Friday, October 2, 2026
The Port of Olympia’s NorthPoint property will host the Olympia-Lacey FIFA World Cup 2026 fan zone, event organizer Jennie Foglia-Jones announced at a Transportation Policy Board meeting on Wednesday, Feb. 11.
Foglia-Jones, of JFJ Strategies in Lacey, also outlined how Thurston County is going to operate the fan zone, including the expansion of bus service across the region.
The fan zone is part of Thurston County’s designation as an official World Cup site, allowing residents and visitors to watch World Cup matches, which will feature 48 teams competing in 148 games.
The Olympia-Lacey fan zone will be located at the Port of Olympia’s NorthPoint property between Swantown Marina and Anthony’s Hearthfire Grill.
Foglia-Jones is leading the planning and coordination work on behalf of the Thurston County Chamber of Commerce, which was contracted to organize the fan zone for participating jurisdictions — the cities of Olympia, Lacey and Tumwater, as well as Thurston County and the Port of Olympia.
Foglia-Jones explained a fan zone is a designated space where people can gather to watch World Cup matches. Prior to the tournament kickoff on June 11, two teams will be based in Washington, using local “home bases” for training and accommodations.
The Olympia-Lacey fan zone will include:
General admission tickets will be capped at $10. Children 12 and under will be admitted free. Organizers are still finalizing VIP pricing, which Foglia-Jones said is expected to range from $100 to $125, depending on the amenities provided.
The fan zone is confirmed to open on June 19, when the U.S. Men’s National Team plays Australia in Seattle. Organizers are pursuing funding to operate for an additional three-day block, June 24-26, which includes another U.S. team match in Los Angeles and Seattle’s Pride-designated match.
The fan zone will not be open for the World Cup final week because the Lakefair Festival is happening during those dates, which would add many more people downtown.
“Our local law enforcement was thankful that we could not do it because they did not have the staffing ability to help us if we were, because of the Lakefair overlap,” Foglia-Jones said.
Even though the fan zone is closed for the finals, Foglia-Jones said downtown bars and restaurants might still show the matches.
Intercity Transit General Manager Emily Bergkamp said the Washington State Department of Transportation provided funding for the agency to increase service by approximately 1,500 hours during the tournament period.
There will be increased frequency on local routes 24, 51, and 14, as well as Express Route 600, which connects Lakewood Station and Sound Transit’s 512 route.
Transit officials are coordinating with Sound Transit to ensure connections to Seattle-bound buses and Sounder trains on match days.
Bergkamp added the new high-frequency Route 9X will run every 15 minutes from Hawks Prairie and Martin Way park-and-ride lots to the Olympia Transit Center, providing direct and accessible connections to the fan zone.
Bergkamp said organizers are also exploring additional park-and-ride options, including South Puget Sound Community College.
Marine Drive will be closed at Market Street during fan zone operations. Only Swantown Marina tenants, boat launch users, Anthony’s patrons and authorized buses will be allowed beyond the closure.
Intercity Transit buses will drop passengers directly near the general admission entrance.
Foglia-Jones briefly discussed a fan zone mobile app, which will launch on March 6 and run through July 7. It includes walking tours for downtown Olympia, Lacey and Tumwater.
The FIFA World Cup is the largest sporting event staged every four years. The United States, Canada and Mexico are the host countries for this year, with Seattle selected as one of 16 host cities.
The Seattle FIFA World Cup 2026 Local Organizing Committee selected nine counties in Washington to host an official fan zone. Thurston County was one of them.
Because Olympia and Lacey have similar populations, they were asked to combine their efforts into a single fan zone. Tumwater and the Port of Olympia also joined as participating jurisdictions.
The Seattle FIFA World Cup 2026 Local Organizing Committee, a nonprofit established to coordinate regional planning, will operate the state’s primary fan zone at Seattle Center, which will be open throughout the tournament and broadcast every match.
According to Foglia-Jones, about 50 percent of fans at the previous World Cup traveled from abroad to attend matches in person. Globally, the tournament generated an estimated 19 billion viewers, including repeat viewership.
For 2026, organizers expect more than 6 million ticketed visitors to travel to the United States, with an estimated 750,000 visitors projected to come to Washington between June 11 and July 19, when the tournament matches are scheduled.
Locally, Foglia-Jones said they are expecting 2,500 to 5,000 attendees per match.
“International travelers are estimated to stay about nine days, and we know they will be looking to explore beyond Seattle,” Foglia-Jones said.
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Olyrkrgrrl
FIFA in Olympia, seriously? How unappealing.
Thursday, February 12 Report this
Chris_R
How much money will the port lose on this?
Thursday, February 12 Report this
chrispc2u
Keep in mind, a “FIFA Peace Prize” is not a thing. It was baby binky pacifier created out of thin air to appease a tyrannical wannabe authoritarian oligarch still crying about not getting a legitimate Nobel Peace Prize and losing an election (just one Nobel he intimated out a Venezuelan opposition leader). This capitulation doesn’t reflect well on the FIFA. #sad
Thursday, February 12 Report this
Somney
Come to Olympia, pay money, watch a game outside on a video screen. Pay the same people who gave Trump made up peace price, because he was big upset.
Friday, February 13 Report this
HappyOlympian
"Locally, Foglia-Jones said they are expecting 2,500 to 5,000 attendees per match.".........sure. What a bunch o' bunk. The idea 6 million people coming to the US this summer to watch soccer seems a bit unrealistic given the current state of world affairs and how we are aptly perceived of late. Incredible the amount of effort being applied to all this. Folks clearly need something better to do.
Friday, February 13 Report this
Person of Interest
The negative comments are reflective of a group that is called CAVE. Citizens Against Everything, The Port hosting a world class event like FIFA 2026 is an excellent opportunity for the public to access and use space to participate in this world class event. This is why we have a Port to use its space to leverage opportunities for the public. The Port will make money in this event. The public will enjoy the beautiful views from Northpoint and the FIFA World Cup.
Friday, February 13 Report this
GMA0014
So excited for FIFA, I attended 3 games during Copa de Oro when they were here Seattle. How can someone register to Volunteer during Fan Zone in Olympia?
Friday, February 13 Report this
PatMer
Seattle is four months away from the World Cup, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has confirmed it will have a presence at the matches in each city.
At a Congressional hearing this week, immigration leaders confirmed that ICE, among other federal law enforcement agencies, would be on site at this summer’s World Cup games.
ICE plans to be at the FIFA World Cup in Seattle. I wonder if ICE will be in Olympia/Lacey at the Fan Zone.
Saturday, February 14 Report this
Boatyarddog
Is the Port providing select seating for ICE to have good access to The Public so they can safely slam Jeads and drag people face down along the Pavememt? ANOTHER BS Promo for a Do nothing PORT. FINISH THE TUG PROJECT! Uears and years now., you've been taking revenue from the boatyard space.... Oh Yeah, you raised those prixes now so No one wants to go there anymore. STUPID business losers!
Friday, February 20 Report this
PissAnt
FAN Zone to close during the Final week of games? Hmm. That seems like the time when you would want to be open. What if the USA is involved in these games?
Monday, February 23 Report this