Lemon Hill Park to Upgrade for 2026 FIFA World Cup

Philadelphia is preparing Lemon Hill Park for upgrades as the site prepares to host the 2026 FIFA World Cup Fan Festival, only eight months away.

Lemon Hill Park, a historic 46-acre site in Fairmount Park known for its scenic views of Center City and its significance in Philadelphia's history, was chosen as the festival location. There, a free-admission, five-week festival will run from June 11 to July 19, coinciding with the duration of the World Cup. 

The Fan Festival will feature big screens for match viewing, activity stations, food vendors, and entertainment. Organizers hope the environment will resemble Brazil's beaches and Germany's town squares during previous World Cup events.

To accommodate what's anticipated to be a large contingent of visitors, Lemon Hill Park will undergo improvements. These include installing water stations, upgrading electrical systems, and enhancing security with cameras. Additional upgrades to Lemon Hill Park will consist of replacing pathways and improving sidewalks along Sedgley Drive, Poplar Drive, and Girard Avenue. Incorporating ADA ramps, resurfacing parking lots and roads, and realigning curbs for better safety are also among the improvements.

Philadelphia is one of 16 U.S. cities that will host World Cup matches. Others will take place in Canada and Mexico. FIFA's expanded format in 2026 will feature 104 matches over 39 days. A new knockout round of 32 national teams will be drawn from the best of 12 groups of four teams.

According to PhillyVoice, Lincoln Financial Field will host group-stage matches on June 14, 19, 22, 25, and 27. One Round of 16 match will be played at the Linc on July 4, which also marks the city's celebration of the nation's 250th (semiquincentennial) birthday in 2026. Specific matches in the group stage will not be released until after FIFA's World Cup draw in December.

FIFA opened its first ticket presale for World Cup matches during the week of Sept. 8. Visa cardholders were invited to enter a lottery-style drawing to gain early access to tickets. Two more lotteries will open to the general public before the end of 2024, while the general ticket sale will start next spring.