Downtown Atlanta's Home Depot Backyard is trading its usual tailgate crowd for movie blankets and lawn chairs this weekend, kicking off a two-night run of free outdoor screenings right next to Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Friday's edition leans into HBCU homecoming energy with a screening of ATL, while Saturday rewinds three decades with a Space Jam showing and 1990s throwback theming. Both nights run from 6 to 11 p.m. and cost nothing to attend.
The series, called Big Screen on the Green and presented by American Express, features two nights of outdoor movies, live entertainment and interactive experiences at the 11-acre greenspace, according to the seed reporting from Atlanta Daily World. Friday's BackYARD Fest: ATL Homecoming Edition runs from 6 to 11 p.m., and organizers describe the 2026 edition as leaning all the way into homecoming, with HBCU culture, a vendor village, food trucks, lawn games and a feature film projected once it gets dark, per downtownatl.com. That outlet also calls BackYARD Fest the annual signature night of the Backyard's Big Screen on the Green series.
Friday Night Honors ATL's 20th Anniversary
Per the seed reporting, Friday's celebration commemorates the 20th anniversary of the film ATL, with the movie itself screening as part of the night's programming. Atlanta Daily World reports the evening features an hour-long set from Atlanta producer and DJ DJ Montay, along with a performance from the Atlanta Falcons Drumline. Mike Starr is set to serve as the evening's emcee, and the same reporting notes the night includes a roller-skating rink among its featured activations, with music throughout the celebration coming courtesy of DJ OneNate and a performance from the Sick on Skates crew.
Vendor and art stations named in the seed reporting include Sway Art's, Studio WIP, Teenz on Point, the HDBY team and ScrapLanta, alongside a pop-up car display from Morehouse Motors and a basketball trailer from Courtside ATL. Street teams from the Atlanta United, Atlanta Falcons and Overtime Elite are also offering giveaways, according to the same reporting. Atlanta Daily World describes the events overall as including lawn games, inflatables and photo opportunities, with a beer garden presented by SweetWater Brewing available to guests 21 and older.
At 9 p.m., there will be an outdoor screening of the movie ATL, according to atlantaonthecheap.com. The same source notes the event is free to attend but that guests who drive will pay for parking, and that blankets and chairs are permitted on the lawn. Walk-ups will be accommodated only if space allows, the site adds, and the night is billed as rain-or-shine, though it may be canceled if weather becomes dangerous.
Saturday Rewinds to Space Jam and the Summer of '96
Saturday's Summer of '96 Edition runs from 6 to 11 p.m. at the same venue, with gates opening at 6 p.m. and the movie starting once it's dark, according to downtownatl.com's event listing. That page frames the night as the second of back-to-back Big Screen on the Green nights and notes that 1996 is a reference point downtown keeps returning to, thirty years on. The seed reporting confirms the featured film is Space Jam, which celebrates its 30th anniversary in 2026, and describes the night as including nostalgic entertainment, themed games, food trucks and giveaways.
Downtownatl.com's Saturday listing adds that the night shares the same food trucks, vendor village and lawn games as Friday's event. Creative Loafing frames the evening as family-friendly, encouraging guests to arrive in their flyest '90s gear for games, photo ops, food trucks and giveaways, according to creativeloafing.com.
Getting There and What to Know Before You Go
The Home Depot Backyard sits at 1 Backyard Way on the Mercedes-Benz Stadium campus, according to downtownatl.com's Friday event page. Vine City MARTA is the closest station, and the same source notes that parking on the campus decks is straightforward on a non-game night. The greenspace itself is described elsewhere as a beautiful, 11-acre greenspace by downtownatlantainc.com.
Atlanta Daily World's reporting notes that Big Screen on the Green is free and open to the public but requires registration for entry, and that American Express Card Members receive access to a dedicated entry lane during both evenings, provided they present their card upon arrival. The same reporting describes the Home Depot Backyard, formerly known as the Summer Movie Experience, as having served the Atlanta community since 2018, focusing on arts and culture, health and wellness, and inspired learning, while also serving as a parking and tailgating destination for the Atlanta Falcons, Atlanta United and other stadium events.
