Inside East Downtown's nearly finished World Cup Fan Fest
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Screens to view the match and the performance stage will be under the "Magic Sky," next to the pay-to-enter clubhouses. Photo: Shafaq Patel/Axios
Houston's FIFA Fan Festival opens next week and construction crews are working to complete the massive fan zone by opening day.
Why it matters: Tickets to Houston's seven World Cup matches can cost hundreds of dollars, but Houston's Fan Festival is a free, non-ticketed event.
- It's the closest many Houstonians will get to the tournament atmosphere.
The big picture: Organizers have spent the last month transforming parking lots and warehouses south of Shell Energy Stadium into a fan zone. It will be open for 34 days starting June 11 during the tournament and serve 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's inside: Aramco Arena will feature a 45-foot-wide screen overlooking a soccer pitch for a youth tournament. The field will be donated to Moody Park after the World Cup.
- 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.
What they're saying: "Anywhere you're in these grounds, you will see a screen and see the matches going on," Patti Smith, FIFA Fan Festival director, said during a media construction preview last week, adding the work is on track.
- "Nothing was cut or changed in the original plan. Many things were enhanced," said Chris Canetti, president of the FIFA World Cup Houston Host Committee. "Even yesterday, we made a big decision to take it up to the next level on a few things. So we've been in a good position to be able to do that."
Follow the money: Politico reported that World Cup fan festival operational costs could reach $1 million per day in some host cities.
- Several host cities scaled back their original fan festival plans, but Houston is among a few cities running festivals for most of the tournament duration.
- Canetti declined to tell Axios how much the fan festival will cost, but said it's being funded by host city sponsors, state major events reimbursement programs and federal safety and security grants.