Plans clearer for Atlanta's World Cup Fan Fest, starting next month

One of Atlanta’s great vestiges of the 1996 Olympics, Centennial Olympic Park, is set for a 2026 FIFA World Cup transformation in about a month. Exactly how that will look and function—and what it might cost to enjoy fútbol pandemonium there—is coming into clearer focus. 

A recent presentation by Georgia World Congress Center Authority, the park’s owner and operator, provides an overview of FIFA Fan Festival™ Atlanta, a schedule, and details on elevated ticket pricing, starting at 2 p.m. on Friday, June 12. (That’s the day after the opening match between Mexico and South Africa in Mexico City.) 

General entry tickets are free, but reservations must be made in advance. 

A general admission-plus option will be offered for $45 (or $65 during Atlanta match days) that affords access to a private bar and main-stage viewing areas, according to GWCCA officials. 

From there, an upgraded ticket option ($225 off-peak; $325 peak) gets access to an elevated outdoor viewing deck, a welcome drink, private bathrooms, and wristbands for three drinks and food station visits on timed intervals throughout the day. 

The baller options—the suite package—costs a cool $10,000 for 25 passes for a day. That includes serviced food, a drinks package, private climate-controlled suites, and access to an elevated deck for viewing matches on the park’s biggest screen. 

Meanwhile, Centennial Olympic Park’s four programming zones at FIFA Fan Festival™ Atlanta will be broken down as: 

• Main Stage, the festival’s focal point, will feature concerts and other events, with The Main Stage flanked by a 40-foot screen that showcases live matches and tournament highlights;
• The Playground will feature activations and games geared toward younger fans;
• The Pitch will host a community stage, podcasts, and AR/VR-enhanced sound experiences;
• Georgia Street, meanwhile, will showcase artists and food vendors from across the region.

The entire footprint of the park will be devoted to World Cup programming, with graphics and art designating individual districts and communities, as Atlanta World Cup Host Committee officials have said. 

This year’s World Cup will be staged across 16 host cities in Canada, Mexico, and the United States. Only Dallas will host more matches (nine) than Atlanta. 

GWCCA is partnering on festival design and development with Solomon Group and WINK, which have worked in Atlanta on past major events including the College Football Playoff National Championship, MLB All-Star Game, and MLS All-Star Game. 

The fútbol party will close July 15—after Atlanta hosts one of two FIFA World Cup semi-final matches (essentially one half of the tourney’s Final Four, prior to the Finals in New York). Plans call for FIFA Fan Festival™ to be open for 16 days total. 

For planning purposes, these are the eight matches set to be played at Mercedes-Benz Stadium (aka, "Atlanta Stadium") this summer: 

Group stage matches:

• Match 14 – Monday, 15 June at 12 p.m. ET, ESP vs CPV (Group H)
• Match 25 – Thursday, 18 June at 12 p.m. ET, DEN/MKD/CZE/IRL vs RSA (Group A)
• Match 38 – Sunday, 21 June at 12 p.m. ET, ESP vs KSA (Group H)
• Match 50 – Wednesday, 24 June at 6 p.m. ET, MAR vs HAI (Group C)
• Match 72 – Saturday, 27 June at 7:30 p.m. ET, COD/JAM/NCL vs UZB (Group K)

Knockout stage matches:

• Match 80 – Wednesday, 1 July at 12 p.m. ET, Round of 32
• Match 95 – Tuesday, 7 July at 12 p.m. ET, Round of 16

Semi-final:

• Match 102 – Wednesday, 15 July at 3 p.m. ET, Semi-Final

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