‘Heart and soul’ of World Cup coming to fan zones in Pittsburgh, Reading, and Scranton
In addition to the massive FIFA Fan Festival coming to Brewerytown's Lemon Hill Park, the city's World Cup host committee announced activations in the three other cities in Pa. later this summer.
Philadelphia is the only host city in Pennsylvania for this summer’s FIFA World Cup, but organizers are ensuring the global game reaches across the commonwealth.
On Thursday at a news conference in Reading that featured Gov. Josh Shapiro, Visit PA and Philadelphia Soccer 2026, the city’s World Cup host committee, announced that three satellite activations dubbed “World Cup Fan Zones” will be added in Pittsburgh, Reading, and Scranton.
“The matches may be in Philly, but I think the heart and soul of FIFA is going to be all across Pennsylvania,” Shapiro said.
Fans in Pittsburgh will be able to watch select knockout round matches from the field at Acrisure Stadium. In Reading, English and Spanish-language watch parties will take place inside Santander Arena. Scranton’s Fan Zone will be outdoors at Lackawanna County Courthouse Square and will feature an LED screen fit to accommodate crowds of up to 5,000 people.
» READ MORE: World Cup turf experts say the grass is greener in Philadelphia, specifically at the Linc
“We knew that our hosting responsibilities had to extend beyond southeastern Pennsylvania,” said Meg Kane, host city executive and CEO of Philadelphia Soccer 2026. “We understood that Philadelphia wasn’t selected to host the World Cup — the commonwealth of Pennsylvania was selected to host the World Cup, with Philadelphia being a site.”
The Fan Zones outside Philadelphia will be free to enter, but unlike the FIFA Fan Festival set to occupy Lemon Hill Park for all 39 days of the tournament, fan zones will only operate on select match days in the knockout stages. All three locations will be open for the round of 16 matches on July 4 and the final on July 19.
“I have never seen such passion and excitement for a sporting event in my life, and I am a Philadelphia Eagles fan,” Kane said. “So it was important that we make the FIFA World Cup as accessible to Pennsylvanians as possible. This is [one of] the most powerful economic engines on the planet, in terms of sports, and its impact won’t, and should not, stop at the Philadelphia city limits.”
» READ MORE: Three key positional battles to watch with the USMNT this month, as the World Cup looms
The community watch parties will also feature live entertainment and interactive fan experiences — all free of charge, according to organizers.
“These fan zones are free,” Shapiro said. “We’re not charging anybody to show up. We think the economic impact on our restaurants, our bars, and hotels is going to lift up the entire commonwealth.”
Philadelphia Soccer 2026 estimates that hosting six World Cup matches this summer will generate a total economic impact of $770 million. Shapiro said that it was a priority for his administration to ensure that the excitement and projected economic impact of this summer’s tournament was felt across the state.
“We’re going to have a lot of excitement and opportunity in the city of brotherly love and sisterly affection in Philadelphia, but we’ve also been very, very clear that FIFA cannot only be in Philadelphia,” Shapiro said. “It’s got to be all across this commonwealth. I insisted on that in some of my first meetings with FIFA. And so, as a result of that, Visit PA … will host these unbelievable Fan Zones in Scranton, in Pittsburgh, and, of course, right here in Reading.”
The Pittsburgh Fan Zone inside Acrisure Stadium will be open to the public for round of 16 matches on July 4 and July 5, a quarterfinal match on July 9, and the final on July 19. Spectators will be able to watch matches on the video board at the home of the Steelers.
Scranton’s Fan Zone will host outdoor watch parties for round of 16 matches on July 4, July 5 and July 6, the third-place match on July 18, and the final on July 19.
The Fan Zone in Reading will open for three round of 32 matches on July 3, round of 16 matches on July 4, the third-place match on July 18, and the final on July 19. Reading Mayor Eddie Morán said the city’s Fan Zone will extend outside Santander Arena to create a “block party atmosphere.”
“We are ready to put on a show, that is not just in the city of Philadelphia, but is all across this great commonwealth,” Shapiro said. “We’re ready to welcome more than a half a million people to the commonwealth of Pennsylvania for this celebration. To watch not only what is one of the greatest sporting events on the face of the earth but to get to know one another, to celebrate with one another, and to have a darn good time with one another.”