What to know
- The City of Toronto is proposing paid entry for its World Cup Fan Fest events, which were initially planned as free for the public.
- A new report recommends adding $9 million for enhanced security and operations, bringing total festival costs to $25 million.
- Ticketing could generate about $6.2 million, with additional funding from FIFA and internal budget reallocations.
- City Councillor Brad Bradford criticized the proposal and urged Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow to keep the event free.
The City of Toronto is proposing to charge soccer fans admission for its World Cup Fan Fests, which were originally planned to be free.
A report by the city’s Executive Director, FIFA World Cup 2026 Toronto Secretariat, and the Chief Procurement Officer released on Tuesday is recommending that the city authorize an extra $9 million agreement with FIFA Fan Festival Vendors to ramp up security at the events and improve fan experience.
If approved, the move would bring the total costs of the Fan Festivals from $16 million to $25 million. The report suggests that the additional funding would come through “internal reallocations” and wouldn’t move the city’s total World Cup hosting budget from the current $380 million.
According to the city, the Fan Festival will run between June 11 and July 29 in Fort York and The Bentway, and will give fans a chance to experience the event and connect through sport. The fests will feature a live broadcast of World Cup matches, cultural performances, food experiences, interactive installations, and more.
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Originally, the festivals were advertised in city media releases as “a free and inclusive space for residents and visitors.” Now, with the extra costs, the report is recommending that the city charge for admission to the festival to make up for the additional funding.
The report recommends that the city charge:
- $10 for general admission;
- $100 for VIP Tier 3 tickets;
- $150 for VIP Tier 2 tickets;
- $300 for VIP Tier 1 tickets.
According to the report, the charge would enable more security, medical, fire, and operational planning, as well as more enjoyable experiences for fans.
Staff expects ticketing to raise $6.2 million, making up for most of the $9 million added costs, while $900,000 will come from FIFA for the FIFA-led activation and other $1.9 million will come from reallocations within the city’s host budget.
The recommendations will be debated and voted on by city councillors during the city’s executive committee on Wednesday.
Ahead of the meeting on Wednesday, City Councillor Brad Bradford criticized the plan of charging Fan Festival attendees an admission fee, pointing out that the added cost might keep families from attending the event.
“Ten dollars might not sound like much at City Hall. But for a family of five, that is fifty dollars before anyone has bought a drink or a meal. For a lot of families in this city, that is the difference between going and staying home. And for a moment that was supposed to bring Toronto together, that is exactly the wrong call,” he said in a statement posted on X.
Bradford pointed out that other World Cup host cities, including Vancouver, Atlanta, Houston, Philadelphia, and Kansas City have committed to keeping their festivals free and urged Mayor Olivia Chow to keep Toronto’s original plan of doing so as well.
According to the councillor, the city “had years to plan for this” and could have better prepared their budget ahead of the event.
“Toronto is about to host the world. We should be showing the world what this city is capable of, not nickel-and-diming our own residents for a party we promised would be free.”
Mayor Chow promised the FIFA Fan Fest would be free.
— Brad Bradford (@BradMBradford) April 15, 2026
Now it’s going to cost $50 for a family of five to get in the door.
This is a disappointing flip-flop from Mayor Chow, and it’s Toronto families who will pay the price. pic.twitter.com/0VZkvwJzah
