Axios Kansas City

June 26, 2026
It's Friday, but it should be Saturday.
π§οΈ Today's weather: Chance of storms, with a high near 80.
- Anyone still damp from yesterday?
This newsletter is 997 words β a 4-minute read.
1 big thing: π³π± That's a lot of orange
The biggest Dutch march in the U.S. to date took place yesterday in Kansas City.
The big picture: The Power and Light District says roughly 22,000 fans turned out, stretching down Grand Avenue as far as the eye could see.
- P&L communications director Dana Witt Fulks says the Dutch calculated the number by street width and parade length, which stretched nearly two-thirds of a mile.

The vibe: KC Live! opened its gates at 9am. By the time we arrived around 9:30am, the beer was flowing and the grounds were packed.
- Crowds hopped to "Links Rechts" and unleashed orange smoke and confetti.
- The march got moving at 11:15am and finished at Crown Center around noon.
- From there, the "Oranje Army" went to Union Station and Fan Fest.
- Oh, and Missouri-born actor David Koechner was there.

What they're saying: "It's so amazing to see how local people are enthusiastic about orange and our team," Marianne van Leeuwen, director of professional football with the Royal Dutch Football Association, tells Axios. "Our players, they like it a lot."
- Van Leeuwen estimates 5,000 in attendance were Dutch nationals. The rest were local and domestic visitors, including first-generation Americans from as far as LA.
- A fan from the Netherlands named Ruben tells Axios he was out until 3:30am and was up again for the parade. His plan was an all-day party β with no nap in sight.
Yes, but: KC2026 closed Fan Fest at 2pm due to thunderstorms.
- Downpours at Kansas City Stadium forced fans who arrived early to take shelter.

π Travis' thought bubble: I've been to every Chiefs Super Bowl parade since 2020, and I've never seen anything like this.
- The atmosphere felt different, with fans filling the street instead of keeping to the sides. Maybe Kansas City should take note.
π Abbey's thought bubble: There's something special about a crowd that makes a whole city feel like part of their family. The Dutch did exactly that.
Go deeper: World Cup fans love KC. Tourism leaders want more of that.
2. πΊ Beer at KC Stadium is expensive




Thirsty? If you're at Kansas City Stadium for a World Cup match, you'll pay at least $18.39 for a beer.
Why it matters: There is a wild variance in prices for food, water and other drinks across the 11 U.S. cities hosting the World Cup this year.
State of play: Unlike previous World Cups, where FIFA had one concession model throughout all games, this year it partnered with different operators, per a spokesperson.
- "Food and beverage pricing at FIFA World Cup 2026 stadiums is broadly in line with pricing at regular events held at each respective venue. As a result, prices may vary between venues," the spokesperson tells Axios.
Case in point: A 20-ounce water bottle β one of the few items every U.S. stadium offers at concession stands β costs $8 in Kansas City. In Atlanta, it's only $3.
- Large craft beers in KC are priced up to $24.35, and souvenir cocktails are $28.49.
- Many items had unusually specific prices: $5.62 for a cheese cup, $12.22 for a large popcorn, and $9.59 for nuts.
Aramark Sports and Entertainment, which runs concessions at Arrowhead, did not respond to our questions about pricing.
- FIFA did not respond to a question about how the revenue is shared among FIFA and the venues.
What they're saying: Fans we spoke to said prices felt high but weren't surprising for stadium concessions.
- An Overland Park resident at the Netherlands game said food seemed comparable to a Chiefs game, but beer was more expensive.
Zoom out: At Atlanta Stadium, fans are seeing remarkably low prices β $2 for a hot dog, $5 for a small draft beer.
- It's a different story at San Francisco Bay Area Stadium, where a 20-ounce craft beer goes for $24.50.
Dig in: Kansas City Stadium offers some unique bites, including burnt ends mac and cheese ($17.85) and a stand called Wings and Rings, selling baskets of chicken wings and onion rings for $26.89.
π Travis' thought bubble: With tip, the wings and rings came out to more than $30, but the chicken was hot and juicy, and the sauce tingled my lips, so I wasn't complaining.
3. β²οΈ Water Fountain: Planes and gators
βοΈ KCI is expecting its busiest day ever today with travelers from last night's match departing and incoming visitors for the Austria vs. Algeria match tomorrow. (Press release)
- Still, airport officials say the day after the Argentina vs. Algeria match saw average security wait times of 2-4 minutes.
- Go deeper: KCI warns of heavy traffic this summer
π A young alligator was captured at Longview Lake yesterday. Jackson County Executive Phil LeVota on social media suggested "Longview Lou" be taken to the Kansas City Zoo & Aquarium. (FOX4)
4. β½οΈ At the match, the Dutch stay sunny
Despite afternoon storms and a mid-match shower, the Netherlands vs. Tunisia match in Kansas City started and ended on time.
The big picture: The Dutch spirit couldn't be dampened β fans brought their chants and cheers from the march to the stands, and their team won, 3-1.
The intrigue: The crowd mostly wore Orange, but there was a clear Kansas City presence when fans sang "home of the Chiefs!" during the U.S. National Anthem.
- We also heard fans chanting the Chiefs' fight song on the way out.

What they're saying: "Pitch was good, stadium was amazing. It's unbelievable to play here," Dutch defensive player Jan Paul van Hecke said after the match, in which he scored the team's third goal.
- Regarding the rain: "There's also a lot of rain" in the Netherlands, he said, echoing Dutch fans we spoke to.
π Travis' thought bubble: You know it's a great atmosphere when the entire stadium starts doing the wave 20 minutes in.
- It made it around five times.
π§ Abbey and her sister are making her brother watch all the Twilight movies.
ππ» Travis is running an informal trail run in Lawrence this weekend.
Thanks to Chloe Gonzales for editing this newsletter.
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