What to expect at Philadelphia's World Cup Fan Festival
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Courtesy of Philadelphia Soccer 2026
Philadelphia's World Cup festival in Fairmount Park this summer is coming into focus.
Why it matters: The free party at Lemon Hill will be the spot to experience the tourney from start to finish outside the South Philly arena.
State of play: Philly's Fan Festival, among the largest in the country, will be open all 39 days of the tournament from June 11 to July 19.
- City and Philadelphia Soccer 2026 officials revealed new details on Thursday during a news conference at Lemon Hill.
What to expect:
- 👥👥 Roughly 15,000-20,000 people a day
- 📺 Massive screens to watch matches
- 🍽️ 75 food trucks
- 🛍️ Vendors with local artists
- ⚽ Soccer activities, think: pick-up games, drills, agility tests
- 🎶 Daily performances and live DJs
👀 1 teaser: Big-name artists could make an appearance at the Fan Fest with special performances.
- Further details will be released around May 1, officials said.
The big picture: Lincoln Financial Field will host six World Cup matches, including those with soccer powerhouses France and Brazil.
Context: Lemon Hill is in East Fairmount Park between Kelly Drive and the Brewerytown neighborhood.
- The site offers views of the city skyline and is roughly a half-mile walk from the Rocky Steps.
🎟️ Ticketing: To access Fan Fest, visitors must register in advance online or on site using a QR code.
- No identification will be required.
🚨 Security: Visitors will be screened before entering.
- Fan Fest will be fenced in and span roughly a million square feet.
- No outside food or drink will be permitted.
- TBD: The site's bag policy.
🚌 Transportation: The independent bus service Philly PHLASH will add a new stop at Pennsylvania and Fairmount Avenues to serve Fan Fest.
- Cost: $5, but it's free for SEPTA pass holders, seniors and kids under four
- What else: SEPTA service is limited to the Girard Avenue trolley and some bus routes. The agency is expected to add some capacity to those routes, officials said.
- Plus: An area is expected to be available for ride-share and taxi drop-offs.
🅿️ The intrigue: No extra parking spaces will be added to the area, which already has limited neighborhood parking.
- Officials stressed for locals and tourists alike not to drive to Fan Fest.
- "You can't get close. There's nowhere to park. And you can't park nearby, so don't drive," Michael DelBene, executive producer of the Fan Fest, tells Axios.
The intrigue: It remains to be seen whether tourists and out-of-towners ditch their cars for other options.
- And that goes for Philadelphians, many of whom are known to drive everywhere — even to their corner stores.
Meanwhile, the city's adding infrastructure improvements to the Lemon Hill area, including upgrades to sidewalks, playground, basketball courts and a picnic pavilion.
Editor's note: This story has been corrected with the dates of the festival, which runs June 11 to July 19 (not July 11 to June 19).