The city of Atlanta on Wednesday announced ATL Culture House, a first-of-its-kind cultural hub set to open during the FIFA World Cup 2026, with Mayor Andre Dickens and city officials unveiling the initiative at The Center ( CTR), 190 Marietta St. NW.
Anchored by the phrase “Culture by Design,” ATL Culture House will occupy more than 23,000 square feet on the eighth floor of The CTR’s North Tower. The space can accommodate up to 2,000 people and will host eight signature activations running from June 14 through July 14. Programming will span live performances, artist talks, film screenings, creative industry workshops, cultural conversations, and youth and community programming. Admission is free, though attendance requires advance registration.
Adriane V. Jefferson, executive director of the Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs, said the project grew out of a broad community call for proposals, drawing close to 400 applications from artists, creatives, and arts organizations across the city. The application review period closes April 27, with community partner notifications going out by April 29. An official programming announcement is scheduled for May 7.
Jefferson said the turnout reflected how much Atlanta’s creative community has been waiting for a space like this. “Seeing all of the creatives in the space brings me a lot of joy,” she said, noting the office received close to 400 applications from artists, creatives, and arts organizations across the city.
Youth engagement sits at the center of the Culture House vision. Mayor Dickens, who was in college during Atlanta’s 1996 Summer Olympics, said the World Cup represents a chance he did not fully appreciate the first time around. He pointed to programming already underway, including a spring break activation that drew thousands of students to parks and recreation centers across the city, where activities ranged from painting and gaming to volleyball.
“I didn’t really understand the magnitude of it,” Dickens said of the Olympics. “It wasn’t going to be coming back next year or 10 years later. And so now I’m all in on World Cup, because I see this opportunity now.”
Dickens said the Culture House gives Atlanta’s young people a chance to situate themselves within a global moment, one that connects the city’s history to the world arriving at its doorstep.
“This is an opportunity for them to see themselves as a part of the world landscape,” he said. “If you are the home of Dr. King, you’ve got to know what’s going to happen when South Africa gets here.”
Amazon is among the initiative’s anchoring sponsors and will operate the Amazon Community Stage, a dedicated platform for live performances at the venue. Terreta Rodgers, Head of Community Affairs for Amazon’s Georgia Region, said the partnership is rooted in the company’s commitment to both culture and commerce in Atlanta.
“The Atlanta Culture House is more than a destination,” Rodgers said. “It’s a celebration of who we are, as residents of Atlanta. As those who moved here from other places, we are all contributing to this very important, significant, and unique culture.”
In Georgia alone, more than 16,000 small and independent businesses sell through Amazon’s storefront, collectively moving more than 76 million items in 2024. ATL Culture House will feature a daily spotlight on one of Amazon’s Georgia-based small and medium-sized businesses, giving local entrepreneurs direct access to the global audience the World Cup is expected to draw.
“A lot of our small businesses know how to do business locally,” Rodgers said in an interview after the press conference, “but we work with them hand in hand to take their products globally. This is a fantastic opportunity for someone who may have a brick-and-mortar store or a small business locally to introduce their product to a global market.”
The venue will operate from noon to 8 p.m. on each of its eight activation days. Security will be coordinated with the Atlanta Police Department, supplemented by private security within the venue, and additional coverage will be maintained by The CTR building.
Jefferson said the goal extends well beyond the World Cup, framing the Culture House as a foundation for Atlanta’s long-term creative infrastructure. “This is for Atlanta creators,” she said. “We want to make sure that this infrastructure remains after the world leaves.”
When asked whether ATL Culture House would continue after the tournament, Jefferson was candid but optimistic. “That is my hope, that it becomes a model that does stay,” she said. “We are hoping that it will go so well that people will want to invest and that we can find the resources to continue it.”
More information is available at atlculturehouse.com.
