Adobe Stock
Audio By Carbonatix
Several cities slated to host FIFA World Cup matches this summer are preparing to cancel or scale back their fan festivals, events organized alongside the games to serve as the “central fan destination” for locals and visitors alike.
According to reporting by The Athletic, officials in Boston, Miami and Kansas City have warned that delays to federal funding earmarked last summer in the “One, Big, Beautiful Bill” could leave the cities unequipped to coordinate the festivals. The fan festival for the New York/New Jersey games was outright cancelled last week, with officials stating that smaller watch parties would replace the event. Earlier this week, Seattle officials announced plans to scale back the festival dramatically.
“We’re quickly approaching [a drop-dead date],” said Ray Martinez, COO of the Miami host committee, during a U.S. House Homeland Security Committee hearing Tuesday. “We’re 107 days out from the tournament, but more importantly, we’re about 70-something days out from starting to build the fan fest. These decisions have to be made, generously, within the next 30 days. Our local agencies are very anxious. Without receiving this money, it would be catastrophic for our planning and coordination.”
North Texas officials, though, confirmed to the Observer on Wednesday that plans for a Fair Park-based fan festival remain unchanged.
During a January city council briefing, officials with the North Texas Organizing Committee said the festival will be open for at least 34 of the tournament’s 39 days and free to the public. Concerts, match-watching parties and a 4th of July celebration are planned for the event. While capacity will be capped at 35,000 visitors at a time, game days featuring top-ranked teams such as Argentina are expected to draw up to 100,000 visitors, officials said.
More details about the festival are expected to be announced in the next month, a spokesperson told the Observer.
What’s the Hold Up?
The promised funding for FIFA host cities has been held up for months. It may remain frozen due to the ongoing, limited government shutdown, which has affected the Department of Homeland Security as Democrats negotiate stricter oversight of federal immigration agents. On Sunday, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem barred the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), which is responsible for the FIFA funds, from dispersing non-emergency grants until the shutdown is resolved.
FIFA requires host cities to coordinate a fan festival to serve as a hub for the games, and in agreements with U.S. cities, the association requested that the festivals be free. Funding the events is largely left up to the hosts, though.
Last summer, lawmakers pledged $625 million to FIFA host cities for security and coordination related to the games. Security for the festivals alone could exceed $1 million per day in major cities, The Athletic reports.
Sen. John Cornyn visited the Dallas Police Department last month to review security plans and told reporters that between Dallas and Houston, Texas’ host cities would likely receive around $100 million in funding. During Tuesday’s House hearing, officials stated that without the supplementary funding to bolster security ahead of the games, cuts would need to be made elsewhere, and fan festivals would be a likely place to start.
“We have to start making some really tough decisions,” said Martinez.
Miami has requested at least $70 million of the funds. Foxborough, the Boston suburb that will host World Cup matches, has requested $8 million and threatened to withhold the entertainment license FIFA needs to have the matches at Gillette Stadium if the funding is not disbursed. Local officials have given a March 17 deadline, warning that after that date the town will not be able to move forward as a host city, The Guardian reports.
