Atlanta United FC will open the new Mercedes-Benz Stadium on July 30, the club announced on Friday.
The day's match will be the first sporting event ever held at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, the downtown venue currently under construction that will serve as the home for Atlanta United and the NFL’s Atlanta Falcons.
In addition to the July 30 game, the club announced that it will play two more home games at Mercedes-Benz Stadium “in the middle of August as part of the inaugural month of opening events” at the venue. Opponents and start times for the matches will be revealed when MLS announces the entire 2017 regular season schedule next week.
Prior to opening Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta United will hold their home games at Georgia Tech’s Bobby Dodd Stadium in Atlanta. The expansion team will open their season on March 5 at Bobby Dodd Stadium against the New York Red Bulls.
A grand opening celebration event for Mercedes-Benz Stadium, which will have a special “purpose-built” MLS configuration, will be held at the end of August.
“It is thrilling to see Arthur Blank’s vision for this venue and the diverse events and incredible fan experience it will bring to Atlanta coming to fruition right from the start,” Steve Cannon, CEO of AMB Group, said in a statement. “The opening five weeks are going to showcase the thought, design and effort that went into this unique building in every configuration. Football fans, soccer supporters and concert-goers are going to be treated to a spectacular experience for those events. We also expect to have a number of more intimate opportunities to experience the stadium for seat license owners, founding members and stadium partners during this timeframe.”
The statement said that construction is progressing on schedule, with “significant progress” being made on the roof and lower bowl – the final two major structural pieces to be completed. Finish work is moving into the final stages of completion in other areas of the stadium, including locker rooms, suites, concessions and other areas.
