Fan and community events leading up to the 2026 World Cup will be scheduled for the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, downtown Los Angeles, the San Fernando Valley, Hollywood, Venice Beach and San Pedro, officials announced Wednesday.
The Los Angeles World Cup 2026 Host Committee unveiled community and fan engagement plans Wednesday morning at the LA Memorial Coliseum, designed to bring excitement for the “world’s largest single-sport event” to neighborhoods across the LA region.
World Cup games are set to occur in stadiums in Mexico, the United States and Canada, with eight matches played at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood.
Officials discussed plans for a FIFA Fan Festival in Los Angeles, 26 fan zones, a 39-day fan experience guide of World Cup-themed events, soccer clinics, community days, and a “Kick It With Us” mobile bus tour.
“These activities will allow both Angelenos and visitors alive to be part of this historic event,” Kathryn Schloessman, president and CEO of the Los Angeles Sports & Entertainment Commission, and CEO of the World Cup organizing committee, said in a statement.
The fan festival will take place at the Coliseum, transforming the site into a celebration of soccer and culture. Fans will be able to watch live match broadcasts, enjoy music, cultural programming, interactive experiences and food.
The five-day festival will run from June 11-15. Hours of operation, daily programming and more details will be announced in March.
While more fan zone locations will be announced in the near future, the organizing committee teased the following sites:
— The Original Farmers Market in Hollywood will operate from June 18-21;
— Union Station & La Plaza de Cultura y Artes in downtown will operate from June 25-28;
— Hansen Dam Lake in Lake View Terrace will be scheduled from July 2-5;
— Venice Beach will be scheduled for July 11;
— West Harbor’s fan zone will operate from July 14-15 and July 18-19.
Other fan zones will be opened at the following locations:
— Downey’s site will be scheduled for June 20;
— L.A. County’s Earvin “Magic” Johnson Park will operate from July 4-5;
— L.A. County Whittier Narrows’ fan zone will operate from July 9-11; and
— The Pomona Fairplex will operate a fan zone from July 14-15 and July 18-19.
Host committee officials noted they are working with LA Tourism to curate a 39-day fan experience guide to highlight the fan engagement events taking place over the summer during the 39-day soccer tournament.
The guide will be available on DiscoverLA.com, and will be promoted across all of LA’s World Cup touch points, such as the official website at LosAngelesFWC26.com and its mobile app.
Earlier this year, the host committee launched a video series in partnership with the Play Equity Fund to spotlight local nonprofits selected for its grant program. Twenty-six nonprofits were recognized by the committee and awarded $26,000 grants.
In December, the committee launched its “Grow the Game of Soccer Clinic” series in collaboration with the Play Equity Fund, Cal South and other local stakeholders. The initiative aims to inspire the next generation of soccer players, coaches and referees in the LA region.
The next soccer clinic is scheduled for Feb. 28 at Cal State Los Angeles University Stadium.
Community days are opportunities to volunteer to beautify public spaces ahead of the World Cup. The program features two flagship events with the first taking place at Gloria Molina Grand Park in downtown on March 14. The second event will be scheduled for the spring.
On March 3, the host committee will launch its bus marketing tour. The bus will pop up at high foot-traffic locations and culturally significant events in the region.