Headed to the World Cup in Houston or Arlington? Our colleagues rounded up what you need to know.

The big picture: Houston and Arlington are hosting seven and nine games, respectively.

• Tomorrow, Portugal and Congo play in Houston and England and Croatia play in Arlington.

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 other bus services to get downtown and hop on the rail, Metro says.
• Check out what our Axios Houston friends had to say about driving vs. taking the train.

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 cost-free Fan Festival will be open for 30-plus days, serving as the primary gathering place for fans outside the matches — though bad weather caused officials to close limit hours today and may impact the rest of the week.

What to expect: A beer garden and dozens of local food vendors will be on site.

• 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.

Zoom out: In Dallas the 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.

• Red dirt country band Turnpike Troubadours will take over the festival on July 4.

The NBA draft, free agency and Summer League all arrive within weeks of the Finals, giving fans little time to catch their breath.

Why it matters: For years, Spurs fans spent months waiting for meaningful basketball moves after the regular season ended in April.

What we're watching: Free agency officially opens July 1, but don't expect the Spurs to be major players in the superstar market.

• The bigger questions are whether San Antonio retains veterans like Harrison Barnes and Kelly Olynyk, adds depth around Victor Wembanyama and its young core, or makes a trade to strengthen a roster coming off a Finals appearance.

Here are the dates we're circling:

📋 June 23–24: First and second rounds of the NBA draft. The Spurs hold the No. 20 pick via Atlanta, their latest first-round selection in years. They also have picks Nos. 35, 42 and 44 in the second round.

• Yes, but: San Antonio has a history of finding value outside the lottery, including Tony Parker and Manu Ginóbili.

⏳ June 29–30: Julian Champagnie watch. The Spurs must either pick up Champagnie's $3 million option for next season or decline it and negotiate a longer-term extension before he can hit free agency.

✍️ July 6: Wembanyama becomes eligible to sign a five-year extension projected at $251 million, with a path to $301 million.

🎰 July 9–19: The Las Vegas Summer League, likely fans' first look at the Spurs' 2026 draft class.

The bottom line: The Spurs' next chapter starts almost immediately.

☔️ San Antonio International Airport recorded 2.61 inches of rain yesterday, breaking the June 15 rainfall record of 1.68 inches from 1894. (Express-News 🔑)

🍳 Boerne-based Sunny's: All Day Brunch and Bar opened a second location at The Rim yesterday, bringing its brunch menu and a new after-hours cocktail concept to the North Side. (SA Current)

🔍 The San Antonio Police Department is investigating alleged assaults on New York Knicks fans seen in viral social media videos and plans to pursue appropriate charges. (Facebook)

The Texas power grid may experience record electricity demand this summer, per ERCOT.

Why it matters: The demand will test the state's power grid during peak summer heat as electricity use from data centers, crypto operations and other large customers continues to rise.

By the numbers: The grid's load is estimated to peak around 92,200 megawatts this summer, system operations vice president Dan Woodfin told board directors earlier this month.

• That's compared with the previous record summer peak of about 85,500 MW in 2023. Summer demand peaked at 83,700 MW in 2025.

Yes, but: ERCOT says it's prepared for the sweltering summer with enhanced contingency efforts and better tools for monitoring and responding to real-time emergencies.

The big picture