All Things Go DC 2026: Parking, Set Times & How to Get There

All Things Go DC area's alternative and indie-pop festival, returns for its 12th D.C.-area edition September 25–27, 2026, at Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, Maryland. Headliners span all three days — Mitski and Ethel Cain on Friday, Hayley Williams and MUNA on Saturday, Brandi Carlile and Lola Young on Sunday — across 46 artists on two stages. Parking is free and doesn't need advance reservation, but there's a real, currently active traffic detour around the venue worth knowing before you drive in, and a sold-out crowd across all three days means arrival timing matters more than usual.

Where Is All Things Go Festival Held?

All Things Go takes place at Merriweather Post Pavilion, 10475 Little Patuxent Parkway, Columbia, MD 21044 — often searched as "All Things Go DC" since the festival originated in Washington, DC (as the 2014 All Things Go Fall Classic at Union Market) before moving through Yards Park and settling at Merriweather in 2021. Columbia sits roughly midway between Baltimore and DC, making Merriweather the de facto DMV-area home for the festival even though it's technically in Howard County, Maryland, not the District itself. If you're coming from the immediate area, car service around Columbia is an easy way to skip the lot entirely.

All Things Go Schedule and Set Times

Confirmed gate times and headliners by day:

Across the full weekend, 46 artists perform across two stages — the main Pavilion Stage and the outdoor Chrysalis Stage. Full daily set-time schedules are typically released closer to the event via the festival's official app and site; check there for exact performance windows once available, since gate time and first-set time aren't the same thing (Friday's music, for instance, starts around 3:35 PM after 3:00 PM gates).

The festival has sold out all three days for five consecutive years, which matters directly for arrival planning — a sold-out Saturday or Sunday with an 11 AM gate time means real crowd volume converging on Columbia well before the day's first headliner set.

All Things Go Parking: What to Know

The good news: parking at Merriweather Post Pavilion is free for all concertgoers, with no need to reserve or purchase a spot in advance. The venue operates over a dozen parking lots around downtown Columbia during events, and attendants direct traffic to the nearest available lot — not every lot opens for every show, since the venue fills the closest lots first. ADA parking is available in Lots 2 and 4 on a first-come basis, with a complimentary shuttle from Lot 2 to the venue entrance if needed.

Parking lots open one hour before gates — meaning for the 11 AM weekend gate times, lots open around 10 AM, and for a sold-out show, arriving right at that opening is a real difference-maker versus arriving even 30 minutes later. Bayside's own Merriweather Post Pavilion guide tracks confirmed 2026 shows and the current parking and detour situation if you want the venue-specific detail.

Important: An Active Traffic Detour Near the Venue

Merriweather's own site lists three alternate routes for anyone needing to reach US-29 South after the festival:

1. Official detour. Head east on Broken Land Parkway, take US-29 North, exit at MD-175, then loop onto US-29 South.
2. Stevens Forest Road U-turn (often quicker). Head east on Broken Land Parkway, pass the US-29 ramps, make a U-turn at the Stevens Forest Road signal, then take the westbound ramp to US-29 South.
3. Columbia Mall bypass. Take Little Patuxent Parkway east around Columbia Mall, continue onto MD-175 (Rouse Parkway) toward US-29, or stay on MD-175 East about 3 miles to I-95.

Build extra buffer time into your post-show exit regardless — a sold-out three-day festival combined with an active detour is exactly the kind of combination that turns a normally quick exit into a much longer one.

Getting to All Things Go DC: Directions

From Washington, DC or Baltimore: Take I-95 to Route 32 West toward Columbia, then exit onto Route 29 North, following signs to Merriweather Post Pavilion.

By transit from BWI Airport: The RTA of Central Maryland connects BWI to Columbia Mall, a walkable distance from the venue — a genuine option for fly-in attendees who'd rather not rent a car for a festival weekend.

By private group transportation: For a group coming together from anywhere in the Baltimore–DC–Northern Virginia corridor, a booked vehicle takes both the detour navigation and the lot walk off your plate — one scheduled pickup, one drop near the entrance, and no competing for the exit after the headliner.

What to Know Before You Go

A few things that shape how the weekend actually feels. All Things Go is known for a deliberately manageable, minimal-overlap schedule across its two stages — the Pavilion Stage and the outdoor Chrysalis Stage — so unlike sprawling festivals where you're forced to choose between simultaneous headliners, you can realistically catch most of the acts you came for. It's an all-ages event, with a bar and beer garden for attendees 21 and up and a curated food selection including vegan, vegetarian, and gluten-free options. The festival's inclusive, fan-first identity is a big part of why it's sold out five years running.

Because those sellouts are the norm, the single most useful planning habit is treating lot-opening time — one hour before gates — as your real target, not the gate time itself. For the 11 AM Saturday and Sunday gates, that means aiming to be parked around 10 AM. Pair that with the active US-29 detour on the way out, and the two bookend moments of your day (arrival and exit) are exactly where a little planning saves the most time. If you're coming as a group, consolidating into one vehicle removes both pain points at once — no staggered arrivals hunting for the same lot, and no separate cars all trying to solve the detour in post-show traffic together.

Frequently Asked Questions