popular FIFA Fan Festivals<\/a> in the US, Atlanta and Philadelphia. Here’s how the events compared.<\/p>\n Atlanta location: Centennial Olympic Park<\/p>\n
![\"Atlanta](\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg)
<\/p>\n
Crowds lined up to enter the Atlanta FIFA Fan Festival at Centennial Olympic Park.<\/p>\n
Janelle Madeah for BI <\/p>\n
Atlanta hosted its recently ended FIFA Fan Festival at Centennial Olympic Park, around a mile from Mercedes-Benz Stadium, where eight World Cup matches were played.<\/p>\n
Philadelphia location: Lemon Hill<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Soccer fans gathered to watch Croatia play Portugal on July 2.<\/p>\n
Colleen Stepanian for BI <\/p>\n
At Lemon Hill in Philadelphia, the park where the festival is hosted, attendees spread out on blankets and fanned their faces with Michelob Ultra-branded hand fans while watching the big screen.<\/p>\n
Atlanta crowds exceeded 500,000<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Around 27,000 guests visited the Atlanta FIFA Fan Festival each day.<\/p>\n
Janelle Madeah for BI <\/p>\n
According to organizers, the Atlanta FIFA Fan Festival drew more than 500,000 visitors, averaging more than 27,000 guests per day.<\/p>\n
Philadelphia crowds exceeded 425,000<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Despite temperatures in the plus-100s on some days, soccer fans showed out in Philadelphia.<\/p>\n
Colleen Stepanian for BI <\/p>\n
As of Wednesday, July 8, more than 425,000 fans had attended the event in Philadelphia. The Philadelphia festival will end after the final World Cup match between Argentina and Spain on Sunday, July 19.<\/p>\n
Atlanta activations<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Bank of America charm bracelets were a coveted swag item at the Atlanta FIFA Fan Festival.<\/p>\n
Janelle Madeah for BI <\/p>\n
Bank of America’s coveted charm bracelets were a draw. Other activations included games, photo opportunities, and fun activities presented by Coca-Cola, Home Depot, Michelob Ultra, and more.<\/p>\n
Philadelphia activations<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Fans grabbed drinks from Michelob Ultra, one of the many brands located at the festival.<\/p>\n
Colleen Stepanian for BI <\/p>\n
Fans traveled from near and far to enjoy the experience, with many returning more than once to relive it.<\/p>\n
The festival included many of the same activations as Atlanta’s, like Bank of America’s charm bracelets and Coca-Cola selfie stations. There were also foosball tables and a mini-pitch for children to play pickup soccer.<\/p>\n
Atlanta volunteers<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Volunteers wore Adidas fits.<\/p>\n
Janelle Madeah for BI <\/p>\n
Volunteers spread across the park to help direct foot traffic, take pictures for fans, and answer questions.<\/p>\n
Philadelphia volunteers<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Volunteers at FIFA Fan Fest wore blue and lime green kits.<\/p>\n
Colleen Stepanian for BI <\/p>\n
Nearly 3,000 volunteers kept the Philadelphia FanFest and its nearby attractions safe, fun, and friendly.<\/p>\n
Atlanta jumbo screens and stages<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Fans gathered around the jumbo screen to watch the World Cup matches.<\/p>\n
Janelle Madeah for BI <\/p>\n
A 47-foot jumbo screen was the focal point of the festival, with World Cup matches streaming daily. Smaller screens were placed throughout the park.<\/p>\n
Philadelphia’s viewing areas<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
A crowd watches Portugal play Croatia at Philadelphia’s FIFA Fan Fest.<\/p>\n
Colleen Stepanian for BI <\/p>\n
On the grassy tree-covered streets of Lemon Hill, soccer fans gathered around a main projector screen for “soccer Coachella.” Other smaller screens were stationed throughout the festival.<\/p>\n
Atlanta security<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Many fans took the MARTA trains to the World Cup games and the Atlanta FIFA Fan Festival.<\/p>\n
Janelle Madeah for BI <\/p>\n
Security was present at the MARTA train stations and throughout the areas surrounding both the FIFA Fan Festival and stadium.<\/p>\n
Philadelphia security<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Philadelphia police.<\/p>\n
Colleen Stepanian for BI <\/p>\n
The event was well secured by law enforcement throughout the park and at Philadelphia Stadium.<\/p>\n
Atlanta takeaway<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Fans cheering for Bosnia posed for a photo.<\/p>\n
Janelle Madeah for BI <\/p>\n
Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens said in a press release from the Atlanta FIFA Fan Festival, “This is the Group Project in action \u2014 showcasing Atlanta to the world, providing our renowned hospitality and delivering unforgettable experiences not only for visitors from around the globe, but for Atlanta and Georgia residents who became tourists in their own city.”<\/p>\n
Philadelphia takeaway<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Fans kick a soccer ball around at the Philadelphia Fan Fest.<\/p>\n
Colleen Stepanian for BI <\/p>\n
Chloe Martins, a soccer fan supporting Portugal<\/a>, told Business Insider the Fan Fest crowds were anything but a nuisance.<\/p>\n“Even though we’re not at the actual game, I love seeing everyone in our neighborhood walking around to different bars and restaurants, people coming from the Fan Fest, and representing their countries,” Martins said. “It’s such a good vibe.”<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Over the course of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, countless fans have come together to support their favorite…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":246767,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[105584,4844,1706,103346,7019,105583,86,105585,7865,7725,69,71,70,10496,105582,593,2236],"class_list":["post-246766","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-philadelphia","tag-activation","tag-atlanta","tag-bar","tag-business-insider","tag-concert","tag-countless-fan","tag-home","tag-jumbo-screen","tag-music","tag-north-america","tag-philadelphia","tag-philadelphia-headlines","tag-philadelphia-news","tag-sidewalk","tag-top-fifa-fan-festivals","tag-us","tag-world-cup"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/246766","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=246766"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/246766\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/246767"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=246766"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=246766"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=246766"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}