Whether it’s the music scene or lemon pepper wings, Atlanta has been a growing hub for entertainment and culture over the past 30 years. Since hosting the 1996 Olympic Games, the city has attracted an increasing number of high-profile sporting events—and with four major events scheduled in the next eight years, Atlanta’s place in the sports world is only growing stronger.
College Football Playoff National Championship (2025):
In the 11th year of the College Football Playoff, Atlanta will be the first city to host the National Championship game for a second time. The first came in 2018, as the Alabama Crimson Tide defeated the Georgia Bulldogs in an overtime thriller.
“Bringing the game back to Atlanta was a simple decision when we looked at everything,” Executive Director of the College Football Playoff Bill Hancock said. “One of our greatest title games took place in Atlanta in 2018, and the city could not have been a better host. A state-of-the-art stadium, a walkable downtown with venues to host all the activities surrounding national championship weekend and great people made Atlanta an obvious choice to be the first city to host a second title game.”
Atlanta hosts the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl and SEC Championship games each year, and it will soon become the first city to hold the championship game under the new 12-team playoff format.
The National Championship game will be played at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Jan. 20, 2025.
MLB All-Star Game (2025):
A quick drive from Mercedes-Benz Stadium brings you to Truist Park, the Atlanta Braves home and the 2025 MLB All-Star Game host.
Atlanta was originally scheduled to host the Midsummer Classic in 2021 until the game was moved to Denver in response to a new Georgia law that has raised concerns among civil rights groups about potential voting restrictions for people of color.
This will mark the 95th MLB All-Star Game in history and the third time it will be played in Atlanta, with the first in 1972 and the most recent in 2000.
“We are thrilled that Major League Baseball has awarded the Atlanta Braves the 2025 All-Star Game,” team chairman Terry McGuirk said. “Time and time again, Atlanta has proven to be a world-class destination for the most exciting entertainment and sporting events.”
The American League will take on the National League in the heart of the south on July 15, 2025.
FIFA World Cup (2026):
In 2026, Atlanta will capture the attention of a global audience as the FIFA World Cup arrives in the city. Matches will be held across 16 host cities in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
Atlanta is set to host a total of eight World Cup matches, including five group-stage games and one semifinal. All matches will take place at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, one of the selected venues in the East Region. Other cities in this region include Miami, Toronto, Boston, Philadelphia and the New York/New Jersey area.
“Atlanta is a soccer town, and we’re excited to bring the game’s best athletes to the world’s best city,” Mayor of Atlanta, Andre Dickens said. “We will welcome folks from all over the world to fill every seat in Mercedes-Benz Stadium in 2026.”
Tournament play down south will open on June 15, 2026, in Match 14 of the group stage.
Superbowl LXII (2028):
The Super Bowl is returning to Atlanta for the fourth time in 2028. The last time the big game was in town was in 2019, as the New England Patriots defeated the Los Angeles Rams.
That game was also the first Superbowl held at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, which opened in 2017. Atlanta’s two previous Super Bowls took place in the Georgia Dome: Super Bowl XXVIII in January 1994 and Super Bowl XXXIV in January 2000.
“This is a tremendous honor for the city of Atlanta and the state of Georgia to be selected as host for Super Bowl LXII,” Falcons owner Arthur M. Blank said. “Thank you to my fellow owners for their trust in awarding Atlanta this opportunity.”
