What Bowl Game Is Played in Atlanta? Your Guide to Atlanta’s Big Games

If you’re wondering “What bowl is in Atlanta?”, the short answer is: several major college football bowl games are closely connected to Atlanta, with one especially famous game played right in the heart of the city.

Atlanta is a major hub for college football, so the term “Atlanta bowl” usually refers to the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl, but there’s a bit more to know.

The Main Answer: The Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl in Atlanta

The primary bowl game actually played in Atlanta is the:

Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl

• Location: Mercedes-Benz Stadium, 1 AMB Drive NW, Atlanta, GA 30313
• Typical Time of Year: Late December or New Year’s
• Stadium: Indoor, retractable-roof NFL stadium (home of the Atlanta Falcons and Atlanta United)

This bowl is part of the New Year’s Six rotation, which means:

• Some years, it hosts a College Football Playoff semifinal
• Other years, it hosts two highly ranked teams in a major non-playoff matchup

For locals and visitors, this is the signature Atlanta bowl game that brings in fans from across the country, fills hotels downtown, and packs restaurants around Centennial Olympic Park, State Farm Arena, and the Georgia World Congress Center.

Other Bowl Games Commonly Associated With Atlanta

Even though the Peach Bowl is the only major bowl game played inside Atlanta’s city limits, people sometimes lump other Georgia bowls into the conversation.

Here’s a simple breakdown:

When people say “the bowl in Atlanta,” they almost always mean the Peach Bowl, not these other games.

Where the Atlanta Bowl Is Played: Mercedes-Benz Stadium

To understand the bowl scene in Atlanta, it helps to know the venue:

Mercedes-Benz Stadium

• Address: 1 AMB Drive NW, Atlanta, GA 30313
• Neighborhood: Just southwest of downtown, near Vine City and Castleberry Hill
• Nearby MARTA Stations:
  • GWCC/CNN Center Station (East/West line)
  • Vine City Station (East/West line)

For Atlanta residents:

• You can usually get to the Peach Bowl via MARTA rail or bus, rideshare, or designated parking lots/garages around the stadium.
• On game days, streets around the stadium can be congested, so public transit is often the simplest option.

For visitors:

• Many people stay in Downtown Atlanta or Midtown and walk or take MARTA to the stadium.
• The stadium sits right by major landmarks like State Farm Arena and the Georgia World Congress Center.

What Time of Year Is the Bowl in Atlanta?

If you’re trying to plan travel, tickets, or just want to know when the city will be full of college fans, here’s what typically happens:

• The Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl is usually played between Christmas and New Year’s, often on:
  • December 30–31, or
  • January 1 in some seasons
• When it hosts a College Football Playoff semifinal, the date is set by the playoff rotation, but it still falls in that late-December / early-January window.

Because dates can shift:

• Locals often keep an eye on schedule releases in late summer or early fall.
• Downtown hotels and parking garages may book up quickly around that time.

How the Peach Bowl Fits Into Atlanta’s Football Culture

In Atlanta, the Peach Bowl is more than just a game:

• It brings in SEC, ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, or other top programs, depending on the year’s tie-ins.
• The city hosts fan events, pep rallies, team walk-throughs, and fan zones near the stadium and around downtown.
• Many Atlantans attend the game even when their own college team isn’t playing, just to be part of the big-game atmosphere.

If you live in Atlanta:

• Expect heavier traffic downtown, crowded MARTA trains, and a lot of out-of-town jerseys on the streets.
• Restaurants and bars in Downtown, Midtown, and the Gulch area often show the game and run game-day specials.

If you’re visiting:

• It can be a great way to pair a bowl game trip with Atlanta attractions like the Georgia Aquarium, World of Coca-Cola, and the National Center for Civil and Human Rights, all clustered downtown.

Practical Tips for Attending the Bowl Game in Atlanta

1. Getting to the Stadium

Public Transit (MARTA) 🚆

• Use the Blue or Green line to GWCC/CNN Center or Vine City.
• Trains are typically more frequent on major event days.
• MARTA customer service (for route help):
  • Phone (General Info): 404-848-5000
  • Main HQ: 2424 Piedmont Rd NE, Atlanta, GA 30324

Driving & Parking

• Pre-booking parking near Mercedes-Benz Stadium is strongly recommended for bowl games.
• Many Atlantans park farther out along MARTA lines and ride the train in to avoid downtown congestion.

2. Security & Entry

• The stadium follows a clear bag policy and standard security screening.
• Plan to arrive early; bowl crowds can be large, and entry lines typically grow closer to kickoff.

3. Weather Considerations

• The game is indoors, but December and January in Atlanta can be chilly or rainy.
• You’ll still be outside walking from transit, parking, or nearby hotels, so dress in layers.

Who Usually Plays in the Atlanta Bowl?

Exact matchups change year to year, but generally:

• When the Peach Bowl is a College Football Playoff semifinal:
  • It hosts two of the top four teams in the country.
• In non-playoff years:
  • It usually features highly ranked Power Five teams, often from the SEC, ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, or Pac-12, depending on tie-ins for that season.

For fans in Atlanta:

• It’s one of the best chances each year to see top-ten or top-fifteen teams without leaving the city.
• Alumni groups for major schools around Atlanta often organize meetups and watch parties if their team is selected.

How to Stay Updated on Atlanta Bowl Game Details

If you want to track which bowl is in Atlanta, who’s playing, and when:

• Check college football schedules starting in late summer.
• Watch conference championship outcomes in early December; they often decide which teams head to the Peach Bowl.
• Many locals rely on Atlanta sports coverage (TV, radio, and newspapers) for up-to-date bowl announcements and ticket info.

For general visitor information related to big events like bowl games, you can also contact:

Atlanta Convention & Visitors Bureau

• Office: 233 Peachtree St NE, Suite 1400, Atlanta, GA 30303
• Main Phone: 404-521-6600

They provide guidance on hotels, transportation, and downtown visitor logistics around major events.

Quick Recap: What Bowl Is in Atlanta?

• The main bowl game played in Atlanta is the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl.
• It’s held at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in downtown Atlanta, usually in late December or on New Year’s.
• In some years, it serves as a College Football Playoff semifinal, making it one of the biggest games in the country.
• When people ask, “What bowl is in Atlanta?”, the accurate and locally relevant answer is almost always: the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.