AC/DC in Atlanta: tickets for the Power Up Tour at Mercedes-Benz Stadium with The Pretty Reckless and rock classics

AC/DC in Atlanta: stadium, riffs and the final phase of the Power Up tour

AC/DC is coming to Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on Thursday, August 27, 2026, with the concert starting at 7:00 PM. The date is part of the North American continuation of the Power Up Tour 2026, with The Pretty Reckless confirmed as special guests. For the audience, it is an evening of two generations of hard rock in a stadium-format venue.

The tour takes its name from the latest studio album Power Up from 2020, but the concert program does not rely solely on newer material. Recent performances from 2026 show a cross-section spanning several decades - from early classics to the albums Back in Black and The Razors Edge, along with selected songs from Power Up. It is a program for fans who have followed the band for decades, but also for audiences who want to hear "Back in Black", "Thunderstruck" or "Highway to Hell" live.

Ticket sales for this event are underway.

Power Up is more than the name of the tour

Power Up remains AC/DC's latest studio album. It was released in 2020 with 12 songs, including "Shot in the Dark", "Demon Fire", "Realize" and "Through the Mists of Time". The album arrived after a six-year studio break and retained the recognizable combination of a tight rhythm, short guitar phrases and Brian Johnson's vocals.

For the Atlanta concert, what matters more is that songs from Power Up are not a separate addition to the old catalog. In recent sets, "Demon Fire" and "Shot in the Dark" appear alongside songs that have been concert staples for decades. The tour therefore functions as a current version of the band, not merely as a retrospective.

The current touring lineup consists of Angus Young on lead guitar, Brian Johnson on vocals, Stevie Young on rhythm guitar, Matt Laug on drums and Chris Chaney on bass. This is the lineup AC/DC listed in its announcement about the continuation of the Power Up tour for 2026.

What recent performances suggest about the possible setlist

The exact setlist for Atlanta has not been confirmed in advance. Still, recent performances in North America provide a good framework. At the opening of that leg of the tour in Charlotte in July 2026, the band performed 21 songs. Among them were "If You Want Blood (You've Got It)", "Back in Black", "Thunderstruck", "Hells Bells", "Highway to Hell", "You Shook Me All Night Long", "Whole Lotta Rosie", "T.N.T." and "For Those About to Rock (We Salute You)", along with the newer "Demon Fire" and "Shot in the Dark".

That does not mean Atlanta will get an identical sequence. The band may change the order or individual songs. What matters is the broader pattern: the concert is structured as a cross-section of the catalog, with very little room for quiet transitions and with longer guitar passages in the final part.

• The biggest hits form the backbone of recent performances, not just the finale.
• Power Up is represented by several songs integrated among older classics.
• Angus Young is given room for extended guitar passages.
• The encore at recent performances has been reserved for two highly recognizable titles, but the arrangement for Atlanta is not guaranteed.

For longtime fans, the value lies in the cross-section of different eras. For the broader rock audience, the appeal is simple: a large part of the repertoire has long since become part of general rock culture.

The Pretty Reckless as confirmed special guests

The Pretty Reckless are confirmed as special guests at the Atlanta concert. The band led by Taylor Momsen enters this leg with the new album Dear God, released on June 26, 2026. Their more modern hard rock, with heavier guitars and a darker atmosphere, is not a major stylistic departure from the headliner, but it provides a clearer contemporary contrast to AC/DC's catalog.

It is important to distinguish what is confirmed from what has not been announced. The Pretty Reckless are indeed listed alongside AC/DC for this date, but the length of their performance and the detailed schedule for the evening have not been published on the event page. The gate opening time is also still marked as TBA. Visitors therefore should not plan their arrival based on an assumed door-opening time.

Mercedes-Benz Stadium and the experience of a large rock concert

Mercedes-Benz Stadium opened in 2017 in downtown Atlanta. The stadium has around 72,000 seats with the possibility of expanding capacity, but the concert configuration depends on the stage, closed sections and use of the floor. The sports capacity is therefore not the same as the number of seats available for this concert.

Visually, it is best known for the circular Halo Board display beneath the roof and its retractable roof. The audience is distributed across several levels, so the view toward the stage depends heavily on the section, while the large screens are especially important for more distant seats.

At a stadium rock concert, proximity to the performer is always a compromise between physical distance and a view of the entire production. The floor and lower stands provide a more immediate sense of volume and movement on stage. Higher sections offer a wider view of the venue, but the performers are physically farther away.

Stadium acoustics differ from those of a club or theater. Sound can vary by section because of the size of the space, the roof and the distance from the main speaker systems. For AC/DC, whose identity relies on a powerful guitar attack and a very loud rhythm section, quality earplugs can be sensible equipment for more sensitive hearing.

It is worth securing tickets in time.

Getting to the stadium without unnecessary waiting

Mercedes-Benz Stadium is located in downtown Atlanta, so public transportation is often more practical than driving directly to the entrance. The stadium lists SEC District and Vine City as the most convenient rail stations. SEC District, formerly known as GWCC/CNN Center, is located immediately next to the stadium complex. MARTA connects downtown with other parts of Atlanta and the airport through its train and bus network.

For those arriving by car, the stadium lists more than 20,000 parking spaces within approximately a 20-minute walk. Parking areas can fill up in advance for major events, so route planning is important. Rideshare services have designated drop-off and pickup zones, and after the concert visitors should expect congestion around the stadium.

• Stadium address: 1 AMB Drive NW, Atlanta, Georgia 30313.
• Event start: 7:00 PM.
• Gate opening: not yet announced.
• Recommended MARTA stations: SEC District and Vine City.
• More than 20,000 parking spaces are located within approximately a 20-minute walk.

The concert takes place on a weekday, so the arrival of the audience may overlap with regular city traffic. Anyone traveling from outside Atlanta should leave extra time before and after the event.

Bag rules can determine how quickly you get inside

Mercedes-Benz Stadium has a clearly defined bag policy. The simplest option is to arrive without a bag. If a bag is necessary, clear bags made of plastic, vinyl or PVC must not exceed 30.5 x 15.25 x 30.5 cm. Small non-clear bags up to 4.5 x 6.5 inches are also permitted. Larger bags that do not comply with the rules will not be allowed into the stadium.

This is important for travelers who spend the entire day downtown before the concert. A backpack that is practical for sightseeing may be unacceptable at the entrance. An external paid bag-storage service is available as part of the event.

The stadium is a smoke-free and vape-free venue. Prohibited items include bottles, cans and glass containers, as well as bags that do not comply with the rules. Cameras with lenses longer than 6 inches are also not permitted under the stadium's general rules. The rules may be further adjusted for individual events, so it is worth checking them again immediately before departure.

Atlanta comes in the late phase of the North American schedule

Atlanta comes after August performances in Las Vegas, San Francisco, Edmonton and Vancouver, and before Houston, Notre Dame, St. Louis, Montreal, Toronto, Winnipeg, East Rutherford and the final September date in Philadelphia. It is a late phase of the North American leg of the tour, but not the final concert on the schedule.

Additional weight comes from the way AC/DC itself promoted this phase during June 2026. On its website, the band published the headline "Powering up for the last time!". The wording suggests the final phase of the Power Up cycle, but it was not accompanied by a clear announcement that the band would retire afterward. The Atlanta concert therefore has the feeling of an important late chapter of the tour, without any need to declare it a farewell performance.

AC/DC played its first concert in 1973, and the band states that it has sold more than 200 million albums worldwide. That explains the broad generational range of the audience: from fans who discovered the band on vinyl to people who became familiar with its songs decades later.

What those seeing AC/DC for the first time can expect

AC/DC does not base its live experience on constantly changing styles. The guitar riff remains the main motif, the rhythm is direct, and the songs are built so that the chorus quickly becomes a shared moment for the entire stadium. Recent reports from the tour emphasize Angus Young's energy and the physical character of the closing sections of the concert. However, production details from previous performances should not automatically be applied to Atlanta until they are specifically confirmed.

For someone seeing AC/DC live for the first time, it is useful to know that familiarity with the entire catalog is not necessary. A large part of the repertoire is recognizable within the first few seconds. Longtime fans receive a different kind of value: the opportunity to hear songs that have been pillars of stadium rock for decades performed by the band that originally created them.

The Pretty Reckless further steer the evening toward more modern hard rock. This is not a festival lineup with a wide stylistic range, but a focused rock evening in which both performers rely on electric guitars, powerful drums and vocals capable of carrying a large venue.

What to check on the day of the concert

The most important practical information still pending is the gate opening time. The Mercedes-Benz Stadium page still lists it as TBA, while the event start is listed as 7:00 PM. Since The Pretty Reckless are confirmed as special guests, arriving only shortly before AC/DC is expected to take the stage would mean missing part of the program and facing a greater risk of waiting at security screening.

Before leaving, check the current gate opening time, permitted items, the status of your chosen transportation and the exact entrance zone indicated on your ticket. At a stadium of this size, approaching from the wrong direction can mean additional walking around the venue just as the entrances are filling up.

Ticket sales for this event are underway. For audiences traveling to Atlanta, it is sensible to connect the ticket decision with transportation and accommodation plans, because the stadium is downtown and traffic after major events can be intense.

Sources:
- AC/DC - Power Up Tour 2026 schedule, current touring lineup, information about the Power Up album and the announcement "Powering up for the last time!".
- Mercedes-Benz Stadium - confirmation of the date, start time and The Pretty Reckless as special guests; information about gate opening, transportation, parking, bag rules and prohibited items.
- Mercedes-Benz Stadium Media Hub - information about capacity, technological infrastructure and the Halo Board display.
- Ultimate Classic Rock - setlist and report from the opening of the North American leg of the tour in Charlotte in July 2026.
- Music Recall Magazine - description of AC/DC's performance and stage energy at the Charlotte concert in 2026.
- Fearless Records - current album Dear God and The Pretty Reckless lineup.
- MARTA - information about Airport Station and connecting the airport with the city's rail network.