Everything you need to know about the World Cup in Texas
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FIFA Fan Festival in Houston runs June 11–July 19 with five "rest days." Photo: Maria Lysaker/Getty Images
Headed to the World Cup in Houston or Dallas? Our colleagues in those cities rounded up what you need to know.
The big picture: Houston is hosting seven World Cup matches starting Sunday with Germany vs. Curaçao. The Netherlands and Japan play Dallas Stadium's first match on Sunday.
Transportation
State of play: FIFA is pushing ticket-holders to rely on Houston Metro's Red Line to get to the stadium for the matches.
- Some fans staying close to the Red Line can walk to the train. Others staying regionally should use park-and-ride and bus services to get downtown and hop on the rail, Metro says.
The intrigue: Dallas Stadium (FIFA's name for AT&T Stadium during the World Cup) is in Arlington, which doesn't have a mass public transit system. Officials have set up a costly system that includes chartering buses to move massive crowds through the area, with connections to rail systems in the region.
Fan Festivals
Houston's free Fan Festival will be open for 34 days starting Thursday, serving as the primary gathering place for fans outside the matches.
- The Fan Festival spans 275,000 square feet. Including back-of-house operations, the footprint grows to 352,000 square feet.
- Capacity is estimated at 7,500 people at a time, with organizers expecting roughly 15,000 visitors per day.
What to expect: A beer garden and dozens of local food vendors will be on site.
- An air-conditioned warehouse called Houston Hall will feature exhibits from Space Center Houston and the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo.
- A 144-foot-wide "Magic Sky" canopy is designed to shade much of the main viewing area and performance stage, where 60 local artists are expected to perform, including big Houston names like Trae tha Truth, Coffey Anderson and Ashley Támar Davis.
Other amenities include several water bottle filling stations, misting stations, a prayer room, a nursing area and a medical station.
- Premium hospitality options will include Club 104 and rentable cabanas, with tickets now on sale.
The Dallas Fan Festival is free with a ticket. The concerts will require separate tickets, which start at $26.
State of music: A Latin Legacy tour will kick off the concert series on June 28, featuring MC Magic, Baby Bash and Lil Rob.
- This year's Fair Park Fourth celebration will move to July 3, with fireworks beginning after the day's last World Cup match.
- Red dirt country band Turnpike Troubadours will take over the festival on July 4.