A Concert at State Farm Arena, Atlanta

State Farm Arena is about as easy as a big American arena gets for visitors without a car. It sits at the western edge of downtown Atlanta, beside Centennial Olympic Park, the green space built for the 1996 Olympic Games, and a MARTA rail station sits right next to it. You can land at Hartsfield-Jackson, the busiest airport in the world by passenger numbers, ride the train into the city and walk to the doors without ever needing a taxi.

Journey play here on Monday 19 October 2026 on their Final Frontier farewell tour. Our Journey tour cities guide lists the rest of the route.

What is around the arena

The blocks around Centennial Olympic Park hold several of Atlanta's main sights within a few minutes' walk: the Georgia Aquarium, one of the largest in the world, the World of Coca-Cola, the College Football Hall of Fame and the National Center for Civil and Human Rights. The civil rights centre is the one we would not miss. It tells the story of the movement led from this city, and it connects it to human rights struggles today.

If you have a second day, take the train or a rideshare east to the Martin Luther King Jr. National Historical Park on Auburn Avenue, where you can see the house he was born in and Ebenezer Baptist Church, where he preached. Then walk part of the BeltLine, a former railway corridor turned into a walking and cycling trail, past murals and food halls such as Ponce City Market.

Downtown at night

Downtown Atlanta is mostly offices, hotels and convention halls, and outside event nights it can feel empty after dark. On a show night the streets around the arena are full and it feels fine. For dinner and bars before the show, Midtown is a few stops north on MARTA and has far more life.

Before the show

On a show day we would see the civil rights centre or the aquarium in the morning, have a late lunch in Midtown or at Ponce City Market, and come back downtown by train in the early evening. Centennial Olympic Park is a pleasant place to wait before the doors open, with its fountain of Olympic rings and wide lawns, and it fills with fans on concert nights. Atlanta's food is a good reason to linger: Southern cooking, fried chicken and biscuits, and a strong scene of Korean and Vietnamese restaurants along Buford Highway in the north-east suburbs.

Tickets

Use the arena's official ticket seller or the link on the band's official site, and be wary of private sellers on social media. Mobile tickets are standard; download them before you set off, as phone signal near a full arena can be slow.

Getting there

From the airport, MARTA's Red and Gold lines run north into the city. Change at Five Points, the central interchange, to the Blue or Green line for the stop beside the arena. It is simple, avoids Atlanta's notorious motorway traffic, and works for the journey home too, but check the time of the last trains before relying on them after a late show.

Where to stay

• Downtown, near Centennial Olympic Park: walk to the arena and the main museums. Quiet streets at night outside events.
• Midtown: livelier, with restaurants and the Fox Theatre, and a short MARTA ride to the arena.

Accessibility and VIP

Accessible seating is available through the official seller; contact the arena's guest services about drop-off points and lifts. Any VIP package for this tour should be bought only through the band's official site.

• Read the bag policy on the arena's website. Small and clear bags are the norm at big US venues.
• Book the aquarium in advance if you want to go the next day; timed tickets sell out at weekends and in school holidays.
• Allow for traffic if you drive in from the suburbs. The motorways through the centre jam on weekday evenings, and a Monday show starts during the rush.
• Walk back with the crowd to the station or your hotel rather than heading off alone down empty side streets.
• Bring a light jacket. Atlanta in October is usually warm by day but cool after dark.
• Get a contactless card ready for MARTA; you can tap a bank card or phone at the gates.
• Visit the civil rights centre early; its exhibitions take longer than most people expect.