Industry News

Mercedes-Benz Stadium suffers roof leak ahead of showpiece event

Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia suffered a roof leak ahead of yesterday’s (Monday’s) College Football Playoff National Championship match.

The roof was closed for the game, which resulted in a 26-23 overtime win for Alabama Crimson Tide over the Georgia Bulldogs.

The leak was reported to have been near the 20-yard line at the stadium. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution newspaper said that the first half of the game passed with no further leakage.

The stadium, which cost $1.6bn (£1.18bn/€1.34bn) to build, is home to NFL American football team the Atlanta Falcons and Major League Soccer franchise Atlanta United.

Yesterday’s game was the biggest event staged at Mercedes-Benz Stadium since it opened last summer. Its retractable roof has suffered a number of issues and, as a result, has only been open for one Falcons game and one Atlanta United match.

The stadium will also host the MLS All-Star game later this year, and the NFL’s Super Bowl showpiece in 2019.

Image: Atlanta Falcons