State Farm Arena
Atlanta, United States
Mercedes-Benz Stadium
Atlanta United States
Mercedes-Benz Stadium is a premier multi-purpose sports arena located in Atlanta, Georgia, United States, featuring a standard official seating capacity of 71000 for gridiron football. Serving as the home venue for both the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League and Atlanta United FC of Major League Soccer, this state-of-the-art facility holds distinction for its advanced technology. It regularly hosts major college football championships, international soccer tournaments, and high-profile entertainment events.
Bama in ATL, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Stadium History
The development of the venue began as a project to replace the aging Georgia Dome and provide Atlanta with a modern, retractable-roof sports infrastructure. Construction officially commenced with a groundbreaking ceremony on May 19, 2014, under the general contracting consortium HHRM JV, which united firms including Hunt Construction Group, Holder Construction, H. J. Russell and Company, and C. D. Moody Construction Company. Designed by the architectural firm HOK and its subsidiary 360 Architecture, the facility officially opened its gates on August 26, 2017. Built adjacent to the former Georgia Dome site in downtown Atlanta, the stadium was engineered to serve as a sustainable architectural anchor for the state of Georgia, integrating extensive digital infrastructure to accommodate multiple sports tournaments and large-scale global exhibitions.
Architecture
The architecture is characterized by its innovative, eight-panel retractable roof system that opens and closes in a pinwheel motion resembling a camera oculus. The roof panels are clad in translucent ethylene tetrafluoroethylene, commonly known as ETFE fabric, allowing natural light to filter through even when closed. Below the roof hangs the Halo Display, a massive three hundred and sixty-degree high-definition video board that measures over thirty meters in height and three hundred and Mounts completely around the inner rim. The acoustic engineering relies on a dual-membrane sound absorption system lining the lower roof structures and a specialized distributed audio network designed to manage massive decibel levels. This setup ensures that public address announcements and music remain clear across the seating bowl while allowing the vocal roars of the crowd to reverberate dynamically during matches.
Club Identity
The venue carries the official title of Mercedes-Benz Stadium following a major twenty-five year commercial naming rights agreement signed in 2015 with the North American division of the German automotive manufacturer. Because the stadium operates under the strict clean venue guidelines during major international soccer tournaments, it is officially referred to as Atlanta Stadium during those specific competitions to limit commercial branding. Locally, sports media and resident supporters commonly use the shorthand nickname The Benz to refer to the stadium. The facility reflects the modern identity of its resident franchises, balancing the traditional gridiron legacy of the Atlanta Falcons with the vibrant soccer culture of Atlanta United FC under a single architectural roof.
Major Renovations
The seating configuration features a highly modular layout designed to adapt to different sports, offering a standard capacity of 71000 for American football that can expand to over 75000 for elite events like the Super Bowl. For regular Major League Soccer matches, an automated motorized curtain system seals off the upper tiers, reducing the operational capacity to approximately 42500 seats to create a more intimate stadium atmosphere. Premium hospitality areas comprise one hundred and ninety luxury suites, over seven thousand five hundred club seats, and specialized field-level lounges such as the Mercedes-Benz Premium Club. The entire stadium layout follows an all-seater model with comprehensive accessible seating platforms and ramps integrated across all primary concourse levels for full safety compliance.
Iconic matches
The venue has established a massive sporting legacy since its inauguration, highlighted by hosting Super Bowl LIII in February 2019, where the New England Patriots defeated the Los Angeles Rams. In collegiate football, it serves as the permanent home of the annual SEC Championship Game, the Peach Bowl, and hosted the 2018 College Football Playoff National Championship. In soccer, the stadium witnessed Atlanta United FC secure the MLS Cup championship in December 2018 in front of a record-breaking crowd of over seventy-three thousand fans. The arena also served as a prominent venue during the 2024 Copa América, the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup, and is designated to host eight major tournament matches during the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Location Neighborhood
The stadium is situated in the downtown sports and entertainment district of Atlanta, positioned immediately west of Centennial Olympic Park and adjacent to the Georgia World Congress Center. The surrounding neighborhood is a dense commercial and civic hub, bordered by prominent tourist attractions including the Georgia Aquarium and the World of Coca-Cola, alongside the historic residential communities of Vine City and English Avenue to the west. On matchdays, the local atmosphere builds rapidly as fans gather across the expansive green spaces of The Home Depot Backyard, an eleven-acre multi-use park directly outside the stadium gates that serves as the premier designated zone for traditional tailgating activities.
How to get to Mercedes-Benz Stadium
Public transportation to the stadium is highly efficient via the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority rail system, commonly known as MARTA. Spectators can utilize the Blue and Green lines to exit directly at the Vine City station or the GWCC / CNN Center station, both of which sit within a five-minute walking distance from the main stadium entry gates. For motorists, the facility is accessible from Interstate 20 and Interstate 75, connecting to multiple official managed parking lots, which feature pre-booked spaces and designated accessible parking bays. The entire stadium grounds, pedestrian plazas, and entry turnstiles offer barrier-free accessibility, with dedicated elevators and golf cart shuttles available to assist visitors with reduced mobility (to be verified before your visit).
Best seats, view and atmosphere
The lower and middle tiers along the lateral east and west sidelines offer some of the most comprehensive, unobstructed views of the action, placing fans parallel to the midfield lines and benches. Ticket holders seeking a more economical option generally select seats in the 300-level upper concourse, which still benefits from complete structural protection from weather and clear views of the giant central Halo Display. The core home supporter groups and active ultras are positioned strictly in the lower rows behind the southern goal in sections 135 through 101. Conversely, travelling away allocations for soccer and football matches are typically directed to the upper corner tiers on the opposite northern side of the stadium bowl.
Mercedes-Benz Stadium Tour & Behind the Scenes
Public stadium tours are regularly available on non-event days, providing groundhoppers, architecture enthusiasts, and sports tourists with an in-depth view of the high-tech facility, including access to the playing field perimeter, the player locker rooms, the luxury clubs, and the elite press box levels. Guided options include standard walking tours and specialized engineering tours focusing on the mechanics of the retractable oculus roof. Tour tickets must be reserved and purchased in advance through the official stadium online ticketing platform, as operational schedules are subject to constant adjustments based on the active entertainment and sports calendar (to be verified before your visit).
Where to eat and drink near Mercedes-Benz Stadium
The stadium is famous in the sports industry for its Fan First Menu pricing model, offering highly affordable food options including standard hot dogs, pretzels, and popcorn at fixed low rates at all standard concession stands. Internal food markets feature popular local culinary specialties, such as Southern hot chicken, barbecue pork, and gourmet burgers. The venue features a prominent beverage partnership with local craft breweries, operating multi-level fan bars including the Wicked Weed Bar on the 200 concourse level alongside standard domestic beer concessions. Outside the gates, the adjacent downtown district offers numerous full-service restaurants, sports lounges, and dining options within walking distance.
Good to know
Security screenings at Mercedes-Benz Stadium adhere strictly to a comprehensive clear bag policy, which permits only clear plastic, vinyl, or PVC bags that do not exceed dimensions of 30.5 by 15.2 by 30.5 centimeters. Small individual clutch purses are permitted following standard metal detector scans and safety inspections. The entire facility operates on a completely cashless payment system, requiring credit cards, debit cards, or mobile payment applications at all retail shops, ticket booths, and food concession counters. Ticket holders can utilize cash-to-card kiosks inside the main concourses if needed, and doors typically open exactly two hours prior to the scheduled event start time.
Fan Shop
The primary team retail store, known as the Team Store at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, is a massive permanent multi-level facility located near the retail entrance on the main concourse level, stocking a complete range of official jerseys, hats, and exclusive merchandise for both the Atlanta Falcons and Atlanta United FC. Both resident franchises also operate separate digital commerce sites for international supporters. The physical stadium store maintains standard daytime hours during the week, with specialized operational hours on matchdays restricted strictly to ticketed stadium visitors once the security gates open (to be verified before your visit).
FAQ
What is the seating capacity of Mercedes-Benz Stadium?
The stadium features a standard official seating capacity of 71000 for American football, which can expand to over 75000 for special events. For regular soccer matches, an automated curtain system reduces the configuration to approximately 42500 seats.
Why is the venue sometimes called Atlanta Stadium?
During major international soccer tournaments, including the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the venue operates under clean venue regulations. This requires the temporary removal of commercial naming rights, resulting in the use of the name Atlanta Stadium in official materials.
How can I reach the stadium using local public transportation?
The most direct method is using the MARTA rail network via the Blue or Green lines. Passengers can exit at either the Vine City station or the GWCC / CNN Center station, both of which are located just a short walk from the stadium entrances.
What is the stadium policy regarding entry bags?
The venue enforces a strict clear bag policy. Spectators are permitted to bring clear plastic, vinyl, or PVC bags that do not exceed 30.5 centimeters on all sides, while standard large backpacks and non-clear luggage are strictly prohibited.
Are cash payments accepted at the food concession stands?
No, the stadium operates as a completely cashless facility. All food markets, retail shops, and beverage bars accept only credit cards, debit cards, and contactless mobile payments, with cash-to-card conversion kiosks available inside the concourses.
