The Welcome to ATL Experience, which is made possible by Showcase Atlanta and presented by DoorDash, announced its official open call for businesses looking to vend during the FIFA World Cup 2026.

Running June 14 through July 15, the Experience spans 16 selling days tied to Atlanta's eight World Cup matches and is built around a single idea: when the world arrives, Atlanta's small businesses, creatives and neighborhoods should be front and center. 

"For months, we've been preparing Atlanta small businesses for this moment through readiness training, capital coaching and focused events," said Lamar Stewart, interim Executive Director of Showcase Atlanta. "The Welcome to ATL Experience is where that preparation meets the world stage. Vendors from our Vendor Directory and Pop-Up Directory had first call on these spots, and now we're opening it up. This is what we've been building toward."

The Experience will activate three downtown sites—locations in and around Steele Bridge at Centennial Yards, The CTR (the former CNN Center) and South Downtown—chosen for foot traffic, visibility and proximity to match-day energy. Interested vendors choose between two turn-key formats:

• Culture Stand: A 10-foot by 10-foot branded footprint with electrical hookup, full setup and teardown handled by the Welcome to ATL team, social media promotion and placement within the vendor's chosen location.
• Experience House: A premium 10-foot by 20-foot buildout with upgraded branding, prime placement, category exclusivity at the vendor's location and a dedicated influencer feature.

All three locations are open to the public; no match ticket required. Participating vendors pay 30% of gross sales on event days, below the typical 40% industry standard for activations of this scale, and receive weekly group support sessions covering capacity planning, working capital and operational readiness. Letters of intent are available to vendors pursuing Invest Atlanta grant and financing opportunities. A select number of small businesses will also have the opportunity to be featured in a special digital and print editorial keepsake—telling the stories of local entrepreneurs, their amazing products and the vibrant, phoenix-like spirit of Atlanta.

"Local businesses deserve a real shot at the World Cup economy, not just a view of it," said Candace V. Mitchell, Executive Director of CVM Worldwide, the Atlanta-based business development company producing the Welcome to ATL Experience. "We worked with our partners to choose locations with genuine visibility, and we built the vendor packages so a business owner can show up, plug in and sell without having to absorb the cost and complexity of building a footprint from scratch."

Showcase Atlanta is a nonprofit ensuring that major global events, like FIFA World Cup 2026™, Super Bowl LXII in 2028 and the moments that follow, happen with Atlanta, not to Atlanta. The Welcome to ATL Experience extends that mission into the streets, creating gathering spaces where residents and visitors can experience the people and products that make Atlanta the culture capital of America, while opening visible locations for small businesses to vend.

Beyond the Welcome to ATL Experience, Showcase Atlanta is launching its own vendor marketplace to expand participation across additional neighborhood activations throughout the summer. Details will be announced in the coming weeks.

Vendor applications open today at https://welcometoatlexperience.com/