Atlanta Streets Alive to kick off 2026 festivities with new route (!)

In 2026, Atlanta’s favorite streets takeover is poised for its biggest year in history. 

Atlanta Streets Alive spearheads Propel ATL and the Atlanta Department of Transportation today unveiled plans for a record eight events this year, including a new route, the return of an old favorite, and other plans tied to 2026 FIFA World Cup hoopla. 

Streets Alive festivities are set to kick off earlier than usual in 2026. A new route planned for Sunday, March 22 will stretch about two miles from Peachtree Street in South Downtown and travel M.L.K Jr. Drive to the Beltline’s Westside Trail in Vine City. 

In between will be landmarks including Centennial Yards, Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta University Center campuses, and Vine City’s commercial district, among other attractions.  

That same route is scheduled to return as a World Cup-related street party on June 14, a day before the soccer tournament begins with Spain versus Cape Verde. Ditto for a longer Peachtree Street route between downtown and 15th Street in Midtown on June 28. 

Meanwhile, the sweeping, 3.4-mile route from West End to Grant Park is slated to return twice this year (May 31 and October 18). 

To close out the year on Nov. 8, Streets Alive is scheduled to return to Howell Mill Road as a partnership with Westside Stride, which has organized a similar open-streets event for three consecutive years.

The free, family-friendly Streets Alive festivities are open to anyone on foot, bikes, scooters, skateboards, or any other mode of transportation except cars. Dogs on leashes are also welcome. 

Tens of thousands of Atlantans and visitors turned out for Streets Alive events throughout the spring and fall season last year, according to organizers. 

Here’s a recap of the 2026 outlook for Streets Alive dates and locations: 

Sunday, March 22: – MLK Beltline to Vine City (new route)
Sunday, April 19: – Peachtree Street (15th Street to Alabama Street)
Sunday, May 31: – West End to Grant Park (Ralph David Abernathy Boulevard to Georgia Avenue)
Sunday, June 14: – MLK Beltline to Vine City (new route) (World Cup-related)
Sunday, June 28: – Peachtree Street (15th Street to Alabama Street) (World Cup-related)
Sunday, September 27: – Peachtree Street (15th Street to Alabama Street)
Sunday, October 18: – West End to Grant Park (Ralph David Abernathy Boulevard to Georgia Avenue)
Sunday, November 8: – Howell Mill Road (Westside Stride Partnership)

Atlanta Bicycle Coalition (now Propel ATL) originated Streets Alive more than 15 years ago, inspired by ciclovía events in Bogotá, Colombia and other cities. 

The Atlanta tradition began meagerly one day in 2010 when a stretch of Edgewood Avenue opened to bicyclists, skaters, walkers, and anyone else not driving a car. It caught on. Over the next decade, organizers say Streets Alive staged 29 events and covered some 83 miles of city streets, drawing an estimated 1.7 million people total. The final pre-hiatus event was held on Peachtree in 2019, before going dormant through pandemic years as logistics for a more frequent Streets Alive were worked out with ATLDOT and other city leaders.

After a four-year hiatus, Streets Alive bounced back in September 2023, opening Peachtree from south of Underground Atlanta up to 15th Street in Midtown. 

In 2024, six different Streets Alive events marked a record for a single year, with the previous high mark being four in 2016.

Should plans come to fruition, that record will fall in the year to come. 

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