Overview
- The City of Toronto, in a report to its executive committee Wednesday, proposed ticketed entry to the Fort York fan festival with $10 general admission.
- Staff also outlined VIP tiers of $100 to $300 and said ticketing would cap crowds at the roughly 20,000-person site and improve planning for emergency services, according to Mayor Olivia Chow.
- The plan seeks about $6.2 million from tickets toward roughly $9 million in extra festival costs, with $900,000 from FIFA and $1.9 million from existing tournament funds filling the rest.
- The shift runs counter to a 2018 host agreement and a May 2025 city message that fan festivals offer free entry for spectators.
- Councillor Brad Bradford opposed the fee as a barrier for families and noted other host cities plan free festivals, and the proposal still needs full council approval before Toronto hosts six matches from June 12 to July 2.