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Downtown Atlanta: Perfect Setting for Movies, Music, Sports

The Georgia World Congress Center Authority campus in downtown Atlanta houses a huge convention center, 22 acre park, world-renowned stadium and is the backdrop for popular movies, major musical events and big-time sports. (📷 Gene Phillips)

If you’re traveling to Atlanta to attend a meeting, you probably know you’re coming to one of the top convention centers in the nation. But did you know that the Georgia World Congress Center Authority (GWCCA) campus at the center of downtown Atlanta also serves as the backdrop for films, concerts and major sporting events?

Some of your favorite movies and TV shows film throughout the campus. Huge sporting events including three major college football games in December 2021 as well as Super Bowl LIII take the field at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Major music festivals and musicians attract thousands to the stadium and Centennial Olympic Park.

Major Movies Film on GWCCA Campus

Maple Point outside of Building B on the GWCCA campus had a “role” in the movie “Like a Boss.”

In Jimmy Carter’s days as the governor of Georgia, he established the state’s first film office. From there, it didn’t take filmmakers long to discover that the GWCCA campus provides the perfect setting for award-winning movies and iconic TV shows.

While breathtaking scenes of “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire” were filmed at Atlanta History Center‘s Swan House, the most notable chariot parade was captured in the backstage area of Georgia World Congress Center’s (GWCC) parking lot.

Actors Tiffany Haddish, Rose Byrne and Salma Hayek starred in the 2020 comedy “Like a Boss,” which was set outside of GWCC’s Building C and Building B’s Maple Point.

Atlanta’s Centennial Olympic Park played a significant part in the movie “Richard Jewell.” (📷 Melissa McAlpine)

In 2019, Clint Eastwood’s “Richard Jewell” hit the big screen. The movie is about an innocent security guard who became the prime suspect for the bombing that took place during Atlanta’s 1996 Olympic Games. A large portion of the movie was shot in Centennial Olympic Park.

In the major action film “Spider-Man: Homecoming,” Peter grabs a ride on top of a truck as it departs Damage Control Warehouse, better known to Atlantans as Georgia World Congress Center.

The fast-paced movie “Baby Driver” zipped through the Georgia State University campus and surrounding restaurants, Freedom Parkway and GWCC’s Red and Gold Decks. More scenes were shot in the loading docks of Georgia Dome, since replaced by Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

Other notable action-packed thrillers like “Fast and Furious 8” and “Venom” were filmed on the convention center campus along with “Due Date,” “Pitch Perfect 3” and “Vacation.” 

GWCCA Campus Lures TV Shows and Commercials

The sprawling GWCCA campus provides plenty of room for filming TV series and shows.

These include “MacGyver,” BET’s “The Game” and “Sleepy Hollow.” During 2015 and 2016, popular game show “Family Feud” filmed on the campus. Commercials also have been filmed here. A notable one is Apple’s The Rock x Siri: Dominate the Day – iPhone 7.

Marvel Fans Fun Fact: Did you know GWCC’s lobby became the interior hall of S.W.O.R.D. (the Sentient Weapon Observation Response Division) in “WandaVision?”

Notable Music Festivals and Performers Rock Atlanta

Here’s a look at Centennial Olympic Park during the 2016 SweetWater 420 Festival. (📷 Gene Phillips)

The GWCCA campus, specifically Centennial Olympic Park, attracts some of this country’s (and the world’s) best performers.

Centennial Olympic Park is in the heart of downtown Atlanta. (📷 Gene Phillips)

Check out more artists who’ve graced the stages of Centennial Olympic Park and Mercedes-Benz Stadium:

Rock/Pop/Country: Foo Fighters, Mumford & Sons, Dave Matthews Band, The Flaming Lips, Train, Kansas, Muse, O.A.R., Styx, Panic! At the Disco, Steve Miller Band, Kid Rock, Barenaked Ladies, Huey Lewis and the News, AWOLNATION, John Mayer, Alanis Morissette, Ellie Goulding, Sting, Zac Brown Band

Hip-hop/Rap/R&B: Killer Mike, Future, 2 Chainz, Jermaine Dupri, Waka Flocka, Rich Homie Quan, Goodie Mob, Ludacris, Flo Rida, Nas, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis

Mercedes-Benz Stadium Hosts Sports World’s Big Games and Fan Experiences

Mercedes-Benz Stadium in downtown Atlanta attracts big games and big acts. (📷 Melissa McAlpine)

It’s no wonder that Atlanta is home to Chick-fil-A’s College Football Hall of Fame. Find out why:

Atlanta’s major sporting event venues also played host to the NCAA Division 1 Men’s Basketball Tournament Regional, NCAA Men’s Final Four, NCAA Big Dance Weekend, Major League Soccer All-Star Game, WrestleMania XXVII and CONCACAF Gold Cup Semifinal.

All this is possible because the GWCCA campus, with more than 200 acres of prime event space, is the largest combined convention, sports and entertainment campus in North America, composed of the Georgia World Congress Center, Centennial Olympic Park, Mercedes-Benz Stadium and, soon, the Signia by Hilton Atlanta hotel.

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