What to know
- FIFA festivities in Toronto begin June 10 with the Countdown Concert at Fort York and The Bentway, featuring performances by Bryan Adams, Nora Fatehi with DJ Sanjoy, Vegedream, and AHI alongside Wyclef Jean.
- While Fort York will host the opening celebrations, many residents expect the excitement to spread across the city, with Liberty Village emerging as a top hotspot due to its proximity to Toronto Stadium and BMO Field.
- Locals say bars and restaurants in Liberty Village are already seeing increased crowds, with visitors arriving through Exhibition GO Station and some residents renting out their homes for FIFA fans.
- Other anticipated fan hubs include downtown near Eaton Centre and Sankofa Square, as well as Harbourfront, where a floating futsal pitch will be open from June 11 to July 19.
- Toronto’s first match takes place on June 12 between Canada and Bosnia and Herzegovina.
FIFA kicking off next week means celebrations across Toronto, and residents told Now Toronto where they expect the hype to be.
Kick-off at Fork York and The Bentway
FIFA festivities begin on June 10, with the Toronto Countdown Concert stream beginning at 9 p.m.
The countdown concert is a multi-city concert to ring in the first games of Canada, the United States and Mexico, with Toronto hosting the first announced Countdown Concert, featuring artists including Bryan Adams, Nora Fatehi with DJ Sanjoy, French singer Vegedream, and a collaboration between AHI and Wyclef Jean.
The countdown concert will bring the energy to the Fort York National Historic Site and The Bentway, with ticketholders expecting to gather for the celebration.
Torontonians believe the hype will be across the city
Although the hype begins in the Fort York area, some Torontonians believe it won’t stay there, travelling to other neighbourhoods in the city as games continue throughout the season.
One Toronto resident named Christian believed the party wouldn’t be too far from the newly dubbed Toronto Stadium.
“[Liberty] Village, without a doubt, for sure,” he told Now Toronto. “This is where FIFA is taking place, and they’ve done a really great job with all the stuff around here, so you know it’s a good neighborhood to be in.”
Christian also added the bars in the area will be the place to be as well, noting the vibes of Liberty Village’s Local bar.
“I’m not going to the game. I wish I could, but no,” he shared. “[But,] I’ll definitely be watching the games in this area.”
Alyssa, another resident, on the other hand said she’s hoping to celebrate in the downtown core.
“Think it’s gonna be around Eaton Centre, it’s gonna be all the people who didn’t get the tickets, like me, but we’ll be there for the party,’ she said. I’m gonna be in [Sankofa Square]. I’m hoping they have some live music. Eaton Centre is like one place where you can go, [where] they’re randomly playing dubstep for no reason, so I love it.”
Although, between the two, Toronto resident Booker agreed with Christian.
“BMO Field [is] probably a stone’s throw away from [Liberty Village], so there’s no doubt in my mind that this neighborhood will be absolutely crazy for FIFA,” he said. “Even last night, when I was walking back to my apartment, I saw… probably like 400 people flooding the Local [bar] over there.”
Booker added that the neighbourhood itself was also beginning to see an increase of traffic.
“I saw a whole bunch of people coming out of the GO train station just off of Exhibition,” he shared. “I’ve even seen multiple advertisements for units in my building of people renting out their apartments just for people to stay in for the sake of FIFA.”
Anikin also believed Liberty Village as well as the Harbourfront was where fans should expect the most hype.
“They’re going to have the new inflatable pitch that they have,” the Toronto resident explained, referring to a floating futsal pitch that will be on the lake from June 11 to July 19. “I’m gonna go there. I’m pretty excited to try it out.”
The countdown concert kicks off festivities on June 10, with the first game in Toronto taking place on June 12 between Team Canada and Team Bosnia and Herzegovina.
