Olympia to get a World Cup fan zone with a giant LED screen. Here’s what to know
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Fan zone at Port of Olympia, run by port and local partners, with giant LED screen.
- Fan zone will host four televised World Cup games June 19–26.
- County and three cities will chip in ~$175,500 lodging tax; MOU considered March 9.
A little piece of the 2026 World Cup, which is expected to bring an estimated 750,000 people to the state, is coming to the Port of Olympia waterfront this summer, according to a Monday presentation about the Olympia/Lacey Fan Zone.
This summer’s World Cup, which begins June 11, is being hosted by three countries: the U.S., Canada and Mexico, including games in Seattle. The local FIFA organizing body in Seattle has also taken an additional step by creating fan zones in nine counties throughout the state, including here.
The Olympia/Lacey Fan Zone is set to occupy a parking lot on the very north end of the port peninsula, which is between the former KGY radio station building and the boat launch, said Jennie Foglia-Jones at Monday’s port commission meeting.
Foglia-Jones is helping to organize the event through her company JFJ Strategies.
What happens at a fan zone? Fans, rain or shine, will gather to watch the games, plus there will be food, a beer garden, soccer-related activities, interactive fan engagement spaces and a spot for VIPs, she said.
About 2,500 to 5,000 fans are expected to attend.
The fan zone here is set to host four televised games between Friday, June 19 and Friday, June 26. On June 19, the U.S. men’s national team will take on Australia, she said.
“The most important thing is one giant LED (TV) screen,” said Foglia-Jones to the commission. “That’s kind of the experience of the fan zone, having one massive screen that everyone watches together.”
She added that there will be live entertainment before and after matches.
The cost of general admission will be $10 while children 12 and under will get in for free, she said.
Port Commissioner Joel Hansen welcomed the low ticket price after hearing how much it might cost to attend the actual soccer games in Seattle.
“I’m hearing that if you want to get into a match, you’re talking $1,000 a seat up to, you know, tens of thousands of dollars a seat,” he said. “So to make this available to the wider public, this is really exciting, and I’m proud to be a part of it, and whatever small role the port is playing, and proud of the other jurisdictions that have contributed, I think this is a really good thing.”
Commissioner Krag Unsoeld asked a serious question: Is the Olympia/Lacey Fan Zone prepared for the presence of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, also known as ICE?
“And so it could be that the immigration and customs enforcement people could come here to Olympia to look for some of the people that they want to deport,” he said. “And so is there any sort of conscious effort to collaborate with Olympia to implement its sanctuary city policy?”
Foglia-Jones acknowledged the question has been asked before.
“From an event planning standpoint, we are not getting ... I’ll say we’re not getting involved to that level, because our local law enforcement is one of our planning partners, and they would be where we would look for things like that,” she said.
Monday’s discussion was just that: the commission took no action on the fan zone, but on March 9 it will weigh a memorandum of understanding between the key partners in the zone. They are the port, Thurston County, Olympia, Lacey, Tumwater and the Thurston County Chamber of Commerce.
Although the fan zone will be revenue generating, the county and the three cities are going to contribute about $175,500 in lodging tax funds for planning and implementation of the fan zone, according to port information.
