NYC to host free World Cup watch parties in every borough, Mamdani says

Soccer fans, take heed: New York City will host free World Cup watch parties in every borough this summer, Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced Monday.

The multiday affairs aim to provide fans with an affordable experience as the region expects more than 1 million visitors for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which will be held in the United States for the first time since 1994.

The large-scale watch parties will feature live match viewings, local food, and cultural programming, Mamdani said. Games will be played at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford in June and July, and questions remain about how the metro area’s transit infrastructure will handle the anticipated volume of passengers.

“We want to do everything in our power to make it more affordable for fans to make those memories,” the mayor said. “These events were not initially set to be free, but the world's game should belong to the world, and so we've made the decision together for fans to be able to watch that together without having to spend a dollar.”

The “fanfests,” as officials are calling them, will be held at one location in each borough in June and July. They will have varying capacities, with some holding up to 10,000 fans at once.

In the Bronx, fans can head to the Bronx Terminal Market on June 13 and 14.

In Queens, a longer event will be held at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center from June 11 to June 27.

In Manhattan, Rockefeller Center will hold the viewing parties from July 6 to July 19, the day of the final.

In Brooklyn, spectators can watch the games at Brooklyn Bridge Park from June 13 to July 19.

And on Staten Island, fans can watch at Staten Island University Hospital Community Park from June 29 to July 2.

Mamdani said more World Cup announcements will be made in the lead-up to the games, including about city Department of Transportation-led watch parties on Open Streets.

Gov. Kathy Hochul said Monday that there will be other free World Cup watch parties outside of the city, including at Stony Brook University on Long Island, on June 12, and Kensico Dam Plaza in Westchester, on July 19.

Hochul said bars and restaurants will also be able to obtain World Cup-specific one-day permits to host outdoor watch parties and fan activations throughout the tournament, as well as extend business hours for those occasions.

There will also be a $500,000 community grant program for local viewing parties and events during the tournament.

Officials said they expect thousands of other independent watch party pop-ups throughout the city during the tournament.

World Cup ticket prices have been spiraling out of control, with the cheapest seats for the first match at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey listed on Ticketmaster at $2,288 each as of Monday evening.

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