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There is no bigger stage in the Southeast than Mercedes-Benz Stadium: the retractable-roof, 71,000-seat home of the Atlanta Falcons and Atlanta United FC in downtown Atlanta. Opened in August 2017 at a cost of roughly $1.6 billion, its pinwheel-shaped roof and record-breaking halo video board made it one of the most talked-about buildings in American sports, and its calendar runs from NFL Sundays and MLS matches to stadium concerts and college football’s biggest games.
This guide is in two halves. First, the venue itself: what makes the building special, how seating works, how to get there, and what to know before you go. Then, the trip around the event: where to stay, what else to do in Atlanta, and where to find every Falcons game, concert and big event currently on sale at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
▼ Table of Contents
Part 1: Inside Mercedes-Benz Stadium
Mercedes-Benz Stadium opened on August 26, 2017, replacing the Georgia Dome as the home of the Atlanta Falcons at a cost of roughly $1.6 billion. Designed by a team led by HOK’s 360 Architecture along with tvsdesign, Goode Van Slyke and Stanley Beaman & Sears, the brief was to build a stadium that could host NFL football and MLS soccer equally well while becoming a landmark in its own right — and it delivered on both counts.
The defining feature is the roof: eight translucent, triangular panels arranged in a pinwheel that opens and closes around a circular oculus inspired by Rome’s Pantheon. When it retracts, the panels pull back to look like a bird’s wings extending outward. Underneath hangs the halo video board, a 58-by-1,100-foot ring of screens covering more than 62,000 square feet — when it was installed, Daktronics called it roughly three times the size of the largest single display board in the NFL at the time.
The event record is what sets it apart. Mercedes-Benz Stadium has hosted Super Bowl LIII in 2019, the College Football Playoff National Championship in both 2018 and 2025, and eight matches of the 2026 FIFA World Cup including a semifinal. It is also the annual home of the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game and the Celebration Bowl, and alongside every Falcons and Atlanta United fixture, it hosts stadium-scale concerts from artists who need a room built for spectacle.
Outside the north end sits The Home Depot Backyard, a 12-acre plaza that hosts pre-event fan zones, food trucks and public green space even on non-event days — worth building into your visit if you arrive early.
Mercedes-Benz Stadium Seating Explained
As with any multi-purpose stadium, the layout changes with the event. Falcons games use the full football configuration on all four sides. Atlanta United matches typically close off the 300 level and concentrate the crowd in the lower two tiers for a louder, more compact atmosphere. Concerts put a stage at one end or on the floor and turn part of the seating bowl into standing or reserved sections. Always check the specific seat map for your event before you buy.
Football layout shown. Concert and soccer layouts change by event, so always check your event’s seat map.
100 Level
The lower bowl wraps the field and is the closest general seating ring for every event type. Sideline sections give the best view of the game or stage; end-zone sections are cheaper and closer to the action at one end.
Club & Premium Levels
The Mercedes-Benz Club sits on the Falcons sideline and the Delta Sky360° Club on the visitors’ sideline, both with lounge seating, private bars and on-field access before kickoff. The Gullwing Club and Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Club add further midfield premium options at the 200 level.
200 & 300 Levels
The middle and upper tiers are the budget-friendly way in. You are high enough to see plays or the whole stage develop, and because the roof structure removes interior columns, the sightlines stay clean even from the very top row.
Floor (concerts only)
Standing general admission or reserved floor seating right in front of the stage for concerts. You are closest to the performer but lowest to the ground, so a full house can limit your view of the halo board above.
Getting to Mercedes-Benz Stadium
Mercedes-Benz Stadium sits in downtown Atlanta, about 10 miles from Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport and within walking distance of most downtown hotels. Unlike many NFL stadiums, it was built around transit rather than parking, so this is one of the easier venues in the country to reach without a car.
MARTA
The easiest option for most visitors. The GWCC/CNN Center station (Blue/Green Line) sits a short walk east of the stadium, and Vine City station (Blue/Green Line) is just west, connected by a pedestrian bridge over Northside Drive. Five Points, Atlanta’s main transfer station, is under a mile away if your hotel is on a different line.
Walking from downtown
If your hotel is around Centennial Olympic Park or the Georgia World Congress Center, walking is genuinely practical — most downtown hotels are within 10-20 minutes on foot.
Driving & parking
Immediate stadium-adjacent lots require a prepaid permit, best bought in advance through ParkMobile or the stadium’s official parking page, and they sell out on big events. Downtown parking decks a few blocks out are usually cheaper and still an easy walk.
Rideshare & taxi
Uber and Lyft are convenient on arrival, with designated pickup and drop-off zones around the stadium. Post-event demand is heavy, so if MARTA serves your hotel, it is often the faster way home.
Know Before You Go
- Check the bag policy. Only a clear tote up to 12″ x 6″ x 12″, a one-gallon clear resealable bag or a small clutch up to 4.5″ x 6.5″ is allowed. Backpacks, fanny packs, cinch bags, camera bags, coolers and luggage are not.
- Arrive early. The Home Depot Backyard plaza and the concourses are part of the experience, and MARTA and security lines both build fast close to kickoff.
- Mobile tickets only. Have your ticket ready on your phone before you reach the gate for faster entry.
- Cashless venue. Bring a card or mobile payment for food, drinks and merchandise.
- Book tickets before flights. The event date drives everything else, so lock in your game or show first, then build travel around it.
- Kickoff times can change. NFL start times are sometimes moved once flexed, so hold off on non-refundable bookings until your game’s time is confirmed.
Part 2: Building a Trip Around the Event
Whether you’re here for a Falcons game, an Atlanta United match, a stadium concert or a championship, downtown Atlanta rewards an extra day or two built around the event. Here’s how to sort the rest of the trip.
Where to Stay Near Mercedes-Benz Stadium
Downtown Atlanta is the simplest base: the stadium, Centennial Olympic Park, the Georgia Aquarium and State Farm Arena are all within walking distance of each other, and two MARTA stations sit right outside the stadium doors. Staying downtown means you can walk to the game or ride one stop on MARTA and skip parking altogether.
For the closest hotels, look around Centennial Olympic Park and the Georgia World Congress Center district, both a 10-15 minute walk from the stadium. A little further out, Midtown Atlanta trades a short MARTA ride for more restaurants and nightlife, and is well connected to the stadium via the Blue/Green Line.
Use the map below to compare rates around the stadium for your dates:
Things to Do in Atlanta
Downtown Atlanta is one of the most walkable stadium districts in American sports. Centennial Olympic Park, the Georgia Aquarium and the World of Coca-Cola are all a few minutes’ walk from the stadium, and State Farm Arena, home of the Atlanta Hawks, sits right next door. The National Center for Civil and Human Rights is also on the park.
Beyond downtown, the BeltLine connects several of Atlanta’s most interesting neighborhoods on foot and by streetcar, and Ponce City Market along the Eastside Trail is worth the short ride if you have an extra afternoon. If your trip is built entirely around the stadium, a guided tour on a non-event day covers the concourses, premium clubs and, depending on the event calendar, field access.
Book a Mercedes-Benz Stadium tour, an Atlanta city sightseeing experience, or skip-the-line tickets to the Georgia Aquarium and World of Coca-Cola. Check live availability below.
Games & Shows at Mercedes-Benz Stadium
Mercedes-Benz Stadium’s calendar mixes Atlanta Falcons home games, Atlanta United matches, stadium concerts and one-off events. See everything currently on sale, with ticket links for each.
Frequently Asked Questions
By Ben Farr