Here’s what 2026 FIFA Fan Fest in KC will look like. It starts with a heart
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Fan Fest opens through a 65-foot heart arch on the National WWI Museum south lawn.
- Fan Fest will feature two stages, 4,500-square-foot video boards and local food options.
- Festival is free with 25,000 capacity; registration required; hours align with matches.
Passing through the Heart of America will take on additional meaning at the fan fest for the 2026 FIFA World Cup games in Kansas City next summer.
Fans will enter the National WWI Museum and Memorial’s south lawn through a 65-foot heart-shaped arch when the world’s soccer tournament comes to Kansas City in June and July.
“Kansas City is the heart of the game and the heart of the country, and the FIFA fan festival will be the pulse of the World Cup here,” said Kelly Holton, senior principal at KC-based Populous, which designed the fan fest.
Black & Veatch, a global engineering company based in Overland Park, has joined Populous and Nestle Purina PetCare as a Host City Supporter.
Fan Fest will include two stages, 4,500 square feet of video boards and regional food options. Operation days and hours will be named closer to the event, but fan fest at a minimum operates on the days of games in Kansas City and when the U.S. Men’s National Team plays.
Group stage games in Kansas City are set for June 16, 20, 25 and 27, plus a Group of 32 game on July 3 and a quarterfinal on July 11.
Fan Fest is free and will have a capacity of 25,000. Registration will be required, and more information can be found at kansascityfwc26.com.
Kansas City is one of 16 FIFA World Cup host cities, 11 in the U.S., three in Mexico and two in Canada. The event will include 48 teams with 104 matches.
Some 28 national teams have already qualified. The World Cup draw will be held on Dec. 5 in Washington, D.C., and cities will know in the next couple of days which teams will be playing at their stadiums.