FIFA World Cup could bring 17,000 Airbnb guests to the Philly region
Airbnb hosts, meanwhile, are expected to rake in about $1,900 on average, according to a new report.
Airbnb expects to host 17,000 guests at its short-term rentals across the Philadelphia region when the FIFA World Cup comes to town next summer.
That’s according to a new report, which was done by Deloitte at Airbnb’s behest and released last week. Airbnb guests are expected to spend about $52 million on average during their stays in the Philly region, and about $14 million of that total will be spent on the rentals.
Over the course of the six matches in June and July, Airbnb hosts are expected to rake in about $1,900 on average, totaling about $8 million in earnings for all area hosts, according to the report.
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Officials from Philadelphia Soccer 2026 have estimated that the World Cup will bring 500,000 visitors to the region. Airbnb’s report estimates that 149,000 of them will require overnight accommodations.
Each Airbnb guest is expected to spend about $109 a night on average on the rentals, as well as another $301 a night on food, entertainment, and other expenses, according to the company’s report.
Airbnb guests will have a total impact of about $167 million, including direct and indirect spending, the report projected, and that activity is expected to spur additional spending in the city over the following five years.
Some experts, however, caution that the long-term economic impacts of one-off sporting events tend to be overestimated, saying they usually lead to only temporary boosts to local economies.
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Six World Cup matches are set to take place at Lincoln Financial Field between mid-June and July 4, 2026. The full schedule of events was announced Saturday, and powerhouses Brazil and France will be among the teams playing in Philadelphia. Fans can enter a lottery to purchase tickets, which will be subject to dynamic pricing that fluctuates depending on demand.
After the games were announced, some people went online to secure their short-term rentals. All host cities saw a 33% spike in new bookings last weekend, according to AirDNA, a site that analyzes data on short-term rentals. In Philadelphia, occupancy across all game days has reached 20%, a year and a half ahead of the event.
The World Cup will coincide with Philadelphia’s celebration of the United States’ 250th birthday.
Airbnb has more than 8,300 listings in the Greater Philadelphia region, which brings in $29.4 million in annual revenue, according to AirDNA.
In 2023, Airbnbs in the city became more strictly regulated, with hosts now required to have permits and licensing.