Atlanta Entertained
Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport has been the busiest airport in the world for over two decades —and 2024 was no exception. According to a report published by Airports Council International World, Delta’s headquarters and largest hub saw over 108 million passengers just last year! To provide some context: the second busiest airport in the world by number of passengers, Dubai International Airport, saw just over 92 million people during the same period.
Without question, one of the contributing factors that has made Atlanta a desirable city for hosting major entertainment and sporting events is the airport’s capacity for handling large volumes of travelers in and out of Atlanta. Just this past weekend alone, the city saw Beyonce’s “Cowboy Carter” tour at Mercedes-Benz Stadium and the highly anticipated MLB All-Star Week at The Battery, home of the 2021 World Series Champions, the Atlanta Braves.
Beyonce’s tour, which according to Billboard broke the record for the highest-grossing single-venue engagement by a woman in Los Angeles this past May, had two back-to-back concert dates in downtown Atlanta. The tour is expected to be the second highest-grossing tour of her career, with her 2023 Renaissance World Tour maintaining the first place.
For the baseball fanatics, the festivities surrounding the MLB All-Star Week have been quite complete and all-encompassing:
- On Saturday 7/12, the All-Star Futures Game and the MLB All-Star Celebrity Softball Game
- On Sunday 7/13, the first round of the MLB Draft and the MLB Home Run Derby X
- On Monday 7/14, the Gatorade All-Star Workout Day and the official T-Mobile Home Run Derby
- On Tuesday 7/15, All-Star Red-Carpet Show and the MLB All-Star Game
- In addition, the Capital One All-Star Village is open every day at the Cobb Galleria Centre
Most recently, Atlanta hosted six of the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 games, including one quarter-final match earlier this month. These matches are a precursor to the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which is being co-hosted next summer in 16 cities spread between Canada, USA, and Mexico. Amongst those cities, Atlanta is expected to host eight matches of the 104-game tournament, including a semi-final showdown.
Some of us may have noticed the incessant and slightly inconvenient construction taking place next to Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Much of it has to do with developing the Centennial Yards area, which will include a three-level immersive entertainment venue to deliver live sports and experiential entertainment. Cosm, a leading company in immersive technology, media and entertainment, has signed a long-term lease at Centennial Yards and is expected to open its third location in the heart of the city in the very near future. In simpler terms, we can expect a very large, high-quality screen to compliment the venues in downtown.
Last, but not least, let us remember that Atlanta has been selected as the hosting city for the Super Bowl in 2028, making it the second Super Bowl to be hosted here in less than 10 years.
If you are a sports fan or an entertainment junkie, Atlanta will have something for you always.
Nirvanna Silva