{"id":212215,"date":"2026-04-28T03:32:19","date_gmt":"2026-04-28T03:32:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/212215\/"},"modified":"2026-04-28T03:32:19","modified_gmt":"2026-04-28T03:32:19","slug":"mamdani-to-announce-free-2026-world-cup-fan-events-across-nyc","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/212215\/","title":{"rendered":"Mamdani to announce free 2026 World Cup fan events across NYC"},"content":{"rendered":"

CITYWIDE \u2014 Mayor Zohran Mamdani is set to announce on Monday that New York City is rolling out the largest set of free fan events in the country for the duration of the FIFA World Cup 2026<\/a> \u2014 a decision that reverses an Adams administration plan to charge for tickets to the official fan zones.<\/p>\n

New York\u2019s announcement runs in contrast to cities like Los Angeles<\/a> and Toronto<\/a>, which have said they intend to charge for fan events to recoup expenses.<\/p>\n

Each borough will have an official fan zone \u2014 and Brooklyn\u2019s will be in Brooklyn Bridge Park, with live match viewings, daily programming, local businesses and interactive experiences, sources exclusively told the Brooklyn Eagle.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Brooklyn\u2019s fan zone will also be the longest-lasting such zone across the five boroughs. The World Cup<\/a> runs from June 13 to July 19.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I\u00a0think back\u00a0on my\u00a0first\u00a0World Cup, some of my most meaningful memories weren\u2019t in the stadium, they were in the fan zones, surrounded by\u00a0thousands of\u00a0people brought together by\u00a0a pure love of the game,\u201d Mamdani said.\u00a0\u201cThat\u2019s\u00a0what\u00a0we\u2019re\u00a0building here: a World Cup that belongs to New Yorkers. By bringing these free\u00a0fan\u00a0events to\u00a0every\u00a0borough,\u00a0we\u2019re\u00a0making sure everyone can be part of that joy.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Councilmember Lincoln Restler, who represents DUMBO and Brooklyn Heights, told the Eagle that the city selected the park\u2019s Emily Roebling Plaza as the site for the fan zone, which he called \u201ca great spot for epic matches and the best view in New York City. I hope there will be more spots designated for Brooklynites to have an unforgettable World Cup experience.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Argentina'sArgentina\u2019s Lionel Messi, center, celebrates with Julian Alvarez after scoring his side\u2019s opening goal against Venezuela during a World Cup 2026 qualifying soccer match at the Monumental stadium in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Thursday, Sept. 4, 2025. Photo: Natacha Pisarenko\/AP<\/p>\n

\u2018Something that brings people together\u2019<\/p>\n

Brooklyn soccer enthusiasts were super excited to hear the news.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs a soccer fan, it\u2019s really exciting to see experiences like this made accessible to everyone,\u201d Brooklyn Heights resident Trotter Oberrender told the Eagle. \u201cHosting the World Cup in the U.S. is a huge opportunity to grow the game domestically, especially since it hasn\u2019t always been the most widely followed sport here.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cAt a time when things can feel divided, it\u2019s meaningful to have something that brings people together to celebrate, watch and connect as a community.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s extremely exciting,\u201d said soccer player Angelo Pennati, originally from Milan and now a Park Slope resident. \u201cComing from Europe to Brooklyn, free events for high-involvement are something you don\u2019t realize you miss until the proposition is announced. It\u2019s a magical thing \u2014 if you get it right.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"AA youth looks at the FIFA World Cup trophy during an exhibition in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Friday, Feb. 20, 2026. Photo: Rodrigo Abd\/AP<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m extremely excited for it,\u201d said soccer fan Guillermo Martinez. \u201cAs a person coming from Spain and living in Brooklyn, being able to see the Spanish national team live, for free, with all the people that I love and all my friends is super exciting, especially considering that going to see a game, it\u2019s extremely expensive and so out of reach. So being able to see the games in such a cool, free public environment, it\u2019s amazing and I\u2019m really looking forward to it.\u201d<\/p>\n

While many people are excited, some who live near Brooklyn Bridge Park worry about the overlap of the World Cup with the upcoming Fourth of July fireworks and additional events related to the nation\u2019s 250th Anniversary celebration. Groups including the Willowtown Association are asking the city for more information about the preparations and their impact on neighborhoods surrounding the park.<\/p>\n

This follows what many considered to be a disastrous lack of planning during last year\u2019s fireworks celebration \u2014 under the previous administration \u2014 resulting in an experience described as \u201cchaotic,\u201d and \u201ca fiasco<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"AA view of the logo at MetLife Stadium. Photo: Rusty Jones\/AP
\nFree activities will boost economic activity<\/p>\n

Mamdani intends to use free events as a way to bring tourism, economic activity<\/a> and equity to small businesses and local restaurants across the city.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Deputy Mayor for Economic Justice Julie Su said the World Cup is an opportunity to celebrate all of the city\u2019s diverse cultures and people. \u201cIn the past, host cities have been criticized for\u00a0failing to ensure\u00a0their own workers and residents benefit and get to\u00a0participate\u00a0in the opportunities this global game presents,\u201d she said, calling Mamdani\u2019s approach \u201ca new model.\u201d<\/p>\n

The expansion of free programming across all five boroughs will ensure that local restaurants and small businesses share in the benefits of the World Cup, said World Cup Czar Maya Handa.<\/p>\n

\"TheThe FIFA World Cup Trophy is displayed before press conference at Rockefeller Plaza, June 16, 2022, in New York. Photo: Noah K. Murray\/AP, File<\/p>\n

Gov. Kathy Hochul said on April 20 that she was working on a plan that would allow event organizers statewide to host off-site activities by applying for a World Cup One-Day Permit through the New York State Liquor Authority. Bars and restaurants would also be able to use the process to use contiguous outdoor space to host events during the World Cup, as opposed to the current maximum of four days.<\/p>\n

Hochul confirmed on Monday that the state has created the permit, and will extend bar hours to 4 a.m. statewide during the event. She said officials were expecting more than 1.1 million visitors to come to the region, generating about $3.3 billion of economic activity.<\/p>\n

MetLife Stadium, home to the New York Jets and Giants in East Rutherford, New Jersey, will be hosting<\/a> eight games, including the World Cup final.<\/p>\n

\u201cThese events are about welcoming the world to New York New Jersey and showcasing the very best of our region,\u201d said Alex Lasry, CEO of the NYNJ 2026 World Cup Host Committee.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Additional\u00a0details on programming, partners, and talent will be announced in the coming weeks. For more information, visit nynjfwc26.com<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"CITYWIDE \u2014 Mayor Zohran Mamdani is set to announce on Monday that New York City is rolling out…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":212216,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[83853,34653,81,38329,426,5324,71517,9,24,55,54,5325,56,400,14771,82],"class_list":["post-212215","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-new-york-city","tag-alex-lasry","tag-brooklyn-bridge-park-bbp","tag-eric-adams","tag-julie-su","tag-kathy-hochul","tag-mary-frost","tag-maya-handa","tag-new-york","tag-new-york-city","tag-new-york-city-headlines","tag-new-york-city-news","tag-no-paywall","tag-ny","tag-soccer","tag-world-cup","tag-zohran-mamdani"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/212215","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=212215"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/212215\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/212216"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=212215"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=212215"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=212215"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}