World Cup Fan Fest construction set to begin at World War I Museum and Memorial
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Fan Fest at KC’s National World War I Museum will open 5 days before 1st World Cup match.
- Daily capacity for the Fan Fest is limited to 25,000 fans after the site is transformed.
- Construction will begin Monday, with the museum staying open through Memorial Day weekend.
Five days before the first 2026 World Cup match is played in Kansas City, the Fan Festival at the National World War I Museum and Memorial will open.
Kansas City World Cup organizers see the Fan Fest as a place for soccer supporters to gather while in the city. Daily capacity will be limited to 25,000, which means Fan Fest will have a sizable footprint, and the area soon will be transformed for the World Cup.
Visitors to the World War I Museum and Memorial will see equipment on the grounds starting Monday. Construction of the Fan Fest space is expected to begin in earnest one week later.
KC2026 organizers aim to make sure the work being done won’t hinder visitors to the museum and/or memorial. The National World War I Museum and Memorial will remain open during construction, which will take place through Memorial Day weekend.
“We’ve been working on logistics for over a year now,” said Mallory Cage, director of fan festival and events for KC2026. “It’s been started from how far out do we need to start moving in, what does every day look like, because there’s safety concerns from heavy equipment when we’re moving cranes, but also we want to make things accessible.
“We don’t want to cut off access for the community to the National World War I Museum and Memorial or to those who want to be out on the North Lawn walking their dogs as the weather gets nice.
“So how do we work with them to coordinate that, but also keep folks safe? How do we work with our local union to get the labor here that we need, how do we work with those that we need to fly in that are specialty, so really kind of how we put all of this together over a month is going to be a six-day work week at a minimum if we’re going to make it happen.”
Pam Kramer, the CEO of KC2026, said the main stage at Fan Fest will include a 4,200 square-foot screen. She noted that will be larger than the one at last summer’s Chappell Roan concert at the same space.
A 65-foot hard structure will “greet people when they walk in,” Kramer said. In addition to soccer, there will be activities, food and drink and a star-studded concert schedule. While Fan Fest is free, fans need to register for tickets ahead of time.
The Kansas City architectural firm Populous designed the Fan Fest space. Kramer believes there is plenty of time for construction before the World Cup begins.
“I think what gives me confidence is Mallory, our team, and Populous and their extended team,” Kramer said. “Populous does this all the time for the biggest events in the world.
“And partnering with them, you see it here, just the way that the visuals of this will represent us and change the way people think about us — and, I hope, make people want to move here or come back and visit here. I think it’s extraordinary.”
