NFL owners today selected the city of Atlanta to host Super Bowl LIII in 2019.
The new $1.4 billion Mercedes-Benz Stadium, the new home of the Atlanta Falcons starting in 2017, will host the big game. It will be the third Super Bowl in Atlanta; the city hosted the game in 2000 and 1994.
“It’s a wonderful day for our city and franchise and I know the people of Atlanta and all of Georgia will deliver a spectacular Super Bowl celebration in 2019,” Atlanta Falcons Owner Arthur M. Blank said in a news release. “Mercedes-Benz Stadium will be an outstanding venue for the game and with all of the attractions and hotel rooms within a mile of the stadium this is going to be the most walkable Super Bowl ever. Atlanta has truly transformed since it last hosted the Super Bowl in 2000 and I’m grateful to the NFL and team owners for this very special opportunity.”
The new Falcons stadium will replace the Georgia Dome, which opened in September 1992. Today’s selection was not much of a surprise given the NFL’s penchant for awarding the game to cities that build lavish new stadiums.
NFL owners also selected South Florida to host Super Bowl LIV in 2020 and Los Angeles to host Super Bowl LV in 2021. Houston will host the game in 2017 and Minneapolis will host the game in 2018.
“They had Super Bowls there regularly before there was no team, so with our new stadium and project, it will be unbelievable,” ESPN quoted Rams owner Stan Kroenke as saying. “I’ve been asked about it a lot when I was in Los Angeles. Everyone’s excited.”
