We took a tour of the FIFA Fan Fest grounds in KC. Here’s how it will look
If you’ve been to an outdoor music festival, navigating through the FIFA Fan Fest in Kansas City won’t be as much of a hassle as you may think.
KC2026 hosted a walkthrough of the FIFA Fan Festival on May 27, giving media members a glimpse at what thousands of fans are set to see this summer at the National WWI Museum and Memorial. Of course, not everything was complete, but a lot has been set in motion ahead of the Fan Fest beginning June 11.
From the main entrance to the large stage on the opposite side, it’s roughly the size of a football field, making the fest pretty walkable but a big enough space to get your steps in for the day.
As you enter the Fan Fest grounds from the entrance off Memorial Drive and Wyandotte Street, you go through security, get your ticket scanned and head into the grounds. You’ll be greeted by a 65-foot KC heart upon entry. It’s not there yet, but representatives of KC2026 said that this will be one of the many ways Kansas City culture will be represented throughout the Fan Fest.
Even the towers that will sport speakers between the main stage and main entrance have their own special touches. The red and blue flags on the towers are a nod to the over 200 fountains in the Kansas City area.
“When we were meeting with Populous about it, it was about how do we bring those pieces of Kansas City, the things that folks are really proud of, to life,” said Mallory Cage, director of Fan Festival and events for KC 2026. “Our CEO jokes about how we’re one of the only cities that dresses like tourists. We all wear our heart KC T-shirts, and we’re very proud of it, and we want to show that off.”
The festival’s east side has the rest of the fun
If you bust a right a little past the tall KC heart, you’ll be in the area with activations, merch and, of course, food and drinks.
An 8,000-square-foot retail space is on site, giving folks an opportunity to shop for jerseys and other soccer merch. Directly across from that is where multiple tents of local KC restaurants that will be serving food during the festival.
On the left of the store will be a smaller stage to catch other performers and watch games. Around there will also be activation spaces for KC2026’s sponsors, giving fans an opportunity to learn about what they do and how to get involved. Some of those sponsors include the Kansas City Royals, the Chiefs, Hallmark and more.
Between the activation spaces, the store and the food, it’s not hard to get between each space. Now, when you consider the Fan Fest hitting a capacity of 25,000, it might be a different story.
VIP spaces at Fan Fest
KC2026 also offered a first look of where fans who pay can get an upgraded experience.
One of those is the Legacy Lounge, which will be a climate-controlled, two-story viewing area that gives fans a straight shot view of the main stage. Though it didn’t have all its bells and whistles yet, the upstairs patio did have solid space for social interactions, while also having a good view looking over the crowd in the middle.
The other VIP-type area is the Premium Garden, which offers a private bar, dedicated restrooms, elevated food options and more. This venue is positioned to the side of the main stage and is only one floor, so it won’t be as good of a view as the Legacy Lounge.
Cage said that the moving started May 4, and that KC2026 is right on schedule for Fan Fest. The next stages include bringing in the sponsors to get them set up.
“Being here in the Midwest, we’re the closest host city to Chicago, Minneapolis, Denver. We want to welcome those folks, but also ours in our backyard. I would say we’ve really tried to blend that perfect balance of showing a little bit of the world to Kansas City, but also Kansas City to the world,” she said.
