ATLANTA — Today marks the fifth anniversary of Mercedes-Benz Stadium opening its doors. In that time, the stadium and its leadership have proven to be gamechangers in the sports and entertainment industry.
When Arthur M. Blank set out to build MBS, his vision was to create a world-class venue that would ensure the city remained a permanent contender in attracting the world’s largest sports and entertainment events, as well as catalyze positive transformation in and around downtown Atlanta. Five years later, that vision has become a reality.
Named the 2019 Sports Business Journal Sports Facility of the Year, the stadium has achieved many industry firsts over its five years:
- First professional sports stadium in North America to achieve LEED Platinum certification
- First professional sports stadium to offer fan-friendly pricing
- First professional sports stadium to implement a cashless model
- First and only roof of its kind in the world
- First professional sports stadium to leverage a 360-degree digital halo board
- First professional sports stadium to achieve TRUE pre-certification for zero waste
“We continue to push boundaries and strive to be leaders in innovation and fan experience,” said AMB Sports and Entertainment CEO Steve Cannon. “Over the last five years, our stadium and its leadership have been honored to host some of the country’s largest events such as Super Bowl LIII, the College Football Playoff National Championship and an MLS Cup with our first five years bringing millions of fans and communities together.
“As we look towards the future, now hosting the 2025 College Football Playoff National Championship and the 2026 FIFA World Cup, we continue to work hard in uniting our communities, welcoming people from around the world and providing a world-class experience to all guests of Mercedes-Benz Stadium.”
EVENTS:
Mercedes-Benz Stadium has become one of the busiest stadiums in North America hosting nearly 250 events and over 11 million guests.
Since 2017, the venue has hosted the 2018 College Football Playoff National Championship, the 2018 MLS All-State Game, the 2018 MLS World Cup, Super Bowl LIII in 2019, in addition to numerous Atlanta Falcons games, Atlanta United matches and concerts from A-list artists such as The Rolling Stones, Beyoncé, Luke Combs, Taylor Swift, George Strait, Coldplay and more.
In 2022, the stadium also achieved a very competitive bid for the 2026 FIFA World Cup and will be the first stadium to repeat as host of the College Football Playoff National Championship in 2025.
INNOVATION:
Mercedes-Benz Stadium has become a leader in the sports and entertainment industry in innovation. The stadium was the first professional sports stadium to introduce fan-friendly pricing and to go completely cashless, prompting hundreds of teams and venues to follow. Continuing to be an industry leader, the stadium also implemented a revolutionary entry system with Evolv speeding up entry into the stadium in 2020. Additionally, this summer, the stadium introduced an opt-in biometric entry pilot program to ease the entry experience for fans.
SUSTAINABILITY:
Upon completion, the two-million-square-foot building set a new standard, becoming the first professional sports venue in North America to achieve the United States Green Building Council’s LEED Platinum certification. In June of this year, the stadium also became the first professional sports stadium globally to achieve TRUE pre-certification for its zero waste efforts. Over its five years, the stadium has diverted nearly 6 million pounds of waste. MBS continues to look for innovative solutions to enhance its zero waste programs and further its journey towards becoming a carbon-neutral facility.
COMMUNITY:
Per Blank’s vision, the Stadium has been used to give back to the surrounding communities. During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, teh stadium served as the largest mass vaccination site in the southeast to the greater Atlanta community, delivering over 300,000 vaccinations, and was leveraged as an early-voting location in the 2022 election hosting more than 10,000 voters. Additionally, the stadium has provided more than 230,000 pounds of food via Second Helpings to those who are food insecure.
Through the Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation, more than $55 million has been committed over the past decade to help transform the historic Westside communities that surround the stadium. As part of the stadium’s philosophy, a concerted effort has been made to hire from the Westside community through the Westside Works program as well as offer Westside youth an opportunity to learn from our businesses through the Westside Ambassadors program.
Mercedes-Benz Stadium’s naming rights partner is Mercedes-Benz and has thirteen founding partners, including Coca-Cola, Equifax, The Home Depot, Novelis, SCANA Energy, Truist, IBM, Georgia Power, American Family Insurance, Global Payments, AT&T, and Ticketmaster.
More information about the Mercedes-Benz Stadium over the past five years, is available at mercedesbenzstadium.com/fifth-anniversary.
The form you have selected does not exist.
Get More Context: With the barrage of information coming through your social media feeds and phone notifications, it can be hard to get a clear picture of what’s happening in your community and throughout the state. Click here to see what else is happening in The Peach State and get your news in context instead of relying on social media feeds and notifications for your news. We’ll help you stay informed.
