Liberty State Park FIFA World Cup 2026 FanFest Just Got Cancelled, Here’s What to Know

The FIFA World Cup 2026 FanFest planned for Liberty State Park has been canceled, Gov. Mikie Sherrill announced in a recent statement.

Tammy Murphy, chair of the New York/New Jersey Host Committee and wife of former New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy, announced last year that the FanFest would take place at Liberty State Park and feature all 104 World Cup matches beginning June 11. Instead, Sherrill said the state will allocate $5 million toward smaller, community-based World Cup events, including watch parties and fan zones.

“From fan zones to neighborhood watch parties to street fairs, we are investing in the communities and small businesses that make New Jersey extraordinary,” Gov. Sherrill said. “The World Cup is coming to our state, and we are going to make sure it belongs to New Jerseyans first.”

Tom Bracken, president of the New Jersey Chamber of Commerce, said the shift in focus is intended to highlight smaller communities rather than a single large-scale event.

“This renewed focus on activating municipalities and creating meaningful opportunities for small businesses reflects what many in the business community — including local, regional and diverse chambers of commerce — have been advocating for over many months,” Bracken said in a statement published by Insider NJ.

Jersey City businesses, however, said the cancellation represents a setback. Without a major international festival drawing visitors to the city, some business owners fear losing potential customers they had expected during the tournament.

“Union City has something, Bayonne has something, but Jersey City now has nothing to celebrate the World Cup,” one local business owner said.

FanFests have been a central feature of World Cup host cities since 2006, offering public viewing and entertainment for fans. The next potential FanFest is planned at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Queens, New York, from June 17–28.

Some residents speculated that funding concerns contributed to the cancellation.

“With a loss of money to support the FanFest, how are they going to pay cops overtime?” one Jersey City resident asked. “At least the traffic won’t be crazy.”