Every set, every surprise guest, and every rain-soaked sneaker played a part in that feeling.