Atlanta Falcons Tickets

The Falcons in brief: an expansion club with two NFC crowns

The Atlanta Falcons play their home games at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, the retractable-roof stadium in downtown Atlanta, from September into early January. The franchise was founded on June 30, 1965, and began play in 1966, after NFL Commissioner Pete Rozelle moved quickly to place a team in Atlanta before the rival AFL could. The name came from a fan contest: a Griffin, Georgia, schoolteacher named Julia Elliott suggested "Falcons" for a bird with "great courage and fight."

The Falcons compete in the NFC South (the division they share with the Carolina Panthers, New Orleans Saints and Tampa Bay Buccaneers) and have won two NFC championships, after the 1998 and 2016 seasons. Both runs ended in Super Bowl losses: to Denver in Super Bowl XXXIII and, in overtime, to New England in Super Bowl LI. The franchise has six division titles and 14 playoff appearances. Arthur Blank has owned the team since 2002.

• Identity: the "Dirty Birds" nickname from the 1998 team and its end zone dance still runs through the fan base.
• Mascot: Freddie Falcon.
• Rivalry that matters most: the Saints, a series that has been close to even for decades.

Where to sit for a Falcons game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium

The stadium has three main tiers: the 100 level (the lower bowl, closest to the field), the 200 level (the middle tier, where most club seating sits) and the 300 level (the upper deck under the roof). A "C" after a section number marks club seating, such as the 100-level sideline clubs in 108C–112C and 126C–130C.

Best overall view

The 200-level sideline between the 20-yard lines is the pick for a first visit. It is high enough to see routes and coverage develop, and close enough that the players still look like players. In the 100 level, rows 10 to 25 on the sideline usually beat the front rows, where standing players and sideline staff block the far side of the field.

Best value

The 300-level sideline is steep, but the sightlines are clean and the 360-degree Halo board (a ring-shaped video screen that circles the roof opening) hangs close enough to follow replays easily. The lower end zones cost less than the sidelines and put scoring plays right in front of you; plays at the far end are best watched on the board.

For the loudest experience

The Dirty Birds Nest in section 134, in the lower end zone, is a standing, chanting section. It is the right ticket for noise from kickoff to the final whistle and the wrong one if you want to sit.

Sun and shade

With the roof closed, sun does not matter. On the occasions the roof is open for a day game, low light can come through the opening, so sun-sensitive buyers may prefer seats under the upper overhangs. Seating guides disagree about which sideline is the Falcons bench, so check the seat map for your listing before you pay extra for the home side.

The schedule and the games that sell first

The NFL season has a short preseason in August, a 17-game regular season from September into early January, and the playoffs from mid-January. The Falcons play roughly half their regular-season games at home, so a typical season brings eight or nine home dates.

Demand follows a predictable pattern:

• The Saints game: the oldest rivalry in the division and the home date most likely to draw a full building, with a large traveling New Orleans crowd that keeps resale prices firm.
• Other NFC South opponents: the Panthers (the I-85 rivalry) and the Buccaneers are short trips for visiting fans, which adds road-team buyers to the market.
• Prime-time games: Thursday, Sunday and Monday night home games carry a national audience and a later start, and they usually draw more interest than a 1 p.m. kickoff.
• Marquee opponents: teams with large national fan bases tend to push prices up, since their fans buy across the bowl.
• Preseason games: the lowest-demand dates and the easiest way to see the building on a budget.

Resale prices for any game usually move most in the final week, when injuries, weather elsewhere in the league and playoff stakes become clear. A late-season game with the division on the line can climb quickly; one with nothing at stake often softens.

Following the Falcons on the road

The division schedule makes road trips manageable. New Orleans and Charlotte are both drivable from Atlanta, and Tampa is a short flight. The Superdome trip is the one Falcons fans circle first: the rivalry is the oldest in the division, and Saints fans return the favor in Atlanta.

When buying in an opponent's stadium, a section in the upper deck or end zone usually puts you near other visiting fans. If the home team's fan base is known for heavy sellouts, buying early is the safer course, since visitor-friendly inventory thins out as the date approaches.

Gameday downtown: MARTA, the Backyard and entry rules

MARTA is the simplest way in. The stadium recommends the SEC District station (formerly GWCC/CNN Center), and Vine City station on the Blue and Green lines is the other close option. Platforms crowd after the game, so waiting out the first rush or walking to the other station can save time.

Tailgating centers on The Home Depot Backyard, an 11-acre lot beside the stadium that opens hours before kickoff. Gas grills are allowed there; charcoal and wood fires are not. For Falcons games, a shuttle from Atlantic Station has run from two hours before kickoff until 90 minutes after the game.

As of the 2026 season, the stadium enforces a clear-bag policy (bags must be clear plastic, vinyl or PVC, no larger than 12 by 6 by 12 inches, with small clutches of about 4.5 by 6.5 inches allowed). Gates have opened 90 minutes before Falcons kickoffs, tickets are mobile only, payment is card or mobile only, and re-entry is not allowed. Check the stadium's A-to-Z guide before you go, since policies change.

Food is a known strength. The stadium's "Fan First" menu prices staples such as hot dogs, pretzels and refillable soft drinks well below typical NFL stadium levels, and lines are shortest during play rather than at halftime.

Three stadiums and the moments that defined the franchise

The Falcons played at Atlanta–Fulton County Stadium from 1966 to 1991, at the Georgia Dome from 1992 through the 2016 season, and at Mercedes-Benz Stadium since 2017. The current stadium opened beside the Georgia Dome site and has since hosted Super Bowl LIII and College Football Playoff title games.

• 1998: the "Dirty Bird" team went 14–2, a franchise best, and reached Super Bowl XXXIII.
• 2001: the Falcons traded up for the first overall pick and drafted quarterback Michael Vick.
• 2016: the Falcons led New England 28–3 late in the third quarter of Super Bowl LI before losing 34–28 in overtime, the largest comeback in Super Bowl history.

The Pro Football Hall of Fame includes several players with Falcons ties, among them Deion Sanders, Tony Gonzalez and defensive end Claude Humphrey, who spent most of his career in Atlanta.

Sources

• Wikipedia – Atlanta Falcons
• Wikipedia – Mercedes-Benz Stadium
• Mercedes-Benz Stadium – A-to-Z Guide
• Mercedes-Benz Stadium – Parking and Transportation
• Mercedes-Benz Stadium – Clubs and Suites
• RateYourSeats – Best Seats at Mercedes-Benz Stadium