The Home Depot Backyard's Night Market: Global Tastemakers Edition returns to downtown Atlanta Thursday from 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., but this time the party isn't happening on its usual 11-acre greenspace. Organizers have shifted the food and culture festival to Soccer Ball Plaza in front of Gate 1 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium while the Backyard undergoes post-World Cup site enhancements, bringing along vendors like Jimmie's Jerk BBQ, Desta's Ethiopian Kitchen and Tamalion Tamales for the temporary move.
According to Atlanta Daily World, the Global Tastemakers Edition draws on Atlanta's history of hosting global moments, from the 1996 Summer Olympics to this year's FIFA World Cup, and promises a passport-free journey through international flavors and culture. Entry-only tickets remain free, though food and beverage packages are also for sale, and everyone entering must be at least 21 years old. The outlet reports the series has already welcomed thousands of attendees and highlighted hundreds of local restaurants, chefs and artisans since launching as one of the Backyard's premier signature event series.
Why the Party Moved to Soccer Ball Plaza
The relocation follows a landmark stretch for the stadium next door: Mercedes-Benz Stadium hosted eight matches of the 2026 FIFA World Cup between June 15 and July 15, including five group-stage games, two knockout rounds and a semifinal, according to StadiumDB. Soccer Ball Plaza, the temporary host site, sits in front of Gate 1 and is anchored by a 35-foot mirrored soccer ball sculpture known as Telstar, along with Atlanta United's Founding Members Wall, per Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
Global Flavors, Craft Drinks and a Vendor Village
The food lineup spans Pepper's Hot Dog, Bun and Bites, Hapa Kitchen, Heritage Supper Club and Beikd Goods, alongside dishes from chef Carla Fears, per the outlet's vendor rundown. Night Market's culinary programming is produced in partnership with Southern Culinary & Creative, the group behind Atlanta's Westside Motor Lounge and culinary programming for the multi-day Gather 'round food festival.
On the drink side, beverage partners include Creature Comforts Brewing, Tito's Handmade Vodka, Distillery of Modern Art, Edmond's Honor Bourbon, Atlanta Hard Cider, Dancing Goats Coffee and Little Sober Bar, pouring craft cocktails, beer and non-alcoholic options, the same rundown notes. A Vendor Village presented by American Express will run alongside the food stalls, showcasing local artisans, small businesses and unique goods. For bigger appetites, organizers introduced multi-event Season Passes and Ticket 2-Packs this year, offering early 6 p.m. entry, food and beverage tokens and exclusive lounge access, according to Big Tickets.
Thursday's gathering follows the Night Market: Art Touches Lives Edition, held at the Home Depot Backyard on April 30 and featuring an interactive live art installation by Sway Art alongside local culinary vendors, according to Rough Draft Atlanta.
From Georgia Dome Rubble to Atlanta's Backyard
Known informally as Atlanta's Backyard, the greenspace has served the community since 2018, the year it opened atop the footprint of the old Georgia Dome. Crews used roughly 200,000 tons of crushed concrete rubble from the dome's November 2017 implosion as infill to prepare the site before its September 2018 debut, according to the Georgia World Congress Center Authority.
Beyond signature events like Night Market, the 11-acre site hosts daily fitness classes and community programming centered on arts and culture, health and wellness, and learning, and it doubles as a tailgating and parking lot for Atlanta Falcons, Atlanta United and other stadium events. Hoodline has previously covered Backyard's past cultural celebrations on the same greenspace.
A Bigger Build-Out Could Reshape the Greenspace
The Backyard's footprint may not stay this way forever. In June 2024, the Georgia World Congress Center Authority selected a development team of Fuqua Development, Pope & Land Real Estate and Nelson Worldwide to plan up to 250,000 square feet of mixed-use entertainment and hospitality space on the 11-acre site, according to Urbanize Atlanta. Those plans are still moving forward alongside events like Thursday's Night Market, raising questions about how much of today's greenspace will remain once construction begins.
The Campus's Economic Weight
The Backyard sits within a fast-growing, state-owned campus. The 976-room, $326 million Signia by Hilton Atlanta opened overlooking and connecting to the greenspace in January 2024, marking the city's largest ground-up hotel development in decades, per ENR Southeast. A Georgia State University study cited by the same outlet found the broader campus, including the convention center, Mercedes-Benz Stadium and the Home Depot Backyard, generated $1.37 billion in economic impact during fiscal year 2021-2022.
Getting to Soccer Ball Plaza Thursday
Attendees taking public transit can reach the temporary venue via the nearby Vine City MARTA station, while drivers can use the adjacent 600-space Orange Deck built during the original Georgia Dome site redevelopment, according to the Georgia World Congress Center Authority.
