As Brooklyn prepares for the FIFA World Cup’s global spotlight, local arts groups, libraries and cultural institutions are set to play a central role in how New Yorkers experience the tournament beyond the stadiums. 

This week, Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced the launch of “NYC Neighborhood Passport,” a citywide initiative encouraging residents and visitors to explore neighborhoods through local cultural programming, immigrant-owned businesses and community events. 

The passport program, developed alongside Team Wonder and NYC Tourism + Conventions, will allow participants to collect artist-designed stamps at participating organizations across the city beginning June 11. Among the Brooklyn Groups participating are 651 ARTS, BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn, Cypress Hills Fulton Business Improvement District, Fifth Avenue Committee, I AM CARIBBEING/Little Caribbean NYC and more. 

The initiative aims to direct World Cup visitors away from Manhattan-centric tourism and into neighborhoods where immigrant cultures have shaped the borough’s identity, including Crown Heights, Sunset Park, East New York and Flatbush.

“The World Cup isn’t just coming to MetLife Stadium. It’s coming to every neighborhood that makes New York the most diverse, dynamic city in the world,” Mamdani said in a statement. “Whether you’re arriving at JFK for the first time or you’ve lived in the five boroughs your whole life, we want every New Yorker and every visitor to experience the full breadth of this city during the World Cup.”

Each passport stamp has been designed by local artists representing countries participating in the World Cup, including Brazil, Ghana, Mexico, Argentina and the Dominican Republic. Participants are encouraged to travel across neighborhoods collecting stamps at dance performances, exhibits, talks and block parties. 

NYC Neighborhood Passport booklets will be available at every public library in the city. Brooklyn Public Library President and CEO Linda E. Johnson said the organization is “excited to partner with Mayor Mamdani.”

“Every one of the 48 World Cup nations has a community here in New York — and in Brooklyn in particular,” she said. “We’re excited to celebrate that heritage with free World Cup screenings at dozens of libraries and a Neighborhood Passport to guide New Yorkers through the rich cultural opportunities right outside their door.”

The Brooklyn Public Library’s central branch.Photo photo

Brooklyn organizations are also expected to benefit from a new digital events calendar and interactive map launching through NYC Tourism’s World Cup hub later this month. The platform will spotlight free and low-cost events across the city, giving smaller community groups and neighborhood institutions visibility during one of the largest sporting events in the world.

Participating organization Prospect Park Alliance (PPA) acknowledged Brooklyn’s cultural traditions and the park’s unique role in the borough. 

“Prospect Park has always been at the center of Brooklyn’s melting pot,” PPA President Morgan Monaco said in a statement. “Neighbors representing the full breadth of New York’s diversity gather here to celebrate cultural traditions and enjoy accessible outdoor activities.”

More information on the NYC Neighborhood Passport can be found here, along with a full list of participating organizations. 

Participating Brooklyn organizations: 

En Garde Arts
Fifth Avenue Committee
Juneteenth NYC
Kensington Cultural Council
West Indian American Day Carnival Association
651 ARTS
BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn!
Cypress Hills Fulton Business Improvement District
Fifth Avenue Committee
I AM CARIBBEING/Little Caribbean NYC
Mark Morris Dance Group
MOCADA
Prospect Park Alliance
The Laundromat Project