Georgia Dome

The Georgia Dome was a large domed stadium in the southeastern United States, located in Atlanta between downtown and Vine City. Owned by the State of Georgia, it opened in 1992 and was then the second-largest covered stadium in the world. It was the home of the Atlanta Falcons football team and Georgia State University's Panthers football team.

The Georgia Dome hosted many important events, including two Super Bowls, the Peach Bowl, and the SEC Championship Games. It was also the venue for big concerts and sports events, such as WrestleMania XXVII hosted by The Rock, and a major wrestling match between John Cena and The Miz for the WWE Championship.

Over its 25 years, the Georgia Dome welcomed more than 37 million people to over 1,400 events. It was the only stadium in the United States to host the Summer Olympics, a Super Bowl, and the NCAA men's basketball Final Four. The Georgia Dome was replaced by the Mercedes-Benz Stadium, which opened in August 2017, and the Georgia Dome was demolished later that year in November.

History

Facility information

The Georgia Dome was finished in 1992 in time for the 1996 Summer Olympics. It cost $214 million and was one of the biggest buildings paid for by the state of Georgia. The stadium could hold 71,228 people for football games, about 80,000 for concerts, and 71,000 for basketball when it was fully open. For Georgia State football games, it was set up with 28,155 seats.

The Dome had special seats and rooms for important guests. There were also restaurants, escalators, and elevators.

Surface

The Georgia Dome first used a special artificial surface for football. In 2003, a new type of artificial surface was put in.

Renovations

In 2006, plans were made to update the Georgia Dome for $300 million. The updates included better seats and new screens showing games. In 2008, the outside of the stadium was painted in the team colors of the Atlanta Falcons. New screens were added inside, and the sound system was replaced.

Major weather-related issues

Three years after it opened, a big storm caused part of the roof to fall. No one was hurt because people had already left the stadium. The roof was fixed so it would not happen again.

During a storm in 2008, another part of the roof was damaged. This caused a basketball game to be delayed and moved to another place.

Final years and replacement

The Georgia Dome was replaced by a new stadium called Mercedes-Benz Stadium. The new stadium was approved in 2013 and building started in 2014. The Falcons played their last game in the Georgia Dome on January 22, 2017. The Dome was used for other events until March 2017.

Demolition

After the Georgia Dome closed, plans were made to tear it down. Demolition began in 2017. Most of the building came down quickly, but some parts needed extra work. The site was cleaned up, and a new park called "The Home Depot Backyard" was built there. A new hotel also opened nearby in 2024.

Events hosted

Football

The Georgia Dome was where the Atlanta Falcons played their games. It hosted big events like Super Bowl XXVIII in 1994 and Super Bowl XXXIV in 2000. The Falcons played their last game there in the 2016 NFC Championship Game against the Green Bay Packers, winning to go to the Super Bowl.

The Dome also held college football games, such as the Southeastern Conference Football Championship Game and the Chick-fil-A Bowl. It was home to the Georgia State Panthers football team until they moved to a new stadium.

Basketball

The Georgia Dome hosted big basketball games, including the NCAA Final Four Men’s Basketball National Championship in 2002, 2007, and 2013. It also held the NCAA Women’s Final Four in 2003 and many other important basketball matches.

Olympics

During the 1996 Summer Olympics, the Georgia Dome was used for basketball and gymnastics events.

Soccer

The Dome hosted many international soccer matches. It was a candidate to host games for the 2022 FIFA World Cup, but Qatar was chosen instead.

Other events

The Georgia Dome was a popular venue for concerts by famous artists like U2, Taylor Swift, and Beyoncé. It also hosted events like the video game convention E3 and Gaither Homecoming concerts.

Drum Corps International

The Dome hosted the Drum Corps International Southeastern Championship from 2006 to 2016. Different teams won each year, with the Bluecoats winning the final competition in 2016.

Wrestling

The Georgia Dome hosted big wrestling events like WrestleMania XXVII in 2011. It was also where WWE shows like Monday Night Raw and WCW Monday Nitro were held during the late 1990s and early 2000s.