With just under three months until the start of the FIFA World Cup 2026, representatives from both the City of Philadelphia and Philadelphia Soccer 2026, the 501c3 non-profit organization serving as the Host Committee responsible for bringing the tournament to the City of Brotherly Love, announced new details and the schedule for FIFA Fan Festival™ Philadelphia, which will run for 39 consecutive days at Lemon Hill inside Fairmount Park.
FIFA Fan Festival™ Philadelphia, which will be FREE for all to attend(online regisration required, details coming soon), hopes to be the best place to watch matches outside of the stadium in South Philly, providing fans with an energetic atmosphere to watch games on the big screen, a variety of entertainment, local food trucks and vendors, and most importantly - lots of soccer for supporters of any team to enjoy.
“No financial barriers, just world-class soccer, right here and open to everyone. That’s something we’re incredibly proud of, and it speaks to who we are as a city - accessible, inclusive, and ready to show up for the World” -Jazelle Jones, City Representative and Director of Special Events, City of Philadelphia
The Fan Fest, which was called the Coachella of Soccer by Philadelphia Soccer 2026’s Meg Kane, will open on the first day of the tournament, June 11th, and will welcome a predicted 15,000+ fans per day until the final whistle on July 19th.
Gates to the grounds, which will cover almost 1 Million Square feet of space between Kelly Drive and Poplar Street, will open 1 hour before kickoff each day and will close one hour after the completion of the day’s final match.
The grounds will also be open on days where no matches are being played, with “Cultural Programming” listed on the full event schedule, which can be found here: https://ps2026-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/PS26_FIFA-Fan-Festival%E2%84%A2-Hours.pdf
Michael DelBene, Executive Producer of Philadelphia’s FIFA Fan Festival, warned fans that parking will NOT be available nearby for those looking to join the fun this summer, and that other modes of transportation will be necessary for the best possible experience.
“They should take public transportation, they should walk, they should bike, there will be designated rideshare drop off and pick up zones that will be announced, but driving is really the worst way to come here, because there really is nowhere to park…even if you chose to drive here, not only are you not going to find a place to park, but you also may not be able to get very close [to the grounds] because a number of blocks away all of a sudden roads stop to vehicular traffic because folks are walking. So it really is the least attractive option, to drive.” -Michael DelBene, Executive Producer of Philadelphia’s FIFA Fan Festival™, Philadelphia Soccer 2026
To help alleviate the lack of parking and increased road closures that will be in place for the entirety of the Fan Fest, Deputy Managing Director of the Philadelphia Office of Transportation and Infrastructure Systems, Michael Carroll, says increased SEPTA service over to the Lemon Hill area and an additional stop on Philadelphia’s PHLASH bus system will help move the thousands of fans expected to visit Philadelphia’s oldest park each day.
“SEPTA is adding more capacity to existing routes to serve the Fairmount Park area so fans can get here with more frequency and more reliability from all across the city and all across the region. The Philly PHLASH is adding a brand new stop - stop #9 at Fairmount and Pennsylvania - which will create a seamless connection from the rest of their service throughout Old City, along Market Street, up and down the Parkway, and on Boathouse Row.” -Michael Carroll, Deputy Managing Director, Philadelphia Office of Transportation and Infrastructure Systems (OTIS)
Other ways fans can get to Lemon Hill this summer include designated rideshare drop off points (uber, lyft, etc), biking or scootering (Indego, Philly’s bike rideshare program, is nearby at 27th and Pennsylvania), or a good ole’ walk past Philadelphia’s Art Museum and Boathouse Row up to Lemon Hill, which is actually going to be a really nice stroll for people visiting Philadelphia or that part of the city for the first time.
In order to host the number of fans organizers are expecting, and to do so for 39 straight days, you’re going to need some solid stimuli for those that aren’t as attracted to the beautiful game as some of the rest of us are - and some decent food to go with it.
“Our tagline for the FIFA Fan Fest is “Welcoming the World with a Philly flavor”, and we’re going to do that both literally and figuratively by welcoming over 75 different food trucks - all hyper local, hyper diverse, hyper special flavors of Philadelphia to come together and really give people a sense of what Philadelphia is all about." -Michael DelBene, Executive Producer of Philadelphia’s FIFA Fan Festival™, Philadelphia Soccer 2026
While the food trucks for Fan Fest have already been sorted, the application process for “Vendor Village”, an area where local artists, craftsmen, makers, and small business owners can sell and promote their goods and services to attendees, is now open and can be found at the following link: Vendor Village Application Form
Michel DelBene also spoke about the entertainment portion of the festival, which will include daily DJs and performances by people right here in Philadelphia, chosen through an application process.
“The entertainment program at Fan Festival is going to be really exciting because it’s going to be comprised of three components. Every day there will be a host DJ who will be out there, playing music, getting the crowd excited between the matches and when the matches are not playing. Then we are rolling out a community entertainment application program where anyone can apply to perform and be a part of the entertainment community of Fan Festival.” -Michael DelBene, Executive Producer of Philadelphia’s FIFA Fan Festival™, Philadelphia Soccer 2026
DelBene also said fans might get news soon about some of the bigger names who could be coming to Lemon Hill as part of Fan Fest.
"And then obviously the third component, when it is appropriate, we’re going to have professional artists out here, there could be some pretty big names coming out here, there could be a concert series out here, there could be international stars that are reflective of the games and the countries that are coming here, so those will sort of be the icing on the cake” -Michael DelBene, Executive Producer of Philadelphia’s FIFA Fan Festival™, Philadelphia Soccer 2026
Fan Fest will also have activations from FIFA Commercial Partners and Host City Supporters, providing fans with giveaways, product sampling, brand experiences, and social media and photo opportunities so you can save the memories from an unforgettable summer for a lifetime.
The festival grounds will also include plenty of soccer-focused activations and activities, a family fun zone, and the Pennsylvania Pavilion presented by Visit Philly, a place where fans can take a moment to recharge from the action while learning about the Commonwealth's history and diversity.
The City of Philadelphia, Philadelphia Soccer 2026, and FIFA Fan Festival™ Philadelphia also spoke about their promise to leave Lemon Hill in even better shape than when they arrived, all things considered.
The City of Philadelphia is taking the lead on important infrastructure upgrades to Lemon Hill before the start of Fan Fest, including the installation of sidewalks and ADA-accessible ramps, the removal of invasive plant species, and roadway improvements.
And following the completion of the tournament, more upgrades to the park will begin immediately, thanks in part to financial contributions from Philadelphia Soccer 2026, so visitors can enjoy Lemon Hill more than ever before for decades to come.
“That is the very point I want to make - what we are building here is not temporary. When our guests leave and return to their various homes on the heels of Fan Fest, the construction will start. An upgraded playground that integrates into the typography, a refurbished basketball court, the historic overlook has already been completed, upgraded lighting and cameras for safety have been installed, the picnic pavilion improved, which means expanded picnic opportunities, and we will also upgrade the historic steps and path that lead to Lemon Hill.” -Susan Slawson, Commissioner, Philadelphia Parks & Recreation
Fans can find more information on FIFA Fan Festival™ Philadelphia at PhillyFWC26.com.
