Toronto staff told to find ways to make some FIFA FanFest tickets free following backlash

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The City of Toronto's proposal to charge for tickets to the 2026 FIFA World Cup fan festival has been met with backlash from councillors after it was originally promised to be free.

City staff have been directed to figure out how many free tickets can be offered for the festival after a proposal to sell $10 general admission tickets drew criticism.

In a news release issued in May 2025, the city billed the festival as a “free and inclusive space for residents and visitors to connect through the power of sport.”

But a staff report before the city's executive committee Wednesday recommended a $10 charge for general admission, $100 for a “VIP tier 3,” $150 for a second-tier VIP ticket and $300 for a first-tier VIP ticket.

The festival in Fort York is expected to have space for as many as 20,000 people to watch live matches and performances, and sample food from around the city.

Staff said the ticket sales were required so the city wouldn't go over its hosting budget and to ensure the festival doesn't become overcrowded.

"This is a ticketed event," city manager Paul Johnson told reporters following the meeting. "The question is, what's the price of the ticket for those that would be coming under the general admission [category]?"

Unclear how many tickets can be made free

Staff were initially seeking council approval to spend $9 million more to improve the fan experience and increase security at the festival, but doing so would push the cost beyond the $380 million budget. The solution was to use ticket revenue to partially offset the spend.

Given that, it's unclear how many of the festivals tickets can realistically be made free before the city goes over budget.

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Staff were ultimately asked to start over and find a way to create a "free general admission" ticket category for the festival.

Providing some free and some paid tickets would put Toronto's approach more in line with Vancouver's. About 2,600 fans will be able to watch for free at the west coast fan festival, with premium tickets available for purchase that include reserved seating and faster entry.

$10 tickets initially approved with no debate

On Wednesday morning, the initial recommendation for $10 tickets was approved by the committee with no debate, meaning it would go to city council for a final thumbs up before becoming official.

Then, Coun. Josh Matlow, who is not in favour of charging for the tickets, asked for the item to be reconsidered — meaning councillors would get the chance to debate it after getting through other agenda items.

Once the debate was reopened, following a morning of backlash from Matlow and mayoral hopeful Coun. Brad Bradford, the mayor brought an amendment to the motion Wednesday afternoon.

Her amendment asked staff to come back to the next city council meeting, which is a week from Wednesday, with a new report that creates a "free general admission" ticket category.

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"There will be budget implications, for sure. I mean that's clearly in the report," said Sharon Bollenbach, who's leading World Cup planning for Toronto.

"We will have to go back and look at the ramifications of [the request] and where we can make that fit and readjust plans."

Ticketing criticized for making tournament less accessible

Speaking to reporters before staff's recommendation was rejected, Bradford, who is not a member of the executive committee, criticized the idea.

“[A] family of five, that's 50 bucks to go to the FIFA World Cup,” Bradford said to reporters at city hall Wednesday. 

“Most families are not going to get access to the stadium to actually be able to see the soccer in person. So the fan fest was really the opportunity to make it more accessible for Torontonians,” he said.