Soccer fans will descend on Massachusetts as Gillette Boston Stadium will host seven games during the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Fans looking for an alternate viewing experience have begun to get a sense of what festivities in Boston will look like.
City officials and members of Boston 26 held a press conference to discuss Boston's plans during the tournament where they revealed that City Hall Plaza will be hosting the official fan fest.
"This is a historic gathering place right here in the heart of our great capital city," Governor Maura Healey said. "A place where for a long time, people have expressed collective passions, where we celebrated strength and diversity, where we certainly celebrated a number of sports. I know that at City Hall Plaza, what folks are going to find will be terrific live entertainment, local food, interactive experiences for everyone, young and old, to enjoy."
Healey added that it is expected that 2 million international visitors will come to town for the tournament and will help to create a total economic impact of more than $1 billion for the state. Over $100 million of the economic impact will come in the form of tax revenue, and at least 9,000 jobs are expected to be created.
The fan fest is estimated to last 16 days and officials said that the current expectation is for entry to the fan fest to be free.
