Multi-stage, multi-day music festivals are nothing new to the Southeast, but one newcomer to the scene boasts something that puts it in a category all its own – it’s green.

“I feel that businesses have a social responsibility to do things as green as possible,” said Nicolas Bouckaert, festival director of Atlanta’s brand new Echo Project.

The Echo Project will do as much as possible to evoke this responsibility, with one stage run solely off solar power while the other stages run off other alternative energy sources. A percentage of every ticket is donated to Trees For The Future, an organization dedicated to planting trees around the world in order to help developing communities. There also will be the “Echo Village,” where non-profits and green businesses will set up booths to inform the public about what they do.

“It is called a ‘project’ because we wanted to be on the forefront of the green evolution that is continually changing and developing,” Bouckaert said.

About 20-30,000 people are expected to attend the festival, headlined by bands such as The Flaming Lips, The Killers and moe.

Of those thousands, most will be campers on the privately owned land just outside of Atlanta among rolling hills along the Chattahoochee River – a beautiful setting Bouckaert feels is another aspect that sets this music festival apart.

The centrally located venue field will host numerous bands that call Athens home, with familiar names such as Dubconscious and Mama’s Love slated to perform.

“The Echo Project is huge for an up-and-coming local band like us,” said Mama’s Love lead vocalist Thomas Galloway, who takes the stage Friday afternoon. “At this point, we just want to get our name out there to people that love to listen to good music.”

Bouckaert hopes this weekend’s inception of The Echo Project will mark the start of a long running Atlanta tradition.

“Our permit is for 10 years,” Bouckaert said. “As long as everything goes smoothly this year, we plan on making it an annual event.”