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Philadelphia’s host city committee for the 2026 FIFA World Cup revealed new details for its official fan festival site in East Fairmount Park’s Lemon Hill Thursday.
The one million square foot space will not only have the games live on big screens, it will have local food trucks and vendors, music and soccer activities. Meg Kane, the host city executive for Philadelphia Soccer 2026, summed the vibe up as “soccer Coachella.”
And entry will be for free.
“No financial barriers, just world class soccer right here and open to everyone,” said City Representative Jazelle Jones at Wednesday’s press conference at Lemon Hill.
The festival will open when the tournament begins on June 11 and run for 39 days till the final game on July 19. Organizers project there will be between 15,000 and 20,000 fans in the “free-roam” space each day.
A Rendering of Philadelphia’s Fan Festival site for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, located at East Fairmount Park’s Lemon Hill. (Courtesy of Philadelphia Soccer 2026)
Programming will include a rotating offering of bites from over 75 different food local trucks. A pavilion filled with live entertainment and interactive experiences, ticketed concerts, community events and cultural performances will be on offer. Those interested in performing at the fan fest can apply here.
There will be a vendor village for local businesses, which folks can apply for as well.
‘There’s nowhere to park’
Michael Carroll, the deputy managing director of Philly’s Office of Transportation said that SEPTA will be adding more capacity to existing routes that serve the Fairmount Park area as well as adding a new stop on the Philly Phlash at Fairmount and Pennsylvania Avenues.
“Lemon Hill by design is a pedestrian-centered experience and that’s exactly what we want,” Carroll said . “Fans are encouraged to use different modes of transportation to get here. We want people to walk up and down the parkway. We want folks to bike here. We want them to take transit and we’ve been making sure through the work we’re doing that every one of those options is a safe and accessible option, and it’s convenient and enjoyable, and it’s easy to take.”
A Rendering of Philadelphia’s Fan Festival site for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, located at East Fairmount Park’s Lemon Hill. (Courtesy of Philadelphia Soccer 2026)
Michael DelBene, executive producer of the fan festival did discourage one mode of transportation though.
“We’ve really encouraged people to not drive to fan festival, because there’s nowhere to park,” he said. “They should take public transportation, they should walk, they should bike, there will be dedicated ride share drop-off and pickup zones that will be announced. But driving is really the worst way to come here.”
Road closures around the fan site’s area and increased patrolling of the Lemon Hill residential areas by the Philadelphia Parking Authority will also be in place.
All of Philly’s games will all be held at Lincoln Financial Field. The five group stage games are on June 14, 19, 22, 25 and 27 and a round of 16 match will be on July 4, coinciding with the nation’s semiquincentennial celebrations.
A Rendering of Philadelphia’s Fan Festival site for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, located at East Fairmount Park’s Lemon Hill. (Courtesy of Philadelphia Soccer 2026)
Check out Billy Penn’s World Cup guide for more details about the tournament in Philly.
Funding for the fan fest is coming through a combination of state and city funding combined with private funding from foundations, corporate partners and funders. Kane said that FIFA’s recent operational budget cuts have had no implication on Philadelphia’s World Cup plans. Though all 16 host cities committed to hosting fan festival sites during the tournament, many have cancelled or scaled back their festivities, with only Philly and Houston still offering a full 39-day festival, according to the Athletic.
The festival renovations are a legacy project and Kane said that the project was about 80-to-85% ready for phase one, which is about getting the park ready for the temporary festival site infrastructure to be built up for the tournament period, which would then be built two to three weeks before the start of the tournament.
Phases two and three will happen after the tournament and will involve the city installing the permanent infrastructure upgrades and park enhancements as a municipal space.
“Philadelphia Soccer 2026 is committing millions of financial support for post-tournament improvements and the city is investing in enhancements that will make this park more welcoming, more accessible, more vibrant for generations of Philadelphians to come,” said Parks and Rec Commissioner Susan Slawson. “This is a legacy investment and it reflects exactly the kind of impact a once in a generation should have.”
A Rendering of Philadelphia’s Fan Festival site for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, located at East Fairmount Park’s Lemon Hill. (Courtesy of Philadelphia Soccer 2026)