Images: Underground Atlanta changes in store for World Cup this week

Details, visuals, and a concrete timeline have emerged for how Atlanta’s “oldest entertainment district” plans to activate its plazas, attract 2026 FIFA World Cup revelers, and help mask vacancies, as announced by Underground Atlanta officials today. 

Starting Friday, Underground Atlanta is planning to kick off nonstop events geared toward soccer, culture, art, and community, as part of a World Cup-focused partnership with the City of Atlanta. The district is one of several around the city to secure approval as an official FIFA Watch Party venue. 

The most visible changes will include a “dramatic refresh” of Upper Alabama Street designed to help handle hundreds of thousands of expected visitors, according to Underground Atlanta owner Lalani Ventures. 

Expect a mix of flexible programming across public spaces that include large screens for watch parties, a performance stage, modular stadium seating, local vendor pop-ups, overhead shade structures, artificial turf for a futsal pitch, and outdoor games, along with new furniture with drink rails and bistro seating, among other changes.  

According to Underground officials, the activations will build on existing food and beverage offerings on Upper Alabama Street. Those include the Utopia Latin fusion restaurant and lounge that opened on the street in April last year, claiming a long-vacant space, and Underground Diner, which opened Saturday. The latter, a daytime and nighttime eatery (with cocktails), has replaced Dancin’ Crepe in a corner space.  

The Invest Atlanta Board in April approved a $925,000 grant that’s being channeled toward public infrastructure and small-business improvements at Underground’s Upper Alabama Street and the Peachtree Fountains Plaza section. Another portion of the grant supported Underground Diner’s restaurant buildout. 

Work on the renovations began in January. 

Upper Alabama Street’s refresh “is about more than temporary activation—it’s reimagining how this space can serve the city at scale,” Shaneel Lalani, Lalani Ventures CEO, said in an announcement today. “We’re layering infrastructure, design, and programming to create a flexible public realm that can support everything from global events to local community gatherings, while showcasing Underground Atlanta.” 

Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens called the investment a “strong example of how public-private partnerships can activate key civic spaces” in a separate statement. 

“The improvements not only position [downtown] to shine on the global stage this summer,” added the mayor, “but also contribute to long-term economic vitality and year-round community engagement.”

Lalani Ventures acquired Underground in 2020 and has steadily been building out a roster of tenants since, with a focus on nightlife and experiential concepts. The company says more than 1.5 million visitors have come to the district over the past year. 

Beyond the above-ground dining options, Underground tenants include The Masquerade (a four-venue live music landmark), MJQ Concourse (new location of an iconic Atlanta nightclub in the former Dante’s Down the Hatch space), Insomnia Night Club, Daiquiriville, Dolo’s Pizza, and Designs by Chris, an independent jewelry retailer.

Elsewhere is Artist Row, a collection of resident art galleries on Lower Alabama Street. 

In 2024, Lalani Ventures unveiled plans for a 30-story residential tower that would bring more than 400 apartments to Underground’s doorstep, contributing to a long-planned housing influx in the area. But Lalani told Urbanize Atlanta last year that lining up financing for the roughly $160-million proposal has been difficult. 

For World Cup festivities, Underground and city officials are also planning to partner on “5 Points Cup"—a three-on-three Street Futsal Tournament on the Upper Alabama Street pitch. Additional programming, according to today's announcement, will include "a diverse arts district with George F. Baker III, weekly multi-sensory art and cultural experiences, family-friendly soccer activations with Inter Atlanta FC, and eclectic Atlanta performers and businesses." 

In the gallery above, have a look at planned futbol-focused changes bound for Underground over the next five weeks. 

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