ATLANTA · DOWNTOWN · AWAY-GAME BRIEFING
State Farm Arena Visiting Fan Guide
Bring your colors to Downtown Atlanta. A Hawks game puts the whole arena around one basketball court; a concert gives the same building a different job. Set your arrival, save the right ticket and check your event’s rules. Then leave yourself time to enjoy more than the final walk to your seat.
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A Downtown trip with a short rail finish
State Farm Arena sits at 1 State Farm Drive, near Marietta Street and Centennial Olympic Park Drive. The arena directs MARTA riders to SEC District, just steps from the building.
Choose your base around the whole weekend. If your trip also includes Truist Park, treat that as a separate Cumberland journey rather than another stop on the same Downtown walk.
Which arrival fits your trip?
Already staying Downtown?
Test the actual route from your hotel. If the walk and return work for your group, leaving the car parked can keep the evening simple. “Downtown” alone doesn’t establish a suitable walking route.
Your base connects to rail
Compare MARTA first. SEC District serves the arena; Red/Gold riders change at Five Points. Check the return service and any accessibility needs before choosing rail.
Driving fits your origin or group
Choose the exact event and lot before departure. Check its entry instructions and your route home. A nearby space won’t remove the post-event driving leg.
MARTA: make SEC District the arena stop
From the Red or Gold lines, change at Five Points for a westbound Blue or Green train to SEC District. For the return toward Red/Gold, travel eastbound back to Five Points and check the destination of your onward train. Plan both directions before the event.
Check your date-specific MARTA journey
Five Points is under construction. MARTA currently lists Forsyth Street as its only street entrance, while rail service and transfers remain unchanged by this project. A transfer inside the station and a walk into the station are different parts of the trip. Check current service and elevator alerts; other work can still affect travel.
Check Five Points access changes
Check current MARTA service and elevator alerts
Before you leave for the arena
Save the ticket, not a screenshot
Tickets are mobile-only. Add them to your phone’s wallet or use the Hawks + State Farm Arena or Ticketmaster app before the crowd and the queue. Screenshots aren’t accepted. Keep your phone charged and make sure everyone in your group can access their own ticket.
Check this event’s bag and door rules
The arena’s general bag-size limit is 14 × 14 × 6 inches, but event rules and bag-type restrictions still apply. Clear bags aren’t generally required; individual organizers can require them. Check the exact event before packing, including any medical or diaper-bag exception. Don’t assume a small backpack is permitted.
The arena is cashless, so bring an accepted card or contactless payment. Re-entry isn’t allowed: finish outside plans before going through security. Outside food and drink are generally prohibited; ask the arena in advance about a medically necessary exception.
Give the evening room to become a game
You’ve traveled for the live version: the court, the crowd and a building full of other people’s reactions. Sort the practical details early enough to be present for it. Your jersey can do the talking.
For Hawks basketball, allow some time inside before tipoff to find your section and explore the concourse. For concerts and other events, use the event’s seating layout and instructions rather than assuming the basketball configuration applies.
Make room for Atlanta on the concourse
The arena’s Hawk Walk Market is an open food-hall area across sections 116–122. West Concourse Eats includes J.R. Crickets and Dolo’s Pizza between sections 105–111. That gives you a specific reason to look beyond the first stand you pass.
Use the current food guide and arena map to plan around your section. Menus and service can change by event, so treat the listing as a starting point rather than a guarantee that every counter or item will be available.
Explore the current arena food guide
Accessibility: arrange the whole route
Contact Guest Services before the event if you need seating or route assistance: 404-878-3000 or Guest.Engagement@hawks.com. Confirm the seat, entrance, parking or drop-off and the return leg together. Accessible parking is limited and first-come; a general deck listing doesn’t reserve an accessible space.
The arena lists a sensory room, sensory bags, assistive listening devices and escort assistance. Check the arrangements and any checkout requirements that fit your visit. For a sign-language interpreter, the arena asks for contact at least 30 days ahead; artist/show approval and seating-level conditions apply.
If you’re taking MARTA, check elevator and station alerts before leaving. Don’t infer a step-free route from a short distance on a map.
Decide the return before the final buzzer
If you’re using MARTA, know the direction and destination you need after SEC District, especially if you’ll change at Five Points. For a car, save the lot’s return approach. For rideshare, confirm the active pickup instructions in the app and with arena staff rather than assuming the entrance is a pickup point.
Agree on a meeting point your whole group can reach and keep enough phone battery for the trip back. If another Downtown event is happening, leave flexibility for the shared streets and station. No arrival choice guarantees an immediate exit.
Check the arena’s current rideshare guidance
Plan the airport and hotel chain
Official arena and MARTA sources checked October 5, 2026. Event pages control door times, entry rules and seating arrangements. Check live service, elevator status and parking instructions for your travel date. Photographs are dated historical views; they do not establish current access, seating or crowd conditions.