PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) — With 84 days until World Cup matches begin, city leaders on Thursday unveiled plans for a massive, free FIFA Fan Festival that will transform Fairmount Park into a hub for soccer fans throughout the tournament.
The event will take over Lemon Hill, filling more than a million square feet of space beginning June 11.
Michael DelBene, executive producer of the FIFA Fan Festival, said the scale of the event will be unmatched.
“It’s going to be one of the largest fan festivals anywhere in North America,” he said. “It’s truly going to be a spectacular experience that welcomes an international and global audience but with a local flavor.”
The festival will feature live music, food, vendors, large screens to watch World Cup matches and areas for fans to play soccer.
“This is going to be a massive area that’ll be transformed for games,” DelBene said.
City Representative Jazelle Jones emphasized that the festival will be open to everyone.
“And here’s the headline for today. FIFA Fan Festival is completely free!” she said. “No financial barriers, just world-class soccer right here and open to everyone.”
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Organizers expect about 15,000 attendees per day, raising questions about parking – but officials say driving is discouraged.
“Driving is the worst way to come here because there’s just nowhere to park,” DelBene said.
Instead, the city is expanding transit options, including increased SEPTA service.
There will also be an added stop at Fairmount Park on Philly Flash, a transit program managed by the Philadelphia Visitors Center.
“We want people to walk up and down the parkway. We want them to bike here. We want them to take transit,” said Michael Carrol of the Office of Transportation and Infrastructure.
The festival will run for 39 days. After it ends, the city will begin “Phase Two,” a series of permanent improvements to Fairmount Park.
“New sidewalks, ADA accessible pathways and critical infrastructure upgrades that will serve this community long after the World Cup is over,” said Parks and Recreation Commissioner Susan Slawson.
The first World Cup match in Philadelphia is on July 14. Crews will begin building the festival site in mid-May.
DelBene said the city is ready for the global spotlight.
“We are so excited to welcome the world,” he said.
Organizers are accepting applications for local vendors (https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfOs9v5OPK5ydBDcBN3Gdx4cItfv1acrtfgLOnLG1QEat9X2Q/viewform) and performers (https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfXh76wfib5owAb6tbW0l_1VaWMfAn_q1PDw5R3dswrhD_Ovg/viewform) who want to participate.
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