Overview
- The double-decker Dutch Orange Bus left Galveston on Thursday, June 11, after arriving at the Port of Galveston on May 13 and undergoing maintenance on the island.
- Supporters in downtown Galveston lined the streets for a ceremonial sendoff that organizers and Dutch expatriates said felt like a slice of home and preserved a longstanding fan tradition of marching behind the bus.
- The bus is traveling to Arlington to lead an Orange Fanwalk and escort fans to the Netherlands’ World Cup opener against Japan on June 14, with organizers asking fans to gather near Road to Six Flags Street and Ballpark Way around 10 a.m. CST.
- Visit Galveston says the sendoff is part of a formal partnership with Houston’s World Cup host committee to market the island to visitors as Houston prepares to host seven matches and an estimated influx of up to 500,000 spectators.
- Local coordinators are continuing operational planning for match-day processions and street closures, and officials warn that the bus’s tour will require ongoing security, traffic and hospitality coordination as matches move from Arlington to Houston on June 20.