They call it The Pringle.
The new bandshell erected at Assembly Studios in Doraville takes the form of a saddle, with a curved skeleton made of mass timber and stainless steel shingles. It’s touted as the largest timber grid amphitheater in North America and has a stage floor roughly the same size as the Fox Theatre.
After months of planning, Assembly owner Gray Media began installing the bandshell in early May. It’s the sculptural anchor to the public park part of the development.
Here is where Gray and its Spanish-language television affiliate Telemundo will hold a two-day watch fest June 26 and 27 for three matches of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
But long after the frenzied preparations to accommodate the World Cup come to an end, the bandshell will remain, hosting movies in the park, concerts and other live events. It’s a permanent community fixture that activates Assembly beyond film and television production.
“It’s an exciting opening act for what’s to come out here,” said Justin Campbell, Assembly’s vice president of studio operations.
The bandshell brings an end to the first phase of ground-up development for Assembly. Preceding the bandshell was the opening of the park, live stage and more than a dozen soundstages that opened in 2023, representing a more than $400 million investment.
Credit: RODNEY HO/r
Credit: RODNEY HO/r
A misconception about Assembly is that it is entirely cordoned off to the public. Only the soundstages and support space are reserved for productions. The facades viewable from I-285 that mimic brownstones and buildings in the French Quarter, a rail trail connecting to Peachtree Boulevard and green space are all open to visitors.
Assembly was conceptualized as a mixed-use project. Less than half the site’s total acreage is the studio complex. It’s quiet these days, but so are many of Atlanta’s larger soundstage complexes, many of which opened during a challenging market for film and television production in Georgia. A number of converging forces, from streamers spending less money greenlighting projects to other regions upgrading their tax incentive programs to compete with Georgia, led to a decline in filming.
But Assembly has an active user in “Beyond the Gates,” a CBS soap opera that has been renewed through the 2027 and 2028 daytime television season, and recently inked a lease with fast-paced tennis concept Intennse.
Future plans for the project include offices, residential and retail, but Gray isn’t ready to reveal details on those plans yet.
Credit: Miguel Martinez/AJC
Credit: Miguel Martinez/AJC
For the bandshell, Gray knew going into the design process that it wanted to build something visually striking. It brought in a consulting group that catered to touring bands and live concerts to work with its architects and structural engineering group to ensure the stage, in whatever shape it would take, was functional.
The World Cup watch party will be the first large-scale event held at Assembly. The studio has rented out its event venue and some of its stage spaces to organizations for galas and other corporate events, but it is just now wading into the waters of larger public events.
Gray and Telemundo have been working on the logistics of the event since late last year.
Organizing watch parties and other related events for the World Cup is much more challenging than for other major sporting events. FIFA has strict requirements for scheduling, branding and sponsorships and security, among other areas. It’s been a big labor of love, Campbell said.
“But (it’s) a good learning experience for what we want to do in the future out here,” Campbell said. “What it takes to put on this scale of event to execute it well and do it safely — it’s been an eye-opening process for us as we start to kind of venture out of the gates at the studio and start making progress outside.”
The event, dubbed ATL Fútbol Fest, will show Uruguay vs. Spain, Panama vs. England and Colombia vs. Portugal matches. The event will also feature a family zone, soccer playing opportunities and food.
There is no entry fee to attend, but tickets are currently on sale for access to upgraded amenities and facilities. Gray will also air all the upcoming World Cup matches on its Fox channels and Telemundo affiliates across the country.
Gray will add the final touches to the bandshell in the weeks leading up to the event.
“We’re getting anxious, but we’re also excited to kind of get the community out here and experience and begin to learn about the Assembly Atlanta brand and engage with that outside of just the studios,” Campbell said.
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