World Cup 2026: Lawrence pushes planning for massive crowds, Kansas City fan fest
LAWRENCE, Kan. (KCTV) - Planning is well underway as Kansas City and the surrounding area prepares to host tens of thousands of visitors for weeks next year.
The Douglas County Commissioners learned more about the extensive plans underway surrounding World Cup 2026 and Lawrence during a meeting Wednesday evening.
WORLD CUP GAME PLANS
World Cup 2026 opens with matches in Toronto, Mexico City, and Los Angeles. The event ends on July 19, 2026 in New York.
We already know six World Cup matches will be played at Arrowhead Stadium. According to information provided to commissioners the dates of those matches in 2026 are:
- June 16
- June 20
- June 25
- June 27
- July 3
- July 11
FAN FEST
In addition to World Cup games, there will be other events for fans scheduled around the massive tournament.
One of the largest will be held at Kansas City’s Liberty Memorial, according to John Stipetich, Douglas County Emergency Management Deputy Director, said.
He told commissioners Monday evening that the FIFA-sanctioned Fan Fest will be held at the landmark, just like the NFL Draft. As many as 25,000 people are expected to attend fanfest during the several weeks it is open.
BASE CAMPS
Site surveys are already underway at locations identified as potential base camps for teams and their fans.
There are three locations in the running to be used as base camp locations in the Kansas City area.
- Children’s Mercy Park
- KC Stadium
- Rock Chalk Park
“Site visits have started. The teams federations from around the world have already been coming to Lawrence and other places in the country to see our community, to see Rock Chalk Park,” Stipetich said.
None of the locations will know if they are hosting a team until early next year, according to Stipetich.
He said if Rock Chalk Park is chosen, Lawrence could see 20,000 visitors.
“They’re gonna live here. They’re gonna train here, and they’re gonna practice here, and then leave from where when they go to their games anywhere across the continent,” Stipetich said.
Lawrence expects to see an influx of visitors even if the city ends up not hosting a team at a base camp.
“We expect that as people come into the Kansas City area they may use some of those extra days to expand out into the surrounding areas, like to Lawrence and other areas to see what we have going on,” Stipetich said.
UNIQUE CHALLENGES
Cities, including Lawrence have already been planning for World Cup 2026 for months.
While some planning is expected, there is a lot of planning for an event like this one that is simply different from other large-scale events that have been held in the region.
“When that team comes in, we’re expecting their coaches, their staff, fans, media, dignitaries from foreign countries,” Stipetich said.
In Lawrence, the summer is normally a slower time with the majority of college students away for summer break. That will create its own challenges, according to Stipetich.
“This is gonna be happening in the summer, which is usually what we consider a lul, or a low time, in Lawrence. A lot of our workforce usually coming from the schools are not going to be around. How are we going to staff our restaurants? Staff our hotels?” Stipetich said.
There are questions about how mass transportation will work between Lawrence and Kansas City for matches, and whether there will be enough parking for people who rent cars.
There are even crews analyzing cell phone networks and broadband connections to make sure they can handle large crowds, according to information provided to Douglas County Commissioners.
PLANNING UNDERWAY
The Douglas County Emergency Management Staff did tell commissioners that past events have helped them prepare for something like the World Cup.
A large number of agencies already know how to work together following NCAA Championship Parades and annual block parties held during the KU Football season.
There is a United Command Created specifically for the World Cup.
“What the unified command allows us to do is bring a lot of different agencies together under a common organization, under a common goal to share resources, share info and make our response more effective,” Stipetich said.
The city and county are also looking to see if there are construction projects that need to be expedited or delayed.
Leaders also realise that translation services will be needed, but won’t know what those languages are until several months before the tournament starts.
FUNDING CHALLENGES
One thing that presents a challenge, according to Stipetich, is how much everything is expected to cost.
Being a base camp city is expected to cost millions in overtime alone in Lawrence. That would pay for security at Rock Chalk Park and at events planned around World Cup practices and matches.
- State of Kansas
- Allocated $28 million to go to KC26 to fund the regional approach
- State of Missouri
- Allocated $62 million
- KC26 requesting $40 million more from state
There are questions about what that money will pay for and whether Lawrence is eligible for some of the funding Stipetich said.
Overall, organizers believe World Cup 2026 will have a $600 million impact on the Kansas City area. Lawrence expects to see some of that economic boost. The city also expects to have global exposure that it wouldn’t normally experience.
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