Fan Guide to Atlanta

Make the most of your match week in Atlanta: see more, stress less.

Introduction

Atlanta for World Cup 2026 Visitors

Atlanta brings big-event energy with walkable attractions clustered around the downtown Georgia World Congress Center campus—home to Mercedes-Benz Stadium—and easy MARTA rail connections across the city. Between fixtures, fans can hop from Centennial Olympic Park to marquee museums like Georgia Aquarium and the National Center for Civil and Human Rights, or roll the Eastside Trail on the Atlanta BeltLine to green spaces and food halls. The vibe is urban-southern: hospitable, diverse, sports-mad, and built for groups. Orientation is straightforward—Downtown for stadium and sights, Midtown for arts and parks, Old Fourth Ward/Inman Park for BeltLine food-and-art sprees. Hartsfield-Jackson (ATL) is the region’s giant gateway, and two MARTA stations sit on the stadium’s doorstep, so you can skip traffic and ride rail on match days.

Fast Facts

Population (city/entidad): 520,070
Time zone: Eastern Time (UTC−4)
Airports: George Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International (ATL); DeKalb-Peachtree Airport (PDK).
Currency: United States Dollar (USD).
Power & voltage: 120 V/60 Hz; plug types A & B are standard.
Weather snapshot (June–July): June normal highs/lows ~87°F/69°F; July ~90°F/72°F; frequent pop-up showers
Language: English
Drinking age: 21

The Pitch

Mercedes-Benz Stadium

Mercedes-Benz Stadium will host FIFA World Cup 26™ matches in Atlanta. The venue sits on the GWCC campus on the west edge of downtown, with MARTA rail access at GWCC/CNN Center (to be renamed Sports, Entertainment & Convention District) and Vine City stations. The stadium features a retractable-roof design; for FIFA events, natural grass will be installed over the usual artificial base.

Stadium Basics

Location: 1 AMB Dr. NW, Atlanta (GWCC campus).
Surface: Natural grass for FIFA tournaments (temporary installation for 2025 Club World Cup and 2026).
Getting there: MARTA rail—GWCC/CNN Center (soon “SEC District”) and Vine City stations serve the stadium.
Bag policy & payments: Clear bags up to 12″ x 6″ x 12″; small non-clear clutches up to 4.5″ x 6.5″; stadium is cashless with card/mobile payments (cash-to-card kiosks available).

Full stadium details

Match dates in Atlanta

June 15, 2026 — Group Stage
June 18, 2026 — Group Stage
June 21, 2026 — Group Stage
June 24, 2026 — Group Stage
June 27, 2026 — Group Stage
July 1, 2026 — Round of 32
July 15, 2026 — Semifinal

Inside Atlanta

Districts & Vibes

Downtown/Centennial Park District is your match-week hub—stadium, major attractions, and big plazas within a few blocks. Spend a morning museum-hopping, then ride MARTA or scooter the short leap to Midtown, home to the arts campus around the High Museum and green lounging in Piedmont Park.

For an open-air day, stitch Old Fourth Ward to Inman Park along the BeltLine: coffee stops, murals, and food halls along a flat trail. If you’re chasing indie retail and design, detour to West Midtown for adaptive-reuse warehouses and food halls before circling back downtown for the evening.

Global Eats, Local Pours

Atlanta’s Food & Drink Hit List

For high-impact grazing, Ponce City Market and Krog Street Market bookend the BeltLine’s most food-obsessed stretch—ideal for pre- or post-match crowd-pleasing choices under one roof. Westside’s Chattahoochee Food Works gathers chefs and vendors in an industrial-cool hall that’s built for groups.

Southwest of downtown, Lee + White in West End packs breweries, a food hall, and patios along the BeltLine’s Southside Trail. Up in Cobb County, The Battery Atlanta is a game-day style dining/entertainment district if you want a suburban evening with big screens and post-match buzz.

Iconic Atlanta

Must-Sees Between Matches

Center your sightseeing around Centennial Olympic Park: pair Georgia Aquarium, World of Coca-Cola, and the National Center for Civil and Human Rights at Pemberton Place, then cross to the College Football Hall of Fame. The park itself—managed by the Georgia World Congress Center Authority—anchors the downtown entertainment zone and sits a short walk from Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

Switch gears in Midtown at Piedmont Park and the Atlanta Botanical Garden, or head to the High Museum of Art. East of downtown, the Atlanta BeltLine threads public art and patios through Old Fourth Ward to Krog Street Market; nearby, the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historical Park offers moving context on civil rights history.

Discover Atlanta Through

Local Experiences & Tours

See the city at street level with Bicycle Tours of Atlanta (guided rides through civil rights landmarks and intown neighborhoods). Prefer self-guided? Use Art on the Atlanta BeltLine maps to track sculptures and murals along the Eastside and Westside Trails.

Indoors, the High Museum of Art offers docent-led tours, while Georgia Aquarium runs “Behind the Seas” tours for a look at life support and care areas. At the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historical Park, ranger-led programs add depth to a visit of Ebenezer Baptist Church and the King Center area.

Keep the Party Going

Fan-Friendly Nightlife

Before or after matches, the Centennial Park District has sports bars, patios, and music venues steps from the stadium and major attractions—easy to navigate on foot with groups. The stadium campus’ Home Depot Backyard hosts fan-forward outdoor events and fitness sessions on select days.

For a bigger entertainment playground, The Battery Atlanta (at Truist Park) delivers plazas with massive screens, bars, and live-event programming—good for neutral-fan nights when you just want the atmosphere. Back downtown, Underground Atlanta is reviving with festivals and nightlife; check schedules if you want a scene beyond the park district.