Cities are charging World Cup fans to attend FIFA fan festivals. Philly will not be one of them.

There’s been considerable discussion surrounding what many feel are exorbitant ticket prices to attend a match at this summer’s FIFA World Cup.

But another recent announcement seemingly sent people over the edge. For the first time in the history of the tournament, FIFA will charge fans to attend its fan festivals across many of the 16 cities in North America selected to host games in the monthlong tournament.

And while that has been made public for at least one of the hosts, general admission to Philly’s fan festival, scheduled for June and July on the grounds of Lemon Hill Mansion in the Brewerytown section of the city, will remain free, according to Philadelphia Soccer 2026, the committee responsible for the planning and execution of Philly’s tournament footprint.

“Since our selection as a host city in 2022, Philadelphia Soccer 2026 has remained committed to making sure every fan can share in the excitement, culture, and community of this generational sporting event,” Meg Kane, host city executive of Philadelphia Soccer 2026, said in a statement to The Inquirer on Wednesday.

“Essential to that commitment, we made the decision to offer free general admission to FIFA Fan Festival at Lemon Hill, ensuring an inclusive and welcoming environment where fans from all backgrounds can come together to celebrate the world’s game.”

» READ MORE: To kick-start a generation of city kids playing soccer, it will take more than just a place to play

While general admission will remain free for the scores of fans who are expected to descend upon Philly over the course of five group matches and a massive round of 16 game on July 4, there will be “optional VIP experiences,” including expedited entry into festival grounds, and are expected to be available for purchase at a later date.

Kane’s announcement mirrors that of other cities, such as Kansas City and Vancouver, which also have stated their intention to keep admission free for their events.

But when the news of potential fees at fan festivals initially landed, it certainly didn’t appear that would be the case.

Amid the news that FIFA plans to charge for its fan festivals, it was overlooked that only one delegation has formally announced its intent to charge an upfront entrance fee.

In fact, a spokesperson with knowledge of the proceedings told The Inquirer that any intention to add a fee to the festivals was not a blanket decision made by FIFA as soccer’s world governing body; instead, it is left to host city committees to decide.

A FIFA spokesperson confirmed this and added on Thursday that while some host city delegations have begun relaying their fan festival plans, “FIFA will communicate the full suite of details [for all 16 host cities] in the first quarter of 2026,” where, in addition to what’s to come at those sites, announcements of which ones might consider charging a fee will be made public.

“From the outset, FIFA has worked closely with host cities and local stakeholders to help shape meaningful fan experiences beyond the stadiums that are community-led, fan-oriented and aligned with the spirit of the FIFA World Cup,” a FIFA spokesperson said in a statement to The Inquirer. “It is important to recognize that there is no one-size-fits-all model for fan engagement across a tournament of this scale.”

FIFA’s spokesperson also noted that “fan experiences can take many forms — from large-scale gatherings to more decentralized, community-driven activations,” which dovetails into the preliminary plan of attack of the New York-New Jersey delegation, which isn’t viewing its overall fan engagement strategy as hosted at one large site, but several.

» READ MORE: FIFA slashes price of some World Cup tickets to $60 after fan backlash

For soccer fans planning a trip for the World Cup final or New Yorkers who can’t afford it but want in, tickets are available for New York’s main fan festival at Liberty Park via Ticketmaster for $12.50.

But there’s a methodology at play here.

According to a host city committee official, the move isn’t as much a revenue driver as a crowd management strategy designed to regulate capacity and effectively coordinate staffing, security, and transportation.

Essentially, by putting a limit on the number of people expected to descend upon the area to watch a series of matches in June and July, the Liberty Park fan festival can be capped at a number, one anticipated to still be in the tens of thousands, daily.

To accommodate a global population, the delegation plans to bring in a scaled-down version of its festival, termed as “fan zones,” into all five New York boroughs. The first two have already been announced: Rockefeller Center in Manhattan will host a “fan village,” as will the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, the home of the U.S. Open in Queens.

More are expected to be announced later, and the fan village at Rockefeller Center will be free to attend. As of now, New York-New Jersey is the only host city committee planning fan experience that’s not situated in a single location.

“New York-New Jersey is building a regional fan experience unlike anything seen in World Cup history,” Alex Lasry, CEO of the New York-New Jersey host committee, told The Inquirer. “We’re proud to have announced three official NYNJ Host Committee fan experiences that will bring the World Cup far beyond the stadium.

“These spaces are essential to the World Cup experience, creating accessible and affordable places for people to come together and experience the biggest games in one of the world’s most iconic venues. And this is just the beginning — we look forward to announcing additional fan engagement opportunities so the entire region can feel the impact of the World Cup.”

» READ MORE: Follow the Inquirer's complete coverage of World Cup soccer here!