The 2026 FIFA World Cup is underway (June 11 – July 19). For the first time, Canada is hosting matches: seven in Vancouver and six in Toronto.
Both cities are staging large, free fan events for people who can’t afford tickets for the games, which is most of us. Other Canadian cities, including Calgary, Montreal and Halifax, also will be hives of activity for football/soccer fans.
Here’s a look at where you can join in on a watch party and enjoy one of the world’s greatest – and most popular – sporting events.
VANCOUVER
The primary spot to watch the 2026 World Cup in Vancouver is the official free FIFA Fan Festival at Hastings Park, located at the PNE Grounds east of downtown. They’ll have an amphitheatre that seats 10,000 people, big-screen TV’s, plenty of food options and live entertainment. The Shipyards Market in North Vancouver will host Canada Soccer’s official World Cup festivities, with free screenings of all tournament games, food and drink options and fun activations for fans.
There also will be official World Cup activities at Granville Island and Science World. With streets closed along Pacific Boulevard from Cambie Street to BC Place on game-days, fans coming to the city will have the opportunity to explore the surrounding neighbourhoods. Businesses in the trendy Yaletown area will have open-air viewing locations, patio takeovers, mini soccer fields, interactive installations, culinary experiences and family-friendly programming.
TORONTO
The Toronto FIFA Fan Festival 2026 will be held at the Fort York National Historic Site and The Bentway (250 Fort York Blvd). Running throughout the Cup, the festival will feature live match screenings on a 40-foot-plus TV, more than 30 food vendors, live performances, an Indigenous marketplace and a mini soccer pitch. General admission is free, with premium packages available on Ticketmaster.
Just steps from the Rogers Centre, Real Sports Bar and Grill has more than 200 TV sets, including a 39-foot behemoth. Café Diplomatico on College Street attracts tons of football fans during the World Cup, including followers of the Portuguese and Spanish teams. The Queen and Beaver pub in downtown T.O. is likely to attract a few fans of the British squad. Hemingway’s in Yorkville is another popular spot for sports fans.
The iconic Writers Room at the Park Hyatt Toronto will transform into Match Bar by Writers Room, complete with an 80-inch TV. The hotel’s Presidential Suite will become home to a private Game Day Viewing Experience. The $6,000 (plus tax) package includes an unlimited match-day menu with such treats as lobster stuffed chicken wings and confit duck poutine, as well as a $1,000 credit toward a private, in-suite bar experience with a dedicated bartender.
CALGARY
The Calgary Minor Soccer Association will host family-friendly fan zones downtown at Eau Claire Plaza and Stephen Avenue. There will be giant LED screens, food trucks, team mascots and youth drills led by Cavalry FC and Calgary Wild FC. Look for tons of bars and restaurants on 17th Ave. SW to be showing games.
MONTREAL
La Maison France-Montréal is organizing several watch parties. Check their Facebook page for more information. There will be a special “Soccer Fiesta” at Taste of the Caribbean from July 9–12 at Clock Tower Quay at the Old Port. The Park Extension area of the city, located near the fabulous Jean Talon Market, is home to communities from South Asia, the Middle East, Africa and Latin America, each bringing its own football traditions. Bars in the Plateau and Little Italy areas of town also will be popular.
HALIFAX
The city’s fan experience takes place at the Garrison Grounds on June 11. It’s a free, family-friendly event with a live match viewing, football themed activities, cultural programming, music, food and more. There will be an outdoor “watch party” at Foundation Wharf on Wednesday June 24 for the Brazil-Scotland game, with a big-screen TV and food and drink vendors in the surrounding area. Downtown bars will be hopping, as well.
