With only 25 days until the 2026 FIFA World Cup lands in Atlanta, the city is making its final preparations to welcome the world.
The Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs is the latest to join a roster of projects like Centennial Yards, SoDo and Decatur WatchFest with the Atlanta Cultural Exchange – the city’s new “cultural platform during FIFA.”
It joins a long list of local pushes in the few days leading up to the World Cup. The city is repaving streets, cutting the ribbon on new parks and opening restaurants ahead of an expected 300,000 visitors. Now it will have a local spot for “cultural exchanges.”
“The Atlanta Cultural Exchange is an opportunity for Atlanta to showcase the creativity, cultural achievements and vibrant community we have cultivated for generations,” Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens said.
It’s a rebrand of the ATL Culture House, launched as a creative hub in April and backed by the Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs. From June 14 to July 14, the “exchange” will have eight activations of live performances and installations.
“The Exchange is designed to provide a platform where local artists, performers and storytellers can celebrate Atlanta excellence on a local stage while amplifying their voices on a global scale,” Dickens said.
And it will all happen at the former CNN Center. Now called The Center and stylized as “The CTR,” the 80,000 square foot atrium and 24,000 square foot food hall will reopen to the public in June. At the core is a revamped food court that once served as a hub for the CNN Center.
The facility was home to CNN’s newsrooms and studios for decades, until the company relocated to its Midtown campus in 2023. In 2024, CP Group announced it would renovate and rebrand the center to give new life to a well-known hub in downtown Atlanta.
At The CTR, the Atlanta Cultural Exchange will put some of the city’s biggest creative exports on display: film, music, entertainment, art, fashion and “digital innovation.” It has a list of curatorial partners that includes the Atlanta Opera One MusicFest, Atlanta Influences Everything, Buckhead Art & Company, Atlanta Sustainable Fashion Week, HBCU Made and more.
“Atlanta has always been a city that moves culture forward,” Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs Executive Director Adriane Jefferson said. “The Atlanta Cultural Exchange allows us to showcase that leadership on a global stage while creating lasting opportunities for our creative community.”
The full schedule of events and participants is not yet available, but the theme is “Culture by Design.” Each “activation” will focus on the diversity of Atlanta’s creative ecosystem, with both established and emerging artists.
