NYNJ World Cup 26 Jersey Fan Hub to Power Host Committee’s Fan Experience in New Jersey
Sports Illustrated Stadium will serve as the Host Committee’s official New Jersey fan destination during FIFA World Cup 2026, extending the tournament’s footprint beyond matchdays with viewing events, concerts, sponsor activations, and community programming.
The FIFA World Cup 2026 New York New Jersey Host Committee has tapped Sports Illustrated Stadium in Harrison, New Jersey, to serve as the NYNJ World Cup 26 Jersey Fan Hub, giving the region an official New Jersey-based fan destination during the tournament. The venue will host the activation on select dates throughout the World Cup and is being positioned as a large-scale gathering point for live match viewings, cultural programming, music, immersive fan experiences, and community events.
For the Host Committee, the move is part of a broader strategy to distribute the World Cup experience across the region rather than concentrate it solely around the eight matches, including the final, that New York New Jersey will host. The Jersey Fan Hub will sit alongside other official fan footprints in New York City, including the NYNJ World Cup 26 & Telemundo Fan Village at Rockefeller Center and the NYNJ World Cup 26 Fan Zone Queens at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center.
At the venue level, Sports Illustrated Stadium offers the Host Committee an existing soccer-first building with the right infrastructure, scale, and location to support a month-long fan business. The 25,000-seat stadium, home to the New York Red Bulls and Gotham FC, has increasingly been positioned as a year-round entertainment asset, and the World Cup fan hub gives the building a high-profile international role without requiring it to host tournament matches.
The event setup is designed to push beyond a standard watch party model. Fans will be able to watch matches from the stadium floor, with a 60-foot screen placed on the pitch, while the recently opened Hype House will function as a central rally point featuring 20 large-screen TVs, a 360-degree bar, and a built-in stage for performances and appearances. SI Stadium also said it plans to program additional concerts featuring global headliners during the tournament window, signaling an approach that blends sports viewing, live entertainment, and branded hospitality.
The commercial layer is also notable, with activations from NYNJ Host City Supporters including Bristol Myers Squibb, Hackensack Meridian Health, Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey, and PSEG, turning the fan hub into a sponsor platform as much as a public gathering space. Ticketing is being positioned as intentionally accessible, with admission set at $10 plus fees and free entry for children 12 and under.
“As we prepare to welcome the world to this generational event, it’s critical that New Jersey communities are at the center of the experience. The Jersey Fan Hub will create an accessible and exciting space for residents and visitors alike to come together, celebrate the global game, and experience the pride, diversity, and spirit that define our region.” – Tammy Murphy, New York New Jersey Host Committee Board Chair
The choice of Sports Illustrated Stadium also aligns with recent venue upgrades around hospitality and operations. The building has continued to invest in friction-reducing concessions and premium food-and-beverage programming, and earlier this year launched Red Seat Hospitality, powered by Levy, to oversee concessions, premium hospitality, and broader F&B operations across the stadium.
“Today’s announcement is about creating places where fans can come together and experience the energy of the World Cup beyond the stadium. This venue is already a central destination for sports and live entertainment in the region, making it a natural fit for the kind of dynamic, community-driven experience we’re building. The Jersey Fan Hub will bring that energy to life, connecting fans through the game in a way that’s accessible, authentic, and distinctly New York and New Jersey.” – Alex Lasry, CEO of the New York New Jersey Host Committee.
For venue operators, host committees, and premium experience executives, the project is a useful case study in how World Cup infrastructure is being extended into secondary venues that can carry sponsorship, hospitality, and community programming at scale. Rather than treating fan zones as purely civic activations, the Jersey Fan Hub turns an existing stadium into a tournament-adjacent business platform with programming, branding, and premium inventory already built into the asset.
New York Red Bulls
