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The World Cup has officially landed in Los Angeles, and for fans without match tickets, attending the FIFA Fan Festival could be the next best thing.
Taking place Thursday through Sunday at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, the family-friendly event will feature live match broadcasts on jumbo screens, cultural programming, interactive experiences, an official World Cup merchandise store, food vendors serving global cuisine and live music performances from headlining artists like Steve Aoki, Capital Cities and Normani.
The L.A. county and city parks and recreation departments are hosting free World Cup watch parties across the region.
Jason Krutzsch, senior vice president of the Los Angeles World Cup 2026 Host Committee, calls the FIFA Fan Festival “an extension of the stadium experience.” Want to check it out? Here’s everything you need to know before you attend.
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1. The tickets are affordable — and that was intentional
Krutzsch says the event was designed to be accessible. “It was critical to make sure that there were affordable opportunities for the community and fans of the World Cup, or any of these countries that are participating, to have a place to come be part of these official celebrations,” he says.
Tickets for FIFA Fan Festival are $10 including fees, with free admission for children ages 12 and under when accompanied by a paid adult. (There is a limit of three free child tickets per one adult ticket purchase.)
TikTok content creator Carlos Maciel plays a game at the DoorDash booth during a media preview of the FIFA Fan Festival.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
Meanwhile, reserved club seats and loge boxes are $30 including fees. These premium tickets offer access to shaded lounge areas, enhanced seating, food and beverage offerings and elevated viewing locations overlooking the festival grounds and match screens.
Tickets can be purchased online or at the Coliseum box office on event days when the festival is not sold out. The box office is located at Gate 29. General admission entry will be at Gates 1, 4 and 28.
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2. Public transit or rideshare is highly recommended
With so many World Cup events and watch parties happening around the city, organizers say public transportation or rideshare is the best way to get to the event. There are multiple Metro stations within walking distance of the venue and the agency is running an enhanced service program around the city to alleviate traffic.
However, if you prefer to drive, limited paid parking is available at Exposition Park, the USC campus, and in surrounding surface lots and garages. Accessible parking will be available on a first-come, first-served basis. To reserve on-site parking in advance, visit Justpark.com.
From a pan-African cookout on Juneteenth to $1 drink specials every time the U.S. team scores, these L.A. restaurants and bars are going all out for the 2026 World Cup.
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3. The festival will feature live entertainment to keep you hyped all day long
The festival will feature live performances from artists like Mariachi Arcoiris de Los Angeles (the world’s first LGBTQ mariachi group), Grammy-nominated DJ/producer Steve Aoki, singer Normani, indie pop duo Capital Cities and L.A.-based DJ/producer Deorro. Check out the full live entertainment schedule here.
Attendees can also expect roughly 15 activations including photo opps, interactive soccer experiences and more to keep them entertained.
Everything you need to know to watch and follow the 2026 FIFA World Cup, including start times and TV and streaming information for every game.
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4. As you explore, don’t worry about missing a match
(Jason Armond / Los Angeles Times)
Throughout the four-day event, several matches will be showing on the massive screens around the Coliseum. Attendees will be able to take their pick from watching the game from the seats at the venue or on the field.
On Thursday, festival doors will be from open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and will include a broadcast of the Mexico vs. South Africa match at noon. On Friday, the event will be open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. and feature broadcasts of Canada vs. Bosnia and Herzegovina at noon and U.S. vs. Paraguay at 6 p.m. Saturday’s event will take place from 1 to 9 p.m. and feature a broadcast of Brazil vs. Morocco at 3 p.m. And on Sunday, the festival will run from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and will include broadcasts of Germany vs. Curacao at 10 a.m. and Netherlands vs. Japan at 1 p.m.
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5. Come prepared to try food from all over the world
Football, or soccer as we call it, is the world’s biggest sport, so it only makes sense that the menu at the festival would reflect that. Attendees will be able to purchase cuisine from participating nations including South African favorites like bunny chow and pap and chakalaka, pastéis and pão de queijo from Brazil, Mexican staples like chicken tinga tacos and carne asada quesadillas, poutine from Canada, Japanese sushi, German pretzels and currywurst, Moroccan shawarma, Italian pizzas and more.
The Coliseum and 10 locations around the Los Angeles area will host watch parties and fan activities throughout the 2026 World Cup.
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6. Be sure to also check out the official fan zones taking place throughout the rest of the tournament
While the FIFA Fan Festival will only be taking place during the kickoff weekend of the World Cup, the city will also host 10 official fan zones across L.A. during the 39-day tournament. Among the venues are the Original Farmers Market (June 18-21), Union Station (June 25-28), the Fairplex in Pomona (July 14-15 and 18-19) and Earvin Magic Johnson Park (July 4-5).
