The FIFA World Cup kicks off on June 11, and you don’t need a $33,000 ticket to the final to have a great time. After all, the real World Cup magic happens in the neighborhoods where fans live, in the bars where they’ve cheered for years. And in places where the excitement makes you feel like you’re right on the field.

This guide will help you find those experiences.

Atlanta

Centennial Olympic Park’s free fan festival is the official hub, but the real excitement is in the bars.

Check out STATS Brewpub just outside Mercedes-Benz Stadium, where soccer fans gather all year. Or visit Brewhouse Cafe in Little Five Points, a favorite for Atlanta’s diverse soccer community. The Beltline, a 17-mile urban trail, will host watch parties along the way, so you can move between spots as you like. If you want to escape the heat, the CTR in downtown Atlanta offers free indoor watch parties in air conditioning.

The vibe: Casual, mixed crowd, neighborhood-focused.

Boston

Boston is all in for the World Cup. City Hall Plaza will host the official fan festival from June 12 to 27, free with registration, but the real excitement is in the neighborhood pubs where true fans gather.

The Haven in Jamaica Plain is hosting a three-day festival for Haiti vs. Scotland on June 13, complete with bagpipers, plenty of Tennent’s lager, and Scotland’s famous Tartan Army. For Haitian celebrations, check out Hue Boston, a Haitian American speakeasy in Back Bay. For Colombian matches, La Fonda Colombiana Antiguo Kiosko in East Boston will be full of energy. Banners Kitchen & Tap in the West End is a classic sports bar that shows all 104 matches across multiple levels.

To get to Gillette Stadium, express trains run directly from downtown Boston on match days and take about 35 minutes, costing $80 round-trip. Or you can stay downtown and watch at one of these local spots.

The vibe: Deeply neighborhood-connected, authentic diaspora energy, old-school sports bar culture.

Dallas

Fair Park is home to the official fan festival, but Deep Ellum is the place to be. The area is full of bars and restaurants that will be busy all summer long.

Try Off the Cuff, Craft and Growler, and Double Wide for a great crowd and atmosphere. For a bigger event, Men in Blazers is hosting “Match Day Live” on July 14 before a semifinal. This free event features celebrity guests, live music, and a huge penalty-kick contest where you can win real match tickets. People are calling it the soccer version of College Game Day.

The vibe: High-energy neighborhood parties, young crowd, serious soccer atmosphere.

Houston

East Downtown, or EaDo, is the main spot. The free official fan festival runs from June 11 to July 19, with matches, food, and live music. But the best places are just a short walk away.

Pitch 25 Beer Park is a favorite for soccer fans and will be packed. Pitch Live, created by Houston Dynamo legend Brian Ching, offers big screens, Texan food, and DJs. The Phoenix on Westheimer is a year-round soccer bar with lots of screens and projectors, and they even turn the parking lot into a viewing area. For food, try the Original Ninfa’s, a classic Tex-Mex spot, or Khói Barbecue for Viet-Tex barbecue from pitmaster Don Nguyen, whose mother is a lifelong soccer fan.

The vibe: Food-focused, year-round soccer culture, diverse crowd reflecting the teams playing in Houston.

Kansas City

The National WWI Museum and Memorial will host the official fan festival from June 11 to July 11, free with registration, featuring concerts by Sheryl Crow, The Chainsmokers, Flo Rida, and The All-American Rejects.

Kansas City is the official base camp for Argentina, England, the Netherlands, and Algeria, so their fans are everywhere. Strange Days Brewing in River Market is a top spot for fans from many countries. The Two Birds One Stone beer garden in Berkley Riverfront will be lively when Argentina plays. St. John’s Catholic Club in Strawberry Hill, started by Croatian immigrants, fills its basement bowling alley during international matches—a true community tradition. On June 25, thousands of Dutch fans will do their traditional walk to the fan festival, with orange double-decker buses and crowds doing the “left-right” dance.

The vibe: Organized traveling fan bases, neighborhood traditions, deeply cultural.

Los Angeles

LA will have several fan zones at The Original Farmers Market, Venice Beach, Los Angeles Union Station, and Hansen Dam. The main event is the FIFA Fan Festival at the LA Memorial Coliseum from June 11 to 14, with general admission at $8.30. Snoop Dogg is the official community chairman.

For a true neighborhood feel, Guelaguetza in Harvard Heights is Oaxacan and will be busy during Mexico matches. La Chuperia in Lincoln Heights is a tequila bar with a block party vibe. Ye Olde King’s Head in Santa Monica brings British soccer energy. For an immersive experience, Cosm Los Angeles shows matches inside a huge 12K+ LED dome, making you feel like you’re at the game. Tom’s Watch Bar in South Park offers full audio broadcasts and VIP seating.

However, if you want to join the mitú fam IRL, we will be at Nativo Highland Park for the official kick-off party this Friday, the 12th!

The vibe: Diverse, neighborhood-specific, high-end options available.

Miami

Bayfront Park will host the official fan festival from June 13 to July 5, and Lincoln Road’s pedestrian promenade will have interactive soccer zones and daily pop-ups. But the real watch party is on South Beach itself.

Popular bars include Fritz and Franz Bierhaus in Coral Gables, the Auld Dubliner Irish pub, and Black Market Miami in downtown Miami. What sets Miami apart is its cultural mix—grab a Cubano sandwich in Little Havana before watching Brazil play. The Miami Beach Bandshell will host watch parties with concerts and food. For a unique experience, check out the Wynwood arts district, where street art and galleries provide a creative setting for watching matches.

The vibe: Beach-focused, multicultural, celebrity-adjacent, Caribbean and Latin American energy.

New York/New Jersey

Fan festivals are happening all over: Sports Illustrated Stadium in Harrison, N.J.; Rockefeller Center in Manhattan; USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Queens; Brooklyn Bridge Park, which hosts the Adidas Home of Soccer event from June 13 to July 19 (free); plus fan zones in Staten Island and the Bronx.

For bars, Banter in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, is one of the city’s top soccer spots. They offer a “beer passport” that lets you sample beers from all participating countries and win prizes. La Gran Uruguaya in Jackson Heights, Queens, will be packed for South American matches. El Basurero in Astoria, Queens, is another must-visit. Football Factory at Legends in Midtown Manhattanattracts serious fans. In New Jersey, Mulligan’s in Hoboken is a classic, serving imported drafts from around the world for just $3.

To get to MetLife Stadium, NJ Transit offers a $98 round-trip train from Penn Station on game days. Uber shuttle service is $49 round-trip. Still, watching in Manhattan at one of these bars is often more comfortable and has a better vibe than the stadium.

The vibe: Neighborhood pride, diverse diaspora communities, serious soccer culture across all five boroughs.

Philadelphia

Lemon Hill in East Fairmount Park will host the free fan festival every day during the tournament, but you’ll need to register. Still, Southwest Philadelphia is the place to be.

Africatown, which includes Kingsessing, Cedar Park, and Elmwood Park, is home to much of Philadelphia’s African diaspora. The African Cultural Alliance of America (ACANA) is hosting free watch parties for Ghana vs. Croatia on June 27 and Côte d’Ivoire matches, with beer gardens, DJs, and food from local restaurants on 55th Street. Chef Abdarahmane Diop’s African Small Pot offers West African cuisine, and Kilimandjaro in West Philly serves jollof rice. For a bigger venue, Stateside Live! can host up to 9,000 fans. For classic Philly vibes, Brauhaus Schmitz on South Street is a German beer hall with a huge beer list and traditional food, while McGillin’s Old Ale House, established in 1860, is one of the country’s oldest taverns.

The vibe: Community-driven, historically rooted, and culturally celebratory.

San Francisco Bay Area

There isn’t one main fan festival. Instead, there are more than 30 smaller, community-based watch parties across the region, which is even better. Free watch parties will be held at Thrive City at Chase Center, Pier 39 at Fisherman’s Wharf, China Basin Park, and Yerba Buena Lane. At PIER 39, you can watch “Soccer With The Sea Lions” on an outdoor screen by the bay.

For bars, Kezar Pub in Haight-Ashbury is known for its soccer energy. The Mad Dog in the Fog in Lower Haight is a dive bar that’s all about the game. Danny Coyle’s in Lower Haight is another great choice. Maggie McGarry’s in North Beach is an authentic Irish pub with live music, and Clara’s Junction near the stadium is also worth a visit.

The vibe: Distributed, accessible, neighborhood-focused, lower-key than other cities.

Seattle

The Unity Loop includes watch parties at Seattle Center, Waterfront Park, Pacific Place, and Victory Hall, where the Seattle Mariners are hosting Match Day Live on a 23-foot screen with live music, DJs, and food trucks. All of these events are free.

For bars, Fuel Sports Grill in Ballard, the George and Dragon in Fremont, the Atlantic Crossing in Green Lake, and Buckley’s in Belltown all offer great places to watch the games. The Seattle Aquarium and Space Needle area is fun to explore before or after the match. The Link light rail takes you to the stadium for just $3.

The vibe: Accessible, family-friendly, neighborhood bars, nature-adjacent.

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