Houston planning out-of-this-world experience for World Cup fans this summer

Soccer fans headed to Houston for the FIFA World Cup this summer can expect an out-of-this-world experience as the city combines its connection to the stars while roping in some of the best of what the city has to offer by keeping two feet on the ground. Houston is one of 11 U.S. cities that will be home to the global tournament, with seven games to be played at NRG Stadium, which will culminate in a round-of-16 knockout game July 4. But even though a small fraction of the tournament will be played in the city, fans will be able to enjoy all 34 games at the free fan festival in the heart of East Downtown, according to host committee member Patty Smith. “We know what it’s like to host a Super Bowl, and we know that this will be the equivalent of seven Super Bowls in less than a three-week period,” Smith said in an interview. “So not only the economic impact is going to be incredible to our city, but all eyes are watching, and we always want to put our best foot forward as a city. That’s just who we are.” There will be two major features of the fan festival for visitors to explore when they aren’t watching matches: a custom experience created by Space Center Houston and an exhibition hall showcasing local culture. Smith compared the space experience to something similar to the Sphere in Las Vegas or the Spaceship Earth attraction at Disney’s Epcot theme park. “It’s going to be a giant Adidas Trionda ball on the outside, and then the inside is a 360 experience,” she said. “Space Center Houston is creating some original content for us that will combine space and Houston and soccer and human performance in this beautiful 360-degree experience that you go inside and watch this little four-minute show that is super 4D. We’re very excited about that.” The soccer ball will also lead to a warehouse that will be home to Houston Hall, where, she said, visitors can get a taste of what it’s like to be Houstonian. Both of the exhibitions will be air-conditioned so fan festival visitors can get a reprieve from the summer heat if they plan on being around throughout the day. In addition to the exhibitions, the Houston organizing committee plans to have 34 local performers take the stage each day the event is open to the public. A talent search was launched in February to find entertainers who could highlight some of the best Houston has to offer, Smith said. “We want to showcase Houston’s talent and diversity in that way,” she said. “We had Indian dancers, and we had fire breathers and Chinese dragon dancers. We had Tejano bands; we had country music singers. So we’ve identified a lot of talent that’ll be on the stage.” Individual World Cup games are obviously at the heart of hosting the tournament, but Smith said that there will still be a lot of time to fill between matches on most days and that organizers wanted to make sure fans had plenty to keep them occupied. The fan festival will hold only an estimated 7,500 at its capacity, but the location in East Downtown offers the local community a way to play the part of hosts, as well. Participating bars and restaurants surrounding the fan festival will take part in what organizers call the “Football Fiesta.” “You come in, watch a game for a couple hours, and you get hot,” Smith said. “Go to some of the restaurants and bars, have lunch in the air conditioning, have some drinks and come back if you want. That should more than double our capacity in the neighborhood, even though it’s not within our footprint.” The Fiesta is in addition to the food vendors at the games, which will offer a variety of offerings that are inclusive to those who abide by kosher or halal diets, Smith said. Planning around the tournament prioritized being respectful of all of its potential visitors, with the understanding that the World Cup is “a stage like no other.” “We were doing everything we can for this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to put that best foot forward and just do the best job that we can,” Smith said.