Full story
Fan Festival at Bayfront
Miami is set to open its FIFA Fan Festival at Bayfront Park on Saturday, transforming the downtown waterfront into a free, open-air fan zone for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
“Skip to main content 5 hours ago - Sports We got a sneak peek inside Miami's World Cup fan festival at Bayfront Park Martin Vassolo email (opens in new window) sms (opens in new window) facebook (opens in new window) twitter (opens in new window) linkedin (opens in new window) bluesky (opens in new window) nextdoor (opens in new window) Add Axios as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google”
CBS News reports the festival will run for 23 days and broadcast all 104 World Cup matches on a giant screen, with organizers anticipating up to 30,000 visitors per day.
Miami Commissioner Eileen Higgins welcomed the event at a preview, saying, "Welcome to Miami's Second Stadium."
Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava said the festival will offer something for all ages, adding, "I'm going to bring my granddaughter. She's 2-and-a-half,"
Officials emphasized safety and security with three security checkpoints, on-site medical staff, and cooling stations to help visitors beat the South Florida heat.
Transit, rules, and costs
The Miami Herald describes Bayfront Park’s 32-acre transformation into FIFA Fan Festival Miami, running June 13 through July 5 with capacity for 30,000 daily attendees and featuring live match broadcasts on four massive screens.
Miami Host Committee officials and local politicians were on hand as workers put final touches on the park, and the festival is billed as "Miami’s second stadium" for fans without tickets and for ticketholders on off days.
Axios says Miami-Dade County is paying around $14 million to subsidize the festival, and it previews jet-pack soccer on Biscayne Bay alongside four large screens and two stages for musical performances.
WPLG Local 10 says the grand opening runs 2 p.m. to midnight on Saturday at Bayfront Park at 301 Biscayne Boulevard, with metal detectors and an “only clear bags” policy that bans bags larger than 12 inches by 6 inches.
WPLG Local 10 also lists prohibited items including chairs, blankets, tents, scooters, air horns, laser pointers, and inflatables, while the Miami Herald notes the World Cup buzz around downtown Miami as the tournament kicks off across 16 cities in Mexico, the United States and Canada.
Marketing campaign and stakes
Beyond the fan festival, Sport Stratégies says the Miami organizing committee for the FIFA 2026 World Cup launched « One Game. One Passion. », a narrative campaign meant to make the city a mirror of global football.
“CNN's Carolina Peguero reports from Miami's FIFA Fan Festival as excitement bubbles over the World Cup”
The same source says the committee chose to tell football through everyday life in homes, on transports, on beaches or in parks, and it ties the campaign to the seven matches Miami will host next summer.
Sport Stratégies credits Janelle Prieto, chief marketing and community officer of the committee, who presents the operation as a « lettre d’amour » of Miami to the world.
CBS News frames the festival as part of a broader economic push, with Miami-Dade County Commissioner Oliver Gilbert III saying, "Ultimately, we know this is how our economy works with tourism dollars."
The Miami Herald adds that the festival’s schedule and transportation planning are central concerns for local fans and tournament authorities, urging public transportation and special buses on the seven match days: June 15, 21, 24, 27 and July 3, 11 and 18.
