Ed Sheeran is bringing his 2026 Loop Tour to Mercedes-Benz Stadium on October 3, with gates opening at 4:30 p.m. and the show starting at 5:30 p.m. The Grammy-winning artist is touring behind his eighth studio album, Play, and the Atlanta stop lands at a stadium where he already holds the attendance crown.
Sheeran's last visit to the venue, in May 2023, set an all-time concert attendance record of 76,355 spectators during his Mathematics Tour, according to FOX 5 Atlanta. That same trip, Sheeran made an unannounced pop-up stop at SweetWater Brewing Co., buying a round for patrons and playing acoustic songs from his album “-” hours before taking the stadium stage. Whether he repeats that kind of surprise appearance this time around is not something organizers have addressed.
This year's Atlanta date is part of a bigger run. The North American leg of the Loop Tour spans 22 cities and runs through November 7. The tour supports Play, following a decade of mathematics-themed records, as Consequence has reported.
Opening Acts and What's on the Setlist
Macklemore, Lukas Graham and Aaron Rowe are all set to open the show, though the exact order and set times for the trio haven't been released. Sheeran's own set is expected to draw from Play as well as older hits including Shape of You, Perfect and Thinking Out Loud, and the show reportedly includes a city-specific acoustic request segment where fans can call out songs.
Rather than a traditional backing band, Sheeran performs with a live loop-pedal setup that builds guitar, vocal harmony and percussion tracks in real time, a setup SeatGeek discusses in connection with stadium-scale shows. It's the same one-man engine behind his Divide Tour, which grossed $736.7 million and drew more than 7.27 million fans across 250 shows between 2017 and 2019, breaking U2's long-standing record for the highest-grossing world tour, per Guinness World Records.
Getting to the Stadium and Getting In
Tickets remain available online through Ticketmaster and SeatGeek via venue or vendor mobile apps, with orders capped at six per purchase to limit scalping. Presale codes were sent to registered fans before September 23, but it’s unclear whether Mercedes-Benz Stadium will release additional ticket inventory as the date nears.
Fans driving in can choose from more than 20,000 parking spots within a 20-minute walk of the stadium, and pre-purchasing parking online is recommended. Rideshare drop-offs are split between Zone 1 on GWCC Bus Lane C and Zone 2 in South Downtown on Broad Street. Transit riders can take MARTA's Blue and Green lines directly to the GWCC/CNN Center or Vine City stations for $2.50 a ride, with fare gates now accepting contactless credit cards and mobile wallet taps, according to MARTA.
MARTA service in the corridor can be affected by events at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Drivers should account for downtown traffic.
Mercedes-Benz Stadium operates as a completely cashless venue, accepting only cards, Apple Pay and Google Pay at concessions. The clear bag policy allows clear plastic, vinyl or PVC bags up to 12 by 6 by 12 inches, along with small non-clear clutch purses under 4.5 by 6.5 inches. Standard ticket holders can enter through any general stadium gate, while floor-ticket holders must use a dedicated line near Gate 1 by the soccer ball sculpture.
A Changed Downtown Since Sheeran's Last Visit
Concertgoers will find a different neighborhood than the one Sheeran played in 2023. Centennial Yards has opened new entertainment and dining spots including Cosm Atlanta, as the Atlanta Journal-Constitution has detailed, giving fans somewhere new to grab dinner before doors open.
Downtown plans include a bustling, mixed-use district. The redevelopment story also includes 2 Peachtree Street.
The stadium's calendar has prompted schedule reshuffling this year. In August, Georgia's Corky Kell Classic high school football kickoff was moved to accommodate the stadium's 2026 schedule.
Atlanta's stop is one of several Loop Tour dates this year. Each city has faced its own version of the same questions Atlanta fans are asking now: how to get there, when to arrive, and what a Sheeran stadium show actually looks like without a backing band on stage.
