NEW YORK — The host committee for the World Cup in New York and New Jersey has canceled its planned fan festival at Liberty State Park in Jersey City.
The committee has abandoned plans for the extended festival that was set to take place approximately 15 miles (24 kilometers) from MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, where the final match is scheduled for July 19.
The FanFest was first announced in February 2025 by Tammy Murphy, spouse of then-New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy and chair of the New York/New Jersey host committee’s board, who indicated it would be available for all 104 matches of the tournament commencing on June 11.
The committee stated in a release on Friday that an “expanded network of fan zones and community celebrations across 21 counties in New Jersey will serve as a cornerstone of the region’s official fan engagement program.”
Mikie Sherrill, who succeeded Murphy as governor, revealed a $5 million initiative on Thursday to support community World Cup projects.
Tickets for the FanFest had been made available for purchase in December.
Plans for a FanFest in Corona Park, Queens, did not progress. A festival is now scheduled to take place at the U.S. Tennis Association’s Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Queens from June 17-28, and a fan village is planned for Manhattan’s Rockefeller Center from July 4-19.
Fan fests featuring large video screens have been a component of each World Cup’s organization since 2006.
FIFA is overseeing the World Cup itself, in contrast to previous tournaments when a local organizing committee managed logistics. The host committees are restricted to sponsorship agreements in categories not designated by FIFA.
