Toronto’s FIFA Fan Festival won’t open until 3 p.m. Sunday as organizers once again grapple with severe weather concerns.
What to know
- Toronto’s FIFA Fan Festival will open at 3 p.m. Sunday instead of its scheduled opening time.
- City officials cited severe weather concerns as the reason for the delay.
- The announcement was made Sunday morning by Toronto’s FIFA World Cup Secretariat.
- The delay comes days after fans were evacuated from the Fan Festival during the Mexico-South Africa match.Organizers say the safety of attendees, volunteers and staff remains the top priority.
In a media bulletin issued Sunday morning, Toronto’s FIFA World Cup 2026 Secretariat announced the delayed opening, citing an abundance of caution amid the weather forecast.
“Today’s FIFA Fan Festival Toronto will be delayed until 3 p.m. due to severe weather. The safety of attendees, volunteers and staff remain our top priority,” Executive Director Sharon Bollenbach said in the statement.
The announcement comes just days after fans attending the Fan Festival for the opening World Cup match between Mexico and South Africa were forced to leave the venue early when severe weather moved into the area.
At the time, Mexican and South African supporters had packed the downtown fan zone to watch the tournament opener before organizers displayed a cancellation notice on the giant screen and began escorting attendees out.
Many fans left disappointed but optimistic, telling Now Toronto they planned to return for Canada’s historic World Cup opener against Bosnia and Herzegovina the following day.
With unsettled weather once again in the forecast, organizers are hoping Sunday’s delayed opening will allow conditions to improve before fans return to the city’s main World Cup celebration site.
