City Council members and FIFA praise the plan for the 2026 World Cup fan fest on Lemon Hill

Four Council members attended the event, and gave their backing to the fan fest and the two-part renovation of the park that will start before the World Cup and end after it.

City Council members on stage at Thursday's event on Lemon Hill included (from left to right) president Kenyatta Johnson, district members Curtis Jones Jr. and Jeffrey Young, and at-large member Nicholas O'Rourke.Read moreElizabeth Robertson / Staff Photographer

by Jonathan Tannenwald

Published June 20, 2024, 5:13 p.m. ET

The choice of Lemon Hill to host Philadelphia’s World Cup fan fest in 2026 got two important endorsements Thursday afternoon, a few hours after the World Cup organizing committee revealed its plans.

The first came from a quartet of City Council members who stood together at a news conference flanked by a youth soccer team from West Philadelphia: Council president Kenyatta Johnson, at-large member Nicholas O’Rourke, and Curtis Jones Jr. and Jeffrey Young, whose districts the park crosses.

“You have my support on behalf of City Council,” Johnson said with World Cup committee chair Dan Hilferty seated nearby. “We’re going to be here to support the FIFA World Cup and everything that we need to do to make sure this event is successful.”

Johnson noted that he has two kids who play soccer for the Anderson Monarchs, and Young is also a former youth player. He enthusiastically joined in some drills with the kids after the speeches.

More important, everyone knew what it meant when Jones said “We’ve got four votes, we’re halfway there.”

The World Cup organizing committee has done a significant amount of fundraising for a two-stage renovation of the park, one part before the tournament and one part after it. But there will likely be a public contribution too, and Jones said he’ll push for it.

“You saw the president of [our] City Council here with three other members,” he said. “Yes. Simple answer, yes.”

The world comes to the neighborhood

Jones also expressed a hope for good public transit access to the site when the time comes, combined with its walkability from Center City, Brewerytown, Parkside, and other parts of West Philadelphia down Girard Avenue.

“I want to see more of the Phlash [bus], and people at destinations in Center City say, ‘Jump on this bus, we’ll take you directly there, and a slight walk up Lemon Hill,” he said. “And if we can coordinate what I read [in The Inquirer] that the SEPTA people are working closely with the planning group — there’s going to be over 10,000 people out here. We have to coordinate. But we have enough time to do that.”

Of SEPTA in particular, Jones said: “Keep it safe, keep it clean, and I’ll add a third, on time. If we can do those three things, I think the fan experience that people will have based on World Cup football will be a pleasant one, and they’ll come back.”

Young knew there would be complaints from nearby residents about bringing a big event to the neighborhood, whether about noise, an influx of people, or other usual gripes.

“I’m going to be working with the city to make sure that there isn’t too much of a disruption to their quality of life,” he said. “We do know that it’s only temporary — the World Cup won’t be here forever. So there are some things that we can do to help mitigate some of those issues that we can see with the amount of masses of people that are coming to our city.”

Jones also added he’d rather “show that it’s a benefit. We’re going to reap millions of dollars in economic benefits that’s going to trickle down into projects that are going to help that community in the long run.”

FIFA praises plan’s legacy

The second endorsement came from FIFA’s Ross McCall, executive director of commercial operations for the 2026 World Cup, who flew up from his Miami office for the occasion.

“The announcement marks a significant milestone as we look forward to the world’s biggest football party in a city renowned for its rich history, culture, and unparalleled passion for sports in major events,” McCall said. “We’ve long said that the FIFA World Cup is an opportunity for Philadelphia to open its arms to welcome the world to this beautiful city. … Your unwavering dedication and collaboration have shown us that Philadelphia is not only eager but ready to host an event of this magnitude.”

Though Lemon Hill is not as central a location as FIFA might be used to for its fan fests, McCall praised the site’s potential and the plan for the redevelopment to be a legacy project. A second FIFA source also said that the global governing body has no problem with the location.

“The investment the host committee is making into this legacy project is commendable, and will ensure that the benefits of the FIFA World Cup are felt long after the final whistle,” McCall said. “I applaud the host committee team and all of the community leaders who shared in this grand vision of the project, and have come together to make it a reality. We look forward to Lemon Hill, with its picturesque views in an iconic setting, being transformed into a hub of excitement where fans from all over the world can come together and celebrate the unity and joy that football brings.”