The World Cup’s hottest accessory is this free bracelet, prompting hourslong lines
A free charm bracelet available at FIFA Fan Festivals nationwide, including Philadelphia's in Lemon Hill, has gone viral. Bank of America is behind the coveted Fan Bands, drawing hours-long lines.
The World Cup’s hottest accessory is free, but it’ll cost hours of your time.
At the FIFA Fan Festival in Lemon Hill, fans watched Germany beat Curacao, the Netherlands and Japan draw, and Ecuador’s loss to Ivory Coast on Sunday. Between games, attendees bought snacks or tried their hand at different sponsored booths for prizes. Lines ebbed and flowed. But one stretched across the field with seemingly no end in sight.
A simple customizable charm bracelet has taken off in popularity at FIFA Fan Festivals nationwide, including Philly’s. The free accessory has prompted wait times rivaling a Taylor Swift merch line, the latest sneaker drop, or John’s Water Ice during a record-breaking heat wave.
“Get there early!” TikTokers warned while showing off their new hardware. “I waited four hours,” one user wrote in the comments.
Bank of America is the sponsor behind the extremely popular giveaway. The company announced in a news release that it was armed with more than 2 million “Fan Bands” and 10 million beads.
Mimicking a Pandora bracelet, the Fan Bands are comprised of a red, blue, or black woven band and an assortment of metal beads that lace through. Beads available include numbers, flags, a FIFA World Cup trophy, and several city-specific designs that pair with World Cup host cities.
City-specific designs include a cable car for San Francisco, Mount Rainier in Seattle, a yellow cab in New York City, and a lobster in Boston.
Philadelphia’s city-specific charms include the Liberty Bell, a cheesesteak, the LOVE statue, Rocky’s boxing gloves, and Independence Hall. Visitors can either design a custom bracelet, selecting five beads, or opt for a faster pre-designed bracelet.
The bracelets are completely free for Fan Festival attendees — no sign-ups or bank loyalty required, either. But be warned: The lines are getting serious.
On Reddit, an attendee said visitors ran straight to the Bank of America booth when Philly’s Fan Fest opened and that they waited an hour and 20 minutes to get theirs. On TikTok, users said they waited anywhere from four to eight hours depending on when they arrived and their level of determination.
The allegiance isn’t limited to Philadelphia. People attending Fan Fests in other cities are also complaining about the lines.
In Dallas, one attendee noted: “more people [were] lining up for bracelets than watching the match.”
And if waiting in lines isn’t your thing, Philly has another charm bracelet ready and waiting.
Artist John Wind launched a collection of Philly charms in honor of the nation’s 250th birthday that also features the LOVE statue, a boxing glove, and even a soccer ball. The locally made bracelet, which is a collaboration with the Philadelphia Visitor Center, is $98.
