Hundreds turned away from 404 Day Festival at Underground Atlanta due to space, not gunfire: organizers

ATLANTA - Despite some commotion and a social media post that suggested shots had been fired, Atlanta police confirmed they received no reports of a person shot at the 404 Day Festival planned at Underground Atlanta.

Instead, they say the event shut down earlier than expected due to reaching its capacity pretty quickly.

What we know:

The celebration of all things Atlanta continued without a hitch after Atlanta police refuted a rumor that there had been a shooting at 404 Day Weekend Festival 2025 at Underground Atlanta on Saturday.

The day started off at 9 a.m. with an inaugural parade through downtown Atlanta.

FOX 5 Atlanta cameras captured the floats, bands and cheerleaders marching their way down Peachtree Street. Mayor Andre Dickens also participated in the parade. It ended at Underground Atlanta for a family-friendly event honoring Atlanta's unique culture.

There was food, live performances by artists like FLY, Yung LA and Johnny Circo, and vendors.

According to the owner of Underground Atlanta, festival organizers expected between 5,000 to 8,000 people to show up throughout the day. However, they were not prepared for the massive crowd that seemed to appear at around the same time. The event, which was scheduled to last until 8 p.m., reached capacity by 3 p.m. 

Although no shots were fired, there were several fights in the packed crowd that sent people running. Organizers ultimately decided to shut the festival down about an hour and a half ahead of schedule.

What they're saying:

"We just had a lot of people who showed up at the same time so the security officers couldn’t differentiate between who had tickets, who did not have tickets, and safety is our biggest concern," Underground Atlanta owner Shaneel Lalani told FOX 5. 

Lalani says no one was injured at the event. 

Food truck vendor Tan Bowers told FOX 5 she had a front-row seat to the dust-ups, and had to pack up early as a result. 

"I was a little startled. In order to clear out, they wanted everyone to shut down for at least three hours, so I think that that was unexpected, but people understood," she said.

Bowers said she feels it was a great event overall. She hopes people will try to come earlier in the future.

A spokesperson for the festival also released the following statement:

"Our 404 Day Weekend Festival was an exciting event that celebrated the best of Atlanta following the city’s parade. Due to an unexpectedly high turnout that exceeded our ticket limit, we decided in conjunction with the local fire department to close the festival early to keep attendees as safe as possible. We coordinated with law enforcement on site for a safe dispersal of guests, and there were no crimes or injuries reported by the Atlanta Police Department or EMS team. The popularity of 404 Day certainly reinforces our community’s love for Atlanta, and we will plan to accommodate larger crowds next year."

What's next:

Organizers are planning to refund everyone who did not get into the event. People who weren’t allowed inside should reach out directly through the platforms on which their tickets had been purchased. Attendees are also asked to check their emails for information regarding refunds.

Looking for other plans, freebies or discounts this weekend? Check out FOX 5 Atlanta's list of events here.