The official FIFA Fan Fest for the New York/New Jersey area has been cancelled just four months before the men’s World Cup begins in June.
Eight World Cup matches will take place at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, including the final, but FIFA’s host city agreement is with both New York City and New Jersey. The official FIFA Fan Fest for the region, which would have taken place in Liberty State Park, had been announced in February 2025 by Tammy Murphy, the wife of the then-New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy. She is also the chair of the New/New Jersey host committees board of directors.
The plan had the backing of both Gov. Murphy and his wife. Planning had been underway for a year, with ambitions of being open for all 104 games during the tournament and tickets had been sold. The State of New Jersey’s Department of Environmental Protection even put out a website page stating that picnic reservations would be paused at the park between May and July, while grassy areas in the center of the park would be limited to visitors beginning as early as May 1 to accommodate the setup of the FIFA fan festival.
However, as part of a blitz of policy changes by newly-elected New Jersey governor Mikie Sherrill, who entered office earlier this year, the decision has been made to pull the event at Liberty State Park. The change of policy was not directly announced as a cancellation, with Gov. Sherill instead announcing $5million for initiatives to “bring the excitement” of the tournament to every corner of New Jersey, which will instead include smaller watch parties and street fairs.
Steve Sigmund, a Governor’s office spokesperson, said: “The Jersey City venue is no longer being utilized. Instead, Governor Sherrill is creating a program to bring the excitement of the World Cup to communities throughout New Jersey. We’ll be working in close partnership with NJ EDA (New Jersey Economic Development Authority) and the World Cup host committee in developing this program and look forward to great experiences for New Jerseyans in every part of our state.”
Multiple sources close to the discussions — some of whom wished to speak anonymously to protect relationships — indicated that the new governor had a different vision and policy priorities from her predecessors and, as such, the Liberty State Park plan was abandoned. Tammy Murphy remains the chair of the board of the host committee, and sources said she had been keen to have the major Fan Fest with a view of New York City and the Statue of Liberty, while also making New Jersey the heartbeat of the fan celebrations.
Liberty State Park in New Jersey had been set to host the Fan Fest due to its prime location (Gary Hershorn /Getty Images)
A spokesperson for the New York/New Jersey host committee said that fans who purchased tickets will be reimbursed. On Ticketmaster, the event now says that tickets will be reimbursed within 14-21 days.
Nathaniel Styer, spokesperson for the Jersey City mayor James Solomon, told The Athletic in a statement: “The Governor made the right call. It became increasingly clear that there was no workable, cost-effective way to manage the influx of tens of thousands of fans into Liberty State Park, while maintaining access to the members of the Jersey City community.
“We are very excited for the opportunities that the World Cup is bringing to Jersey City and we will be rolling out more plans for residents and fans to celebrate this historic event at America’s Golden Doors.”
As things stand, New York/New Jersey does not currently have an official FIFA Fan Fest organized for the tournament. When it comes to FIFA’s official fan festivals, the burden placed on host cities is significant. Multiple sources — all of whom wished to remain anonymous when discussing sensitive information — said security costs alone for a Fan Fest could exceed $1million per day in major markets.
FIFA’s initial ask, as per a contract reviewed by The Athletic, was that every host city would provide an official Fan Fest free of charge to spectators for every day of the competition. Yet this will now not be the case in any market, as cities have pushed back on the cost and responsibilities involved.
FIFA declined to comment when approached by The Athletic.
In December, The Athletic revealed that the host committee in the San Francisco Bay Area is considering a significantly reduced approach to official fan festivals in the region after being allocated a group stage draw that is short of leading nations or highly marketable star names.
Yet in several cities, Fan Fests are being concentrated over a smaller number of days. The Fan Fest sites were supposed to offer live broadcasts of all World Cup games, offer food, drink and merchandise and be staged within a fenced and secured area. The contracts said that the host city “agrees and acknowledges to support FIFA, at its own costs, in respect of the planning, organisation and implementation” of the Fan Fest.
A city’s overall responsibility for costs during the tournament “comprises the safety, security and protection, including all related safety and security measures, for all individuals and entities attending, or being involved in the organisation of, the competition.” This extends to public areas, FIFA Fan Fest locations, airports, other transport hubs and vehicles used in competition. That includes providing police escorts for teams, referees and FIFA president Gianni Infantino and his delegation.
(Daniel DUARTE / AFP via Getty Images)
The host city is also expected to provide medical services and fire protection around matches free of charge. As such, the burden on states, cities and federal taxpayers is being stretched, while FIFA take home the revenue for tickets, sponsorship and parking. Infantino this week forecast over $11billion in revenues for FIFA from this summer’s tournament. FIFA argue that the United States will receive tens of billions in economic impact, but such forecasts are often treated with skepticism.
New York City will have some fan viewing experiences during the World Cup. The committee previously unveiled plans for a fan village at Rockefeller Center in midtown Manhattan from July 4 to July 19, but this is not an official FIFA event and is in partnership with broadcaster Telemundo. Prior to that, the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Queens, home of the U.S. Open, will be partially transformed into a 10,000-capacity World Cup fan zone for select group-stage matches between June 17 and June 28. This will be a ticketed $10 entry.
The New York/New Jersey committee is now seeking to relocate the official FIFA Fan Fest elsewhere in the region, likely within New York City, but it is not expected to be for the full tournament.
A NYNJ Host Committee Spokesperson said: “The New York New Jersey Host Committee is advancing its dynamic, region-wide fan engagement program for the FIFA World Cup 2026. Building on existing plans, which include premier fan destinations such as the NYNJ World Cup 26 & Telemundo Fan Village at Rockefeller Center and the NYNJ World Cup 26 Fan Zone Queens, the expanded network of Fan Zones and community celebrations across 21 counties in New Jersey will serve as a cornerstone of the region’s official fan engagement program.
“These experiences will help bring the excitement of the World Cup directly into communities, expanding access, participation, and economic impact statewide. We look forward to sharing additional details as plans continue to advance with our state and local partners.”
Last week, The Athletic revealed that FIFA sponsor McDonald’s had declined to take up an option of first negotiation, as well as last refusal, to sell its products at FIFA Fan Fests this summer. McDonald’s had considered selling a limited menu, including ice creams, at fan festivals, but it has now made the decision that it will not do so. Its branding will remain visible on the main stage of Fan Fests, and host cities will not be permitted to permit vendors who are considered to be a rival of McDonald’s, which may open opportunities for local businesses.
The Athletic was told by two people familiar with the situation, who asked to remain anonymous when discussing confidential commercial matters, that McDonald’s was concerned about the potential return on investment in some markets amid uncertainty over the scale of events, the number of days they will be active and the anticipated footfall.
McDonald’s denied this was the reasoning, telling The Athletic in a statement that the company is “focusing our efforts where we can make the biggest impacts — in the communities we serve, including across the 16 host cities.” It insisted McDonald’s is “all-in” on being a sponsor of the tournament.
