The retractable roof at the new Mercedes-Benz Stadium, home to NFL American football team the Atlanta Falcons, is set to open for the first time on Sunday.
The 71,000-capacity venue opened its doors on August 26 for the Falcons’ pre-season home game against the Arizona Cardinals, but the roof remained closed.
Construction workers at the $1.6bn (€1.4bn/£1.2bn) stadium encountered a number of difficulties with opening the roof and made a decision to keep the roof closed during the opening game, as well as at the Falcons’ first match of the regular season.
The open-roof game between the Falcons and the Green Bay Packers will be the first time the retractable roof will be open for an event – weather permitting.
The Mercedes-Benz Stadium also features a halo video board that measures 58ft tall and 1,100ft around, and will circle the opening of the retractable roof.
The new two million square foot building has increased the Falcons’ home ground size by 25 per cent from its former 1.6 million square foot Georgia Dome.
The venue will also serve as home to Atlanta United, which joined North America’s Major League Soccer this season.
The venue has also secured hosting rights to a number of other major events in the coming years. The championship game of the College Football Playoff will take place at the stadium in January next year, while the NFL’s showpiece Super Bowl event will be played at the venue in 2019.
Recently, the Falcons also launched a new mobile app to coincided with its move to the new stadium and it hopes it will act as a second-screen experience during games, with new in-venue features set to enhance the fan experience.
The app will provide supporters with play-by-play updates, stats and scores, which will be featured in the renovated Gamecenter. The app will also include parking and ticketing solutions, as well as beverages and game-day entertainment information.
Image: Atlanta Falcons
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