Fans attending World Cup games at Boston Stadium this summer will be glad to know that organizers have reversed a controversial decision not to permit tailgating at the venue.
Monday’s decision comes after the language on the organization’s website indicated that pregame activity may not be permitted during the event, as it read, "traditional 'tailgating' (eating and drinking around parked cars) is not permitted for these events."
In a statement on Monday, World Cup Boston officials gave the green light to tailgates at Boston Stadium.
"We are pleased to share that tailgating will be permitted at Boston Stadium like any other event hosted at the stadium, as there are no venue restrictions or local public safety restrictions in place that would prohibit it.”
It appears some miscommunication led to the initial confusion. Boston Host Committee President Mike Loynd and venue officials were under the impression that a “no-tailgating” rule was a blanket rule across all 2026 World Cup venues, but the organization came to the decision after seeking clarification from FIFA officials.
"Based on prior information that FIFA communicated to Boston Soccer 2026, it was both our understanding and the host venue's understanding that 'no tailgating' was a tournament-wide FIFA rule, and we included that information in our forward-facing messaging accordingly. In light of FIFA's recent comments, we sought clarification from FIFA in order to provide the best fan experience possible."
Gillette Stadium, which will be renamed to “Boston Stadium” during this summer’s World Cup tournament, will feature five group stage matches plus a Round of 32 and Quarterfinals match. The first match at the venue sees Haiti face off against Scotland on July 13th at 9:00 PM ET.
