Mercedes-Benz Stadium: Capacity, Size, Events, Tickets And Legacy

Mercedes-Benz Stadium, also known as the Atlanta Stadium, is a multi-purpose stadium located in Atlanta, United States. The stadium opened in 2017 and is home to Atlanta United FC in the MLS. Built very prestigiously by multiple stakeholders, it's known for its architectural brilliance and state-of-the-art comfort for its spectators.

The stadium was built as an alternative to the Georgia Dome and grabbed all of the Dome’s events. Hence, it became the home of Soccer, College Football, and multiple high-profile events. The stadium also hosts key cultural events, such as concerts and political gatherings, thanks to its modern amenities and impressive stands.

The stadium owned by the State of Georgia is in the news again as it is hosting the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup. It also has key hosting rights for the 2026 FIFA World Cup taking place in the USA. The stadium will host a few group-stage games before hosting a couple of knockouts and the all-important Semi-finals. Let us learn more about the famed Mercedes-Benz Stadium, its history, capacity, ticket prices, and upcoming events in the stadium.

Overview of Mercedes-Benz Stadium

The Georgia Dome was Atlanta’s main stadium as it hosted multiple sports. It was one of the largest closed-dome stadiums by capacity. Despite the stadium being only 20 years old, it was not considered modern enough by its tenants. The Atlanta Falcons, the NFL side, were the leading voice for change. They began searching for a replacement stadium. They started plans for the Mercedes-Benz Stadium and got their wish.

Location of Mercedes-Benz Stadium

The new stadium coming up was supposed to be in an idyllic location. Georgia Dome’s location made it the heart of the place one desired. It was constructed adjacent to the Georgia Dome. Since the old stadium was going to be demolished, this stadium would stand as the only structure taking all the spotlight.

Mercedes-Benz Stadium

Construction and Opening of Mercedes-Benz Stadium

The seeds for this stadium were sown in 2010 when the Atlanta Falcons wanted a new open-air stadium for their non-NFL events. Their owner, Arthur Blank, also wanted a stadium that was worthy of hosting a Super Bowl event. Keeping a FIFA World Cup bid in mind, extraordinary plans were being prepared. Kansas-based architectural firm Populus was hired to make design plans for the structure. It took a couple of years for the planning phase to move to the next one as budgets and permissions were regularly revised. In late December 2012, the news made it to the national level as the Georgia Dome’s destruction was commissioned and a new stadium was constructed in its place. The Falcons and the city of Atlanta agreed to build the new stadium in 2013, with the city bearing $200 million from its end. Another $200 million loan was obtained from the NFL by the Falcons organisation.

The surrounding area of the dome had to be cleared for the stadium’s construction process to begin. The groundbreaking took place on May 19, 2014. The project’s ambitious plans and façade meant delays were inevitable on the initial three-year timeline. Instead of the March 1, 2017 opening date, the stadium was opened later in the season, affecting a few games of both Atlanta teams.

Features of Mercedes-Benz Stadium

The Mercedes-Benz Stadium is well known for its architectural brilliance. The stadium has a retractable roof, and its façade is eye-catching. HOK and TVS Design took over the Architectural duties, with Darden and Company taking on the Project management role. The Structural nitty-gritty was taken care of by BuroHappold Engineering. HHRM JV was onboarded as the General contractor as the construction began.

The stadium’s signature feature is its retractable roof that has a pinwheel consisting of eight translucent, triangular panels. The panels operate on two straight and parallel rails, which makes opening and closing relatively smooth despite taking time. The panels, when opened, are in the shape of a bird’s wing extended in line with the Atlanta city theme. The roof was designed with lightweight polymer, making it transparent enough to catch the Atlanta skyline from inside.

The stadium incorporates contemporary art into its interior and exterior design. The crown jewel is the freestanding stainless steel sculpture, The Atlanta Falcon. The falcon is perched atop a 13-foot-tall bronze football with a wingspan of 70 feet. It stands in front of the stadium and is as tall as a four-story building.

Below the roof is the Halo, a ring-shaped video board around its rim. The board is at least three times larger than any current display board in the NFL. It enhances the viewing experience for spectators in 360 degrees. The stadium has specific features for college football, American football, and soccer. It has two oversized locker rooms that can host up to 100 player rosters. The stadium didn’t take the stairs between the pitch and the suites into consideration, as it made life harder for concerts during the games.

The stadium has 180 luxury suites and the “AT&T Perch”, which screens other live games from around the world for fantasy players. It also has beer gardens within the stadium compound where the Georgia Dome once stood. The stadium focuses primarily on the speed of service as it has all the available items in whole numbers, including the taxes. It was also the first cashless stadium in the country at the time of its opening.

The stadium has a lot of Atlanta’s best restaurants, and they asked them to scale down their prices. As these requests were met, it led to an increase in sales as the fans often spent more thanks to its cheaper pricing.

Mercedes-Benz Stadium Capacity and Field Size

The American football capacity of the stadium is 71,000. For Soccer, the capacity can be expanded to 75,000. There is a provision for standing audiences, which raises the capacity to 80,000 for concerts.

Key Football Events at Mercedes-Benz Stadium

Atlanta United took shape in 2014 as a premium stadium was being built. The club started competing in the tournament and waited for the stadium to be completed. They moved in as soon as it was dedicated to the public.

Domestic Tournaments

The stadium has since then become a venue for regular MLS games and occasional All-Star games, It also hosted the Campeones Cup clash in 2019 against Mexican club Club America. It also hosts the summer pre-season games of high-profile European clubs.

International Tournaments and Matches

The first international tournament at this venue was the 2024 Copa America. It got the honour of playing host to the curtain raiser between Argentina and Canada. Its prestige will increase tenfold as it prepares to host the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup.

Its name will be changed to Atlanta Stadium as it hosts the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The name change comes as FIFA doesn’t allow sponsorship names to be used.

Mercedes-Benz Stadium Tickets and Pricing

The soccer tickets are available at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium website. It can be quite expensive for the MLS games. They start from $60 and rise up to $500. For the Club World Cup, they are moderately priced at $30. The concert tickets will start in the range of $125.

Visiting Mercedes-Benz Stadium

How to reach Mercedes-Benz Stadium

The Mercedes-Benz Stadium is easily accessible by MARTA (Atlanta’s rapid transit system). The Green and Blue lines service the GWCC Centre Station and Vine City Station, which are a stone’s throw away from the stadium.

Guided Tours: Exploring Mercedes-Benz Stadium

The stadium offers Individual Public Tours, Group Tours and School Tours for all age groups to enjoy its marvellous interiors from a close range. They also have various architecture, engineering, sustainability and art tours to cater to everyone.

Nearby Attractions for Football Fans

The city of Atlanta has multiple tourist attractions like the Georgia Aquarium, the World of Coca-Cola and Centennial Olympic Park. The CNN Centre, the College Football Hall of Fame and various restaurants as well.

Hotels Near Mercedes-Benz Stadium

The fans visiting the Mercedes-Benz Stadium will have no shortage of options to pick their stay from. From cheap options like homestays to luxurious ones like 5-star hotels, plenty of choices are available. Here are a few of them:

• Ritz-Carlton Atlanta

• Marriott St.Regis

• Four Seasons

• Nobu Hotel

• Atlanta Midtown Hostel

Mercedes-Benz Stadium Events Beyond Football

Other Events

The stadium was built for the Atlanta Falcons with the intention of hosting NFL games. Kasim Reed hoped in 2012 that an MLS team could be lured, and he got his wish true. However, that was in retrospect, as it served both its purposes for Football and Soccer. The stadium was awarded Super Bowl LIII in 2019 as the city made a comeback in the Super Bowl scene. The Super Bowl LXII in 2028 will also take place here.

It has become the home of College and high school football by hosting the Peach Bowl, Celebration Bowl, SEC Championship Game and Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game. It also hosts Flag Football games and championships regularly. It will become a hotspot for Rugby as it hosts the Men’s Rugby World Cup in 2031 and the Women’s Rugby World Cup in 2033. Garth Brooks marked the stadium's musical debut. Taylor Swift, Beyonce and Ed Sheeran performed here along with famous bands like the Rolling Stones, Coldplay, Metallica and The Weeknd.

Conclusion

Scope of Mercedes-Benz Stadium in the future

The stadium was built in a state-of-the-art order with every inch of it bleeding the future. With high-profile events coming to the stadium, it will be one of the go-to venues for multiple sports soon.