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The 2026 FIFA World Cup Fan Festival location will be familiar to Kansas City-area sports fans.
Watch the announcement in the video player below:
KC2026, the nonprofit organizing committee for the region’s World Cup preparations, announced Wednesday that FIFA Fan Fest will take place at the World War I Museum and Memorial overlooking Union Station and Kansas City's downtown skyline.
"GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium will host World Cup matches very soon, and I'm thrilled today to announce that the location of our Fan Fest here in Kansas City will be the National World War I Museum and Memorial," Lucas said during a press conference to announce the decision.
He called the memorial "an enduring symbol of the importance of international peace and cooperation" and "an ideal location to bring people from around the world together in Kansas City."
The site was used for the 2023 NFL Draft. Additionally, the north lawn of the World War I Museum and Memorial grounds has hosted four championship parades — the Royals in 2015 and the Chiefs in 2020, 2023 and 2024.
"A lot of our happiest times, our most-crowded ones, have been right here," Lucas said. "To share that Kansas City tradition with the world, for people to come have fun, like the kids laughing behind us, is something that’s thrilling for us."
WATCH | ‘Welcoming the World: How KC Became a Host City
It also offers a chance for Kansas City to put its best foot forward.
"When you think about our trajectory as a region, we're on this incredible rise and we've been building to this moment," said KC2026 CEO Pam Kramer. "Fan Fest is all about sharing that with the world. We want them to know us and love us as the Soccer Capital of America."
National World War I Museum and Memorial President and CEO Dr. Matthew Naylor cheered the announcement. He also noted 2026 marks the centennial of the memorial's dedication by President Calvin Coolidge.
"He stood here with 150,000 people down this mall, talking to people about this memorial being a symbol of peace, and I'm proud that a century later, that we would gather here, this international community in the spirit of unity through this international athletic competition," Naylor said.
There are three potential base-camp sites — including Compass Minerals National Performance Center, where Sporting Kansas City trains, as well as the Kansas City Current’s training facility in Riverside and the University of Kansas’ Rock Chalk Park in Lawrence.
Renovations at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium already have started, but the bulk of the work will take place after the 2024 Chiefs season.
FIFA announced last February that Arrowhead will host six games, including a quarterfinal and another knockout-stage game, during the World Cup in two years.
Missouri approved $50 million and Kansas provided $10 million to help with World Cup preps, while the city has committed $15 million, including $5 million this fiscal year. Johnson County will kick in at least $1.5 million to the regional effort, too.
KC2026 was formed in May 2023, but its board has seen some recent turnover in leadership with Executive Director Katherine Holland’s resignation and the departure of KCMO City Manager Brian Platt.
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