Wave Staff and Wire Reports
LOS ANGELES — A four-day World Cup fan experience begins at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum June 11, a day before the U.S. men’s soccer team opens the tournament at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood against Paraguay.
“The FIFA Fan Festival will be the heartbeat of the FIFA World Cup experience in Los Angeles,” Kathryn Schloessman, CEO of the Los Angeles World Cup 2026 Host Committee, said in a statement. “From the live matches and headline music performances to the food, culture and community celebrations, this will be the place where fans come together to experience the excitement and global spirit of the tournament throughout opening week.”
Organizers said the festival will also feature appearances by FIFA World Cup 2026 mascots Maple, Zayu and Clutch, along with family-oriented attractions and interactive exhibits.
Officials said the FIFA Fan Festival is expected to serve as Los Angeles’ central public gathering place for World Cup fans. The event will feature live match broadcasts, musical performances, fan activations, international food offerings and cultural programming.
Scheduled performers include Steve Aoki, Normani, Deorro, Sickick, Los Lobos, Capital Cities and DJ Ravidrums. Organizers said tickets are $10, while children 12 and younger will be admitted free.
Festival highlights are expected to include a June 11 watch party for Mexico’s match against South Africa, along with performances by Los Lobos and Deorro.
On June 12, fans will be able to watch the United States face Paraguay while Steve Aoki and DJ Ravidrums perform. Capital Cities is scheduled to perform June 13, while Sickick and Normani are slated to appear June 13.
Adidas also will launch its “Home of Soccer” activation June 11 at BMO Stadium. The free event will include a public watch party for the World Cup opening match between Mexico and South Africa, activities tied to Adidas’ nationwide adiCup youth tournament and a second watch party for South Korea’s match against the Czech Republic. The day will conclude with performances by Noodles and Grammy-winning singer-songwriter Peso Pluma, according to organizers.
Organizers previously announced a series of official Los Angeles World Cup 26 Fan Zones that will operate throughout the tournament. They will be at: The Original Farmers Market, June 18-21; the city of Downey, June 20; Union Station, June 25-28; Hansen Dam Lake, July 2-5; Earvin “Magic” Johnson Park, July 4-5; Whittier Narrows Recreation Area, July 9-11; Venice Beach, July 10-11; Fairplex in Pomona, July 14-15 and July 18-19; West Harbor in San Pedro, July 14-15 and July 18-19; and downtown Burbank, July 18-19.
Fans can purchase official tournament merchandise at FIFA World Cup 2026 retail pop-up stores now operating across the region. Organizers said the locations offer jerseys, apparel, hats, scarves, accessories, mascot merchandise and other World Cup-themed products.
The stores are located on the Third Street Promenade in Santa Monica, at Manhattan Village in Manhattan Beach, The Bloc and Grand Central Market in downtown Los Angeles, Ovation Hollywood in Hollywood and Del Amo Fashion Center in Torrance. Organizers said all six locations are expected to remain open through July 31.
Additional watch parties are scheduled June 12 throughout the region, including a 4:30 p.m. event at the Carson Event Center, 801 E. Carson St.; a 4:30 p.m. viewing at Ovation Hollywood in Hollywood; a 5 p.m. viewing party at Burton Chace Park in Marina del Rey; a 5 p.m. “One Nation Under Gol” celebration at Duarte Sports Park, 1401 Central Ave.; and a 5 p.m. community watch party at Veterans Memorial Park, 4117 Overland Ave. in Culver City.
All will feature live broadcasts of the United States-Paraguay match along with food, entertainment or family-oriented activities.
The Los Angeles Public Library is displaying a large soccer-themed mural at Central Library to mark the World Cup.
The mural, “World Encounter over El Arroyo Seco,” by East Los Streetscapers artists David Botello and Wayne Healy, is on view in the atrium of the Tom Bradley Wing near the Art, Music and Recreation Department, according to the library.
Created in 1994, the last time Los Angeles hosted World Cup matches, the mural depicts two soccer players battling for possession of a ball as they float through space toward a satellite. Below them is the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, where World Cup matches were played that year.
The work measures approximately 9 1/2 feet by 24 feet and was designed to reflect the global reach of the sport and the ability of international competition to bring people together, officials said.
“Los Angeles Public Library is thrilled to pay tribute to the world’s passion for soccer with this spectacular, multi-story mural,” City Librarian John F. Szabo said in a statement. “Although the East Los Streetscapers painted the piece in 1994, their message of hope that international sports can help unite the world resonates today.”
The mural originally was installed atop the former air traffic control tower at Hollywood-Burbank Airport during the 1994 World Cup, serving as a welcome symbol for visitors arriving for the tournament. After being displayed for about a month, it was placed in storage for more than 30 years.
Botello and Healy have collaborated on public art projects for nearly 50 years.
“Displaying the mural near our Art and Recreation department is a wonderful idea and a nod to both sport and play,” Central Library Director Kren Malone said. “It not only highlights the excitement of soccer but also beautifully captures the art of movement and moments of intensity through color and action.”
The East Los Streetscapers, originally known as Los Dos Streetscapers, were founded in the 1970s and emerged from the Chicano mural movement.
Their murals frequently feature diverse communities and emphasize shared cultural traditions throughout Los Angeles.
Library officials said the display coincides with Kick It in the Library, a soccer-themed series of programs and events planned at Central Library and branch locations during the World Cup period.
“This summer, we are celebrating all things soccer, or fútbol, by holding events in our branches and Central Library,” said Mayra Valadez, president of the Board of Library Commissioners.
The mural will remain on view through August 2028, encompassing both the World Cup and the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Los Angeles.
