Mercedes-Benz Stadium shines for sport but hits flat notes on concerts | OneFootball

Acclaimed as one of the United States' leading sporting arenas, Atlanta's Mercedes-Benz Stadium has struggled with concert acoustics, L'Équipe reports.

The venue staged Spain's 0-0 draw with Cape Verde on Monday.

From a sporting perspective, the Benz has been a clear success. The 68,239-capacity arena, in FIFA configuration, is home to the Falcons and Atlanta United and hosted the Super Bowl in 2019, with a return set for 2028.

Yet the $2.1bn, €1.8bn build has a recurring flaw at concerts, with fans often complaining of echo, diffuse vocals and inaudible bass. The first show, on 12 October 2007, saw country star Garth Brooks draw 80,000, with some seeking refunds after an inaudible performance.

A full acoustic overhaul followed, including the installation of numerous additional speakers. Even so, Coldplay in 2021, Metallica in 2025 and Kanye West's 2021 Donda preview all drew heavy criticism on specialist forums for the sound.

Acoustics specialist Jean-Baptiste Bodin of Peutz France was unsurprised, arguing issues can be reduced by tailored pre-show work from artists' technical teams. That helps explain why a handful of shows have since fared well. Atlanta-based critic Quentin Harrison says outcomes are roughly 50-50, from complaints to delighted crowds, as seen with Taylor Swift in 2023.

Source: L'Équipe