Thus far, the FIFA Fan Festival experience at Centennial Olympic Park in downtown Atlanta has proven misgivings about the city’s preparedness for the World Cup wrong.
While the festival’s opening day on June 11 came with a few hiccups — extreme heat and a lack of shade overwhelmed visitors, volunteers, and employees at the park — by match day on June 15 in Atlanta, everything seemed to be running smoothly. People dodged rain showers on June 18, before returning to watch the Czechia versus South Africa match. The festival also had to shut down hours earlier than planned that day due to the impending rain from the remnants of Tropical Storm Arthur.
As with any other multi-week, outdoor festival, there’s been a learning curve. Let’s just call those first few days a dress rehearsal.
The scene
People attending Atlanta’s FIFA Fan Fest have learn a few things, too.
- The festival maintains a clear bag policy, barring even opaque bags brought directly from Atlanta Stadium after matches.
- People can bring clear water bottles to fill up at free hydration stations.
- Weather remains unpredictable in Atlanta during the summer, where blaring heat and thunderstorms can easily interchange within an hour and delay or cancel FIFA Fan Fest.
- Food concessions come in epic proportions and are better off shared.
- While visitors may travel in for 24 hours to see their team play at Atlanta Stadium, the population at FIFA Fan Fest skews mostly local.
To that last point, the festival delivers on the promise of providing a gathering spot for fans to watch matches together.
The park lawn faces a giant screen and attracts clusters of people from around the metro who come to cheer for their favorite teams. For Cabo Verde fans on June 15, that also meant breaking out into impromptu dance parties throughout the match against Spain. The tiny West African nation – a country smaller in population than the city of Atlanta – held heavily favored Spain to a 0-0 draw. At the final whistle, Cabo Verde fans at the festival erupted in cheers as if they had won the match. They knew this was a history-making moment at the World Cup.
When South Africa faced Czechia on June 18, the celebratory dance parties returned to the festival. That game ended in a 1-1 draw.
Things to do
Fan activations abound at the festival, with Bank of America and Coca-Cola’s experiences (and quality free swag) drawing the longest lines.
Bank of America offers people the chance to create customizable World Cup charm bracelets with ties to Atlanta. Coca-Cola Fan Zone includes DIY face-painting stations.
Kids can flex their soccer skills on a private pitch, or get creative by customizing toy jerseys at the LEGO booth.
Home Depot’s activation, Beckham’s Backyard, provides complimentary bucket-shaped cardboard fans featuring a coloring page on one side.
A FIFA pop-up shop sells World Cup gear and team jerseys.
Food and music
Live music brings a steady flow of soccer fans to the Southern Company Amphitheatre at the park throughout the day. At night, music acts like Ceelo Green, Ludacris, and Summer Walker take the main stage.
Steps from the park, food trucks line a two-block stretch of Walton Street. The caravan comprises Global Grub Alley, a collaboration between Showcase Atlanta and the Food Truck Association of Georgia.
Many food truck vendors told Rough Draft that they hope to attract a mix of tourists and locals, including nearby office workers on their lunch breaks. It’s easy to miss Global Grub Alley, especially on non-match days with much less foot traffic. Despite a large, inflatable red archway marking the entrance to the food truck corridor, crowds, the novelty of police officers on horseback, and the pomp on display at Fan Fest can make it hard to spot.
Seek out these local food trucks, which offer a variety of dishes, like curried goat, pupusas, gourmet grilled cheeses, Chinese-Caribbean fusion fare, tacos, and barbecue. You’ll also find a local lemonade stand, Italian ices, and fresh juices.
Daniel Ray, founder of grilled cheese truck Cheez’d and Confuzed, said his operation is hoping for more customers this weekend. However, he’s incredibly grateful “just being part of [a] once-in-a-lifetime kind of thing.”
Mesha Claybourn, founder of Beneficial Sips, looks forward to increased exposure for her company.
“We just got this truck in October. The company turned a year old on April 2. I’m just happy to be here so everybody can learn about my products, follow me on social media and just continue to shop with me and support me and my growth,” Claybourn said.
With two more group stage matches to go in June at Atlanta Stadium, FIFA Fan Fest will really be put to the test in July when the city hosts two knockout matches and a coveted semifinal. If predictions hold true, Atlanta could see crowds swell in July as some of the tournament’s past champions vie for a spot in the final during the knockout stage and semifinal matches.
FIFA Fan Fest runs daily at Centennial Olympic Park through June 27. In July, FIFA Fan Fest returns on July 1, 7, 11, 14, and 15. Global Grub Alley runs on Atlanta match days and the days before matches on Walton Street.
