The traditional annual Atlanta Peach Drop at Underground Atlanta is being replaced this New Year’s Eve by a citywide fireworks and drone display, Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens announced Monday.
“We are reimagining that tradition with Countdown Over ATL,” Dickens said in a statement. “We cannot wait for residents and visitors to experience several fireworks displays that will light up the night across Atlanta. All you have to do is step outside, hit your neighborhood spot, meet on a rooftop or watch from your backyard.”
At 11:48 p.m., a 12-minute synchronized “Digital Drone Peach in the Sky” show will be followed by synchronized fireworks across multiple sites.
Credit: Jenni Girtman
Credit: Jenni Girtman
The drone Peach will be most visible to downtown and Midtown residents.
Last year’s Peach Drop, which featured concerts by Big Boi and Neon Trees curated by Live Nation, cost the city $630,000. A city of Atlanta spokesperson said this fireworks and drone show will cost no more than $250,000.
A representative for Underground Atlanta, home to the Peach Drop most years since 1989, said all its restaurants, clubs and lounges, including the Masquerade, Daiquiriville and Utopia Restaurant & Lounge, will be open New Year’s Eve.
For decades, partygoers would gather at Underground to watch the Peach Drop, Atlanta’s version of the iconic Times Square ball drop in New York City.
The city canceled 2019’s Peach Drop because it couldn’t tie down Underground Atlanta as a location. The pandemic nixed the 2020 version. And 2021’s Peach Drop featuring Ashanti and Goodie Mob was canceled at the last second because of a COVID-19 outbreak.
The Peach Drop returned in 2022 with Da Brat, YoungbloodZ, Jagged Edge and Jermaine Dupri, but the city gave it a rest in 2023 before bringing it back last year.
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