What to know
- The City of Toronto evacuated and closed the FIFA Fan Festival on Thursday afternoon due to the risk of lightning during the Mexico vs. South Africa match.
- Fans told Now Toronto they were disappointed to leave before the game ended, with some describing the closure as a “downer” despite understanding the safety concerns.
- The city says the festival will remain closed for the rest of the evening as it prioritizes public safety ahead of Toronto’s first World Cup match on Friday.
Fans watching the screening for the Mexico vs. South Africa games at the Toronto FIFA Fan Festival shared their disappointment after the event was cancelled on Thursday due to bad weather.
The City of Toronto confirmed that fans were evacuated from the FIFA Fan Festival on Thursday afternoon due to the risk of lightning.
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Now Toronto was onsite covering the Mexico vs. South Africa match screening, and spoke with some of the fans that were leaving the event.
One fan, Diego, called the cancellation a “downer,” but said he was hoping to make it home by the second half of the match, since he lives close to The Bentway.
“It’s a downer. These are all the biggest fans who want to watch the game, and we can’t watch it. But what are you going to do?”
On the other hand, two fans who had commuted two hours to support Mexico at the event said they were now hoping to find a nearby venue screening the match at the last minute.
“[It’s] disappointing with other events happening, but you only do what you can do,” one of them told Now Toronto.
Midtown resident Andrea said she was disappointed with the cancellation, and was going to have to settle for finishing the match at home and missing out on the crowd vibes.
“It’s really bad; we commuted all the way here for nothing… We’re going to watch it [at] home, but it’s not the same vibe,” she said.
A different resident, Omar, also said he’d have to settle for watching the event at home, as he expected bars to be crowded following the cancellation.
“It didn’t even reach halftime before they cancelled it, and now we’re here in a light drizzle,” he said.
For now, the City of Toronto says the FIFA Fan Festival will remain closed tonight, as it prioritizes fans’ safety.
Toronto is set to host its first World Cup match on Friday, with Canada facing Bosnia-Herzegovina at the Toronto Stadium.
