FIFA Fan Festival: from Germany 2006 to today
How public viewing turned into FIFA's Fan Fest in 2006, and how it grew through South Africa, Brazil, Russia and Qatar, with the visitor numbers for each.
Watching the World Cup with thousands of strangers in a city square now feels like part of the tournament itself. It was not always so. The FIFA Fan Fest as we know it was born in Germany in 2006, in the same summer and the same city as the streetfootballworld festival 06.
Before 2006
People have always gathered to follow the World Cup together. In 1930 fans in Uruguay crowded round radio receivers. In 1954, the first World Cup broadcast on television, people in many countries carried TV sets into the street. France 1998 was the first World Cup shown on giant screens in city centres, though mostly as a response to ticket shortages.
The turning point came in 2002. In South Korea, authorities supported public viewing areas with big screens, and the national team’s run to the semi-finals brought crowds onto the streets. Nearly 7 million Koreans, about one in seven of the population, watched the semi-final against Germany in public viewing areas. Japan, the co-host, was more restrictive.
Germany 2006: the Fan Fest is born
For 2006, FIFA and the German organising committee turned public viewing into a four-week event where supporters could meet, take part in cultural activities and watch all 64 matches on giant screens. The idea was to give fans without tickets a legitimate way to be part of the World Cup, instead of treating them as a security risk.
The numbers surprised everyone:
| Fan Fest 2006 | Visitors |
|---|---|
| All 12 host cities | 21 million (German National Tourist Board; FIFA said over 18 million) |
| Berlin, Straße des 17. Juni | 9 million |
| Cologne | 3 million |
| Frankfurt | 1.9 million |
| Stuttgart | 1.5 million |
Berlin’s Fanmeile, between the Brandenburg Gate and the Victory Column, had 14 video walls and drew nearly a million people for each Germany match. For the first time in German history, an event had more visitors than Oktoberfest. “Fanmeile” was later chosen as a German word of the year, and 95% of foreign fans surveyed agreed the Fan Fests showed the World Cup was international, not just a German event. Straight after the tournament, FIFA registered the Fan Fest trademark and made it a permanent part of future World Cups.
After 2006
| World Cup | What changed | Attendance (FIFA figures) |
|---|---|---|
| South Africa 2010 | 10 national Fan Fests plus 6 international ones in Berlin, Mexico City, Paris, Rio, Rome and Sydney | 2.6 million in host cities, 3.5 million internationally |
| Brazil 2014 | Fan Fests in all 12 host cities; Copacabana was the busiest | Over 5.1 million |
| Russia 2018 | 11 host cities; Moscow’s Sparrow Hills drew 1.87 million | 7.7 million |
| Qatar 2022 | Renamed FIFA Fan Festival, with more culture, music and food; main site at Al Bidda Park, Doha | Around 70,000 visitors a day at the main site |
In 2010 the Fan Fests left something behind. The Mangaung Outdoor Sports Centre in Bloemfontein was upgraded, Cape Town gave environmental NGOs space at its Grand Parade site, and local vendors, traders and artists were brought into the events. In 2023 Fan Festivals were held for the first time at a Women’s World Cup, in Australia and New Zealand.
Two festivals, one summer
In July 2006 Berlin hosted both: millions on the Fanmeile, and a square in Kreuzberg where 22 youth teams played for the Copa Andrés Escobar. Both were about the same thing, opening the World Cup to people who would never be inside a stadium. Read more about the social legacy of Germany 2006.
FAQ
When did the FIFA Fan Fest start?
As an official FIFA concept, at the 2006 World Cup in Germany, building on public viewing in South Korea in 2002.
How many people went to the Fan Fests in 2006?
About 21 million according to the German National Tourist Board, or over 18 million according to FIFA.
What is the Fanmeile?
The Berlin Fan Fest on Straße des 17. Juni, between the Brandenburg Gate and the Victory Column, which drew 9 million visitors in 2006.
Conclusion
The Fan Fest turned watching football into a public festival, and every World Cup since 2006 has copied the German model. More in our World Cup culture section.