Thousands take in Premier League games at fan fest. A glimpse of what’s to come?
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Premier League Fan Fest drew thousands in KC, uniting supporters of several English clubs.
- Watch parties at Power & Light created shared experiences across rival fan bases.
- Event energy previewed Kansas City's potential as 2026 FIFA World Cup host city.
Thousands of soccer fans poured into the Kansas City Power & Light District — some in line as early as 2 a.m. Saturday — for the Premier League Fan Fest.
Liverpool fans were treated to a 2-1 victory over neighbors Everton in the early kickoff. The atmosphere at times felt similar to a game itself.
It did have one twist: Usually, the whole crowd at Power & Light is behind one team. This time, fans of 20 different teams peppered the crowd. While the standalone matches of the weekend brought a more communal feel around the central stage, the slate of four matches going on brought a cacophony of noise throughout.
Random eruptions of cheers, when goals went in, and jeers, when the opponent did something to ridicule, blended. Bars and restaurants around Power & Light served as official watch-party venues for those games.
Jordan White, a Lenexa resident, was there to support his favorite team, Tottenham Hotspur. He and his friends arrived at 6 a.m., thinking they’d be able to get through easily. They ended up having to wait in line for over an hour to enter. Tottenham’s game was a 9 a.m. Central kickoff.
“I always knew Kansas City was a really big soccer town,” White said. “But seeing everybody from Omaha, Dallas, Denver, it’s clearly brought out a lot of people. I love the Premier League, and I love soccer. So to be here and see how many other people feel the same way is just a really cool experience.”
Rebecca Lowe, who hosts NBC Sports’ Premier League coverage, emphasized the event’s ability to pull people behind a singular interest — Premier League soccer — even if the fans’ team allegiances varied.
“All the people in this area, and a lot who travel, are going to get a chance to really have a party like they’ve never had before,” Lowe told The Star. “It’s sharing their weekend passion with a community that feels the same way about it.”
In turn, she thinks it’ll help supporters of their teams abroad feel closer to them.
“It’s not easy to be a West Ham United fan in Kansas City,” Lowe said, giving an example of a non-“big six” club.
“I think by coming here, they can really feel a part of it, get a sense of the history, the vibe of the club,” Lowe added. “And I think that’s really important to feel like they belong to the club as much as the people in East London feel they belong to West Ham.”
John and Kaitlin Hinchey sat with around a dozen other Wolverhampton Wanderers (commonly known as Wolves) fans inside a restaurant at KC Power & Light. The pair drove 15 hours to join in with fans of their club at the Premier League Fan Fest.
The nature of the event’s setup meant that the other half of the bar was full of Leeds fans. It was a disappointing day on the field for Wolves. But for the Hincheys, their 15-hour excursion, derailed by flight issues in Kansas City, was worth it.
“If you get a chance to see your Premier League club and be together with other people in the States that care so much about it, you’re gonna do it,” Kaitlin said. “We’re part of a club that doesn’t have a massive following in the States, and so we get an opportunity to be around people who care about the same club that we do.”
It didn’t hurt that Kaitlin’s cousin is a Kansas City resident, and she’s happy to turn him into a Wolves fan, too.
“A lifetime of sadness and disappointment,” she joked. “But still, we love it.”
Later on Saturday, they’ll head to the KC Current match to take in the local soccer scene.
With the World Cup coming to Kansas City next summer, the atmosphere at Power & Light this weekend could be a tiny glimpse of what’s to come.
Alan Shearer, the all-time leading goalscorer in the Premier League, told The Star that fans should keep their eyes open for the draw to see which countries may end up playing in Kansas City.
Shearer played for England in the 1998 World Cup and said that if one of the big teams lands matches in Kansas City, the atmosphere will be unmatched.
“We’ve only been here a short time, but already we can tell there’s a bit of an atmosphere and feel for the sport,” Shearer said. “It’ll be an amazing experience here, depending on what games you get.”
Daniel Sperry covers soccer for The Kansas City Star. He can be reached at sperry.danielkc@gmail.com.
This story was originally published September 20, 2025 at 11:46 AM.