NY/NJ Is Turning Rockefeller Center Into a Massive 2026 World Cup Fan Festival

Matador Network: How did New York/New Jersey get picked to host the finals?

Photo: quiggyt4/Shutterstock

Bettina Garibaldi: Our name for the host committee is New York/New Jersey, and it was a united bid back in 2017. After we were all informed we were host cities, we went back into the running to host the final. I think we were awarded that simply because of who we are as a region — so diverse in nature, the media and entertainment capital of the world. And we’ve just always been incredibly welcoming.

Symbolically, Ellis Island literally welcomed the world, and I think it’s just the growth of the sport as well. We have MLS soccer here, but also so many local soccer teams that have really grown in the last five or 10 years. And as a region, our infrastructure is in place. So that made it also a very viable option. It’s just a matter of ensuring that we are all working together across two states.

What are some things the committee is doing to enhance the experience of being in the region for the World Cup outside of the stadium?

 

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We’re an independent nonprofit, and we work closely with FIFA and city and state officials on everything, including stadium operations, but then everything beyond that, too — the fan experiences, what the communities are getting back from having such an influx of visitors come to our region.

We have a community engagement toolkit with resources for small businesses. Whether you’re a restaurant or a hair salon, there’s a way to get engaged. That’s our role: to inspire, encourage, and provide the tools necessary for the communities to get excited about this. And, quite frankly, benefit from this. We commissioned a study last year on tourism economics, and in addition to the ripple effect that it’ll have on jobs, we’re preparing for an additional 2 million-plus visitors that will be coming specifically for the World Cup. The economic impact is estimated at a very conservative number: $3.3 billion for the region.

There are different ways we’re engaging with communities, in addition to the multiple fan zones we’ll be hosting. Not everyone’s going to be lucky enough to set foot into MetLife. So our role is also how we can still make the region and people feel that they are part of it? We’re going to have an event calendar where we’re working with different chambers across the region. For anyone doing a World Cup-type event, we’ll put that on a calendar, so people can check out what there is to do near them right now.

How are the two states working together?

It’s been a great collaboration for the past several years. There are a lot of stakeholders involved. Our work is truly focused on four key pillars. So it’s security, transportation, the economic impact that this will have, and then fan engagement. On the security side, we’re working with public agencies, New Jersey state police, and NYPD. And same on the transportation side with the public transport agencies — it’s both MTA and New Jersey Transit, and the Port Authority of New York, which runs the three incredible major airports that we have in our region. So it’s a lot of cross collaboration and making sure that everyone has a seat at the table.

NY/NJ is planning multiple fan zones, right?

A rendering of the fan zone in Queens, New York. Photo: 2026 New York New Jersey 2026 World Cup Host Committee, Inc.

There are at least three currently, and we have a mobile fan zone, I like to call it. So we have announced three to date and will be announcing two, potentially three additional ones in the region.

The anchor FIFA Fan Festival is at Liberty State Park in Jersey City. It’s the epicenter of sorts outside of the stadium. We’re taking over 800,000 square feet and really transforming the park into a celebration. The match viewings are the centerpiece of it all, but around all that, there’s going to be activations with sponsors, different types of food and entertainment, local community involvement, youth organizations, etc. That will be open beginning June 11.

The second we announced is a fan village at Rockefeller Center in Manhattan, and that’s in partnership with Telemundo. We’re taking over where the Christmas tree gets set up and where the ice rink is — just picture the ice rink turned into a pitch. That’s going to be the key fan zone in the center of Manhattan, an area that generates so many tourists and locals.

We’re also taking over Louis Armstrong Stadium at the US Tennis Center in Queens. That’s going to be more of an in-stadium experience where we set up a huge screen. A lot of people are going to have fun. We’re a very big region, and we want to make sure that we’re really showing up where we need to show up for people to enjoy this tournament. As the host committee, we want to always produce something for the community to enjoy, whether they end up going to MetLife or not.

Some international fans may have concerns about coming to the US right now. What’s the committee doing to make people feel welcome and safe?

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One of our goals is security. We want this to be successful, and our team has a dotted line to the White House task force. We understand there are certain things at the federal level we can’t control, but we’re preparing the region to be welcoming for those who do come. Everything that we’re pushing out there too is multilingual — soccer is the world’s most popular sport. We’re making sure information is clear on wayfinding and the subways. Our infrastructure is already there, so it’s communicating the options for those who potentially may have never visited the region at all, right?

We have our website, which will be the one source of truth for any World Cup questions. We’ll be adding a widget with questions people may have, and that’ll be multilingual.  FIFA themselves have seven official languages. I’m a Hispanic woman, and I really value being and communicating in first languages. And I feel that, you know, the more we can try to do that, the better.

What’s a piece of advice you’d give to someone attending the NY/NJ World Cup games they won’t find on the website or in a guidebook?

A to-be-announced passport program will encourage visitors to go beyond the usual NYC attractions and visit nearby destinations, like Staten Island. Photo: NYC Tourism and Conventions/Marley White

I would encourage them to build a full trip. They’ll come here because they want to go to the must-visit places, the museums, and tourist attractions — but they should really explore beyond that. Go into the different communities. Soon, we’ll be announcing a small business program with incentives for visitors to visit different local businesses — to go down to the south of Jersey, for example. It’s truly the best way to enjoy the diversity that the region offers.

Any advice on how to save money on a trip to NYC for the World Cup?

Use public transit — it’s already in place and connects New York and New Jersey.

As it relates specifically to ticket matches, fans will get the same stadium atmosphere and experience at a FIFA Fan Festival. There are people I know who have gone to fan festivals and left saying “I went to the World Cup,” and they didn’t even go into the stadium. You’ll feel like you’ve gone to the World Cup by attending a fan zone because of the energy. Unless you’ve really experienced it, it’s hard to describe how everyone comes together and gathers for this — it’s the beauty of the interconnectedness of New York and New Jersey.