Fans in Toronto watch the FIFA World Cup group draw take place on Dec. 5, 2025.Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press
Toronto has scrapped a plan to charge for general admission to its FIFA Fan Festival after receiving backlash and is now mulling other ways to fund expanded programming and security measures for this summer’s World Cup.
The city is among several hosts facing costs tied to the official fan zones, which have historically been free to enter and offer people an accessible alternative to prohibitively expensive match tickets. Toronto and Vancouver are the two Canadian cities among the 16 co-hosting the soccer tournament.
City staff had initially recommended charging $10 for general admission to the fan festival, which would account for 80 per cent of all tickets for the event taking place June 11 to July 19 at Fort York and The Bentway. Three VIP tiers would go for $100, $150 and $300.
The additional revenue was intended to offset a newly proposed $9-million expansion of programming and security measures. Ticket sales would have generated about $6.2-million, while $1.9-million would be reallocated from within the city’s $380-million tournament budget, according to a staff report. FIFA would contribute $900,000 to expand the fan zone.
An approval would have brought the total cost of Toronto’s fan festival to $25-million.
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Mayor Olivia Chow initially defended the ticketing idea as a tool to improve planning. But after receiving pushback from councillors, her executive committee on Wednesday directed staff to explore other options, including creating a free general admission ticket category and seeking out private sponsorship. About 11,000 free tickets are being held for community groups.
Braman Thillainathan, Ms. Chow’s press secretary, said in an e-mail to The Globe and Mail on Thursday that the mayor “remains committed to ensuring the city delivers the tournament within its approved financial framework, including zero property tax dollars.”
Staff will report back to city council with new recommendations next week.
The fan festival, which will feature live match broadcasts, music, entertainment and food, was billed as a “free and inclusive space for residents and visitors to connect through the power of sport.” However, the executive committee meeting heard Wednesday that about 20 per cent of tickets are premium VIP passes, some of which have already been sold as part of corporate partnerships.
Councillor Josh Matlow, who is opposed to charging for admission, said in an interview with The Globe that that was the first he had heard of corporate tickets being sold. He said he accepts that it would not be feasible to undo those sales, but insisted that the remaining tickets should be free.
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He is keen to see what staff report back with next week.
“If the plan is a wobbly thing where they’re like, okay, a few tickets will be free but the rest will have a fee, that’s not good enough,” he said. “I’ll move a motion to make general admission completely free.”
Mr. Matlow noted that Toronto is footing $178-million of the total $380-million price to host six matches in the city when most residents can’t afford to enter Toronto Stadium, which is what BMO Field will be called during the tournament. As well, there will be few legacy projects for residents to enjoy after the tournament is over, he said.
“So when there’s this one big event that was promised to be free – that anybody, no matter your means, can come and enjoy, and feel part of this big world event that we’re hosting – then we better damn well come through with that promise,” Mr. Matlow said.
Tickets for Canada’s June 12 opener against Bosnia and Herzegovina at Toronto Stadium ranged from $2,300 to $4,705 on FIFA’s ticket sales platform this week.
Other host cities are taking varied approaches to pricing and access.
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In Vancouver, entry to the fan festival site at Hastings Park will be free, with about 2,600 people able to access the amphitheatre – where musical acts will perform – each match day on a first-come, first-serve basis. Paid options include fast-track entry, “signature” concerts on non-match days and reserved seating, with tickets ranging from $44 to $244.
In the U.S., New York/New Jersey received backlash in December over plans to charge US$10 for tickets to a fan festival at Liberty State Park. That event has since been cancelled and replaced with several smaller regional fan zones. Los Angeles, meanwhile, is charging US$10 for general admission to its fan festival and US$30 for premium seating, with free entry for children 12 and under.
Houston’s fan festival is free but will have a private hospitality space on-site that can be rented at a cost ranging from US$7,000 to US$22,500, depending on day and duration. The air-conditioned loft has space for up to 100 people and includes catering, and is marketed as being ideal for corporate events, client entertainment and employee appreciation.