When the Atlanta Falcons' new $1.5 billion home opens with an exhibition game Saturday night, the most expensive and most discussed feature of Mercedes-Benz Stadium will remain closed.

The retractable roof isn’t ready to retract, forcing games to be played with it in the closed position until mechanization is completed. Falcons and stadium officials don’t know exactly when they’ll be able to open the roof for a game, but they say it’ll be sometime this fall.

"I don't get upset, to be honest with you, over two or three months delay," Falcons owner Arthur Blank said. "The roof works. It just doesn't open and close in 12 minutes yet, but it does open and close.

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Kirby Smart (left) and Georgia beat Brent Key and Georgia Tech 44-42 in eight overtimes last November in Athens. The Bulldogs and Yellow Jackets bring Clean Old-Fashioned Hate off campus for 2025, playing at 3:30 p.m. Friday at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. (Hyosub Shin/AJC 2024)

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Carleigh Knight (left) and her sister, Natalie Rogovin, look at Christmas ornaments while shopping at Kudzu Antiques + Modern in Decatur on Tuesday, Nov. 25, 2025. (Natrice Miller/AJC)

Credit: Natrice Miller