New Jersey cancels World Cup fan fest to fund smaller local events

New Jersey's planned World Cup fan fest in Jersey City has been cancelled as the state will instead focus on supporting more local, community-based events for fans during this summer's tournament. The decision comes just months before the World Cup kicks off and after tickets had already been sold to the planned Fan Fest.

Governor Mikie Sherrill confirmed on Thursday that the fan fest would not go on as planned. The New Jersey Economic Development Authority and the FIFA World Cup 26 New York New Jersey Host Committee will partner to front an initiative that will allocate $5 million into community initiatives for soccer fans.

The initiative will now focus on "high-impact" fan events that are more beneficial to small businesses across New Jersey, not just on the one Jersey City location. The original plan, which was announced in 2025, was for Liberty State Park to be open for all 104 matches of the tournament, which will be co-hosted by the U.S., Canada and Mexico.

United States, Jersey City, New Jersey

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