Most tickets to FIFA World Cup fan fest will now be free after backlash

City will offer 15,600 general admission tickets at no cost per day as well as 500 tickets to community groups

Published Apr 22, 2026  •  2 minute read

The 2026 FIFA World Cup countdown clock is seen outside Toronto City Hall at Nathan Phillips Square, July 15, 2025. Photo by Files /Toronto Sun

Facing backlash over plans to charge a fee for the FIFA World Cup fan festival, the City of Toronto will now offer free tickets to most who want to attend.

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At Wednesday’s council meeting, a report was submitted by the executive director of the FIFA World Cup 2026 Toronto Secretariat and the city’s Chief Procurement Officer that will see 15,600 free general admission tickets available to the public per day, as well as 500 tickets allotted to community groups out of the 20,000 people who are estimated to attend.

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Only premium tickets will have cost

The other 3,900 tickets will be set aside as premium access with a cost of between $100 and $300. Those tickets are expected to generate approximately $3 million in revenue.

“With General Admission Tickets at no cost accounting for over 80% of all tickets, the model prioritizes broad, inclusive access while using a ticketing reservation system to responsibly cap daily attendance and prevent overcrowding,” the report said.

“This model will ensure fairness, community access, and reassurance that FIFA Fan Festival remains welcoming, with the improved ability to more closely monitor and plan based on real attendance data.”

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Free event was promised

Last year, the fan festival was promoted by the city as a free event for residents to enjoy.

However, at a council meeting last week, staff said ticket sales were necessary to ensure the budget to host the fan fest didn’t spiral out of control. The fee would also help keep the event from getting overcrowded despite the FIFA contract saying it should be free.

It is believed the city would have collected about $25 million in revenue if all fan fest attendees were charged an entrance fee.

Councillor Josh Matlow confirmed that the festival, which will be held at Fort York National Historic Site and The Bentway, will go ahead for free for most attendees.

“Toronto residents already paid $180 million to host the games, and tickets to the stadium are cost prohibitive for most people,” he wrote on social platform X.

“At the very least, an event that was promised to residents, no matter their means, so that everyone can be part of the World Cup, will be free and accessible to all.”

World Cup just 50 days away

Wednesday marks 50 days until the World Cup soccer tournament gets underway as BMO Field is set to host six games over the course of the tournament.

The fan festival will run from June 11 to July 19 and will feature live match broadcasts on large screens and other cultural events.

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   WARMINGTON: City plans to charge for fan fest despite FIFA contract saying it should be free
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   WARMINGTON: Only in Toronto could ‘free’ World Cup fan fest now come with cost

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