Florida’s Fan Zones Offer World Cup Experience for All Budgets
With hundreds of thousands of people expected to travel to Florida this summer for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, businesses throughout the state are putting their final touches on preparations.
Hard Rock Stadium is set to host seven matches starting in June. However, many guests will not get the chance to attend the games in person.
Ticket prices are at an all-time high, and this year’s World Cup is expected to be the most expensive for fans, with the title game ticket prices starting at over $4,000, according to the Athletic.
Despite this, several fans are making plans to visit Miami Gardens to participate in alternative and affordable experiences to celebrate their favorite teams.
The FIFA World Cup Miami Host Committee will host the official FIFA Fan Festival from June 13 to July 5 at Bayfront Park in downtown Miami. Bayfront Park is known for hosting several large events, such as Ultra Music Festival and an annual New Year’s Eve party.
A Miami-based event production company, SWARM Inc., was selected to be the official concessionaire for the fan festival and will work with FIFA to coordinate most of the vendors and services.
Between 30,000 and 50,000 people are expected to attend each day, SWARM’s senior director of business development, Tyler Novo, said. Thousands more people are expected on the weekends and on holidays such as the Fourth of July.
“It’s going to be the premier destination in Dade County,” Novo said.
Miami-based vendors and national brands will sell food and other items during the fan festival. Watch parties will also be held, with over 80 games expected to be transmitted, Novo said. In addition to showing the games, FIFA will organize concerts, meet and greets and designated areas for kids and families.
“It’s just going to be really special,” Novo said. “It’s [like] Ultra, but soccer-based for 23 days.”
Wynwood Marketplace, a popular venue located in the heart of Miami’s Wynwood neighborhood, is another spot organizing watch parties for locals and tourists alike.
Wynwood Marketplace will serve as the home base for fans of the Brazilian national team. Brazil’s tourism bureau, in collaboration with SWARM, will host Brazilian footballer Ronaldo Luís Nazário de Lima, more commonly known as Ronaldo or R9.
There will be meet and greets with the soccer star as well as watch parties at Wynwood Marketplace. A large part of the venue will be designed to be a space where fans can celebrate Brazilian football culture.
For Novo, these events provide an opportunity for Miami to prove itself as a city ready to host large-scale events. The city is full of hospitality professionals preparing for the event, he said.
“We’re very grateful to have the honor of representing the city and the sport of football,” Novo said.
Orlando
Fans who will not make the trip to Miami can also find fan zones in central Florida. The Lucky Lephrechaun Irish Pub, located on Orlando’s International Drive, will open its doors to fans all summer.
The pub has been around for over 40 years and is well known among Orlando residents and tourists. The pub will play several World Cup matches throughout the tournament with an emphasis on the Scottish, English and Brazilian teams, serving as a large fan zone in Orlando.
Married couple Alex and Linsey Ballardin, the owners of the Lucky Lephrechaun Irish Pub, first met at the pub and have been running it for over a decade after taking over from the previous owner in 2013. Alex is Brazilian and Linsey is Scottish, so football culture has always been a part of their lives, Linsey Ballardin said.
They host watch parties on a regular basis, for both club and national team matchups, and feel more than prepared to welcome travelers come this June.
“It’s football,” Alex said. “That’s what we do every day.”
The couple is expecting hundreds of people for each game and up to 500 people on the day of the Scotland-Brazil matchup on June 24. The game is set to take place at Hard Rock Stadium and the pub organized eight buses to drive fans to Miami for the game.
For those staying in Orlando, there will be bagpipe players, dancers and singers for nearly every game as well as food.
“For Scotland, it’s a huge event because it’s the first time they’ve qualified in 28 years, so we think like half of Scotland are going to be here,” Linsey said. “It’s definitely going to be a massive event.
“It’s going to be a big party all summer.”
Businesses across the state will likely announce more watch parties and events as the start of the tournament approaches. The 2026 FIFA World Cup is set to kickoff on June 11 in Guadalajara Stadium in Zapopan, Mexico.
Category: International Soccer, Soccer, World Cup
