When is the Everett FIFA World Cup 2026 Fan Zone?
Everett’s Waterfront Watch Parties at Boxcar Park run on four match days: Thursday, June 11 (Mexico vs. South Africa, opening match, fan zone opens 10 AM, kickoff noon); Friday, June 12 (USA vs. Paraguay, fan zone opens 4 PM, kickoff 6 PM); Thursday, June 18 (Mexico vs. South Korea, fan zone opens 4 PM, kickoff 6 PM); and Friday, June 19 (USA vs. Australia — the Seattle-hosted match — fan zone opens 10 AM, kickoff noon). Free shuttle from Everett Station and downtown Everett.
Seven weeks out and counting. The 2026 FIFA World Cup kicks off June 11, and Everett is officially on the host-city party map. The Port of Everett’s Boxcar Park is the city’s designated Waterfront Watch Party site for four matches in the opening rounds of the tournament — and now we finally have the match-day schedule nailed down.
The short version: Everett is hosting watch parties on June 11, 12, 18, and 19, anchoring around two USMNT group-stage matches and both Mexico group-stage matches. And because the Seattle-hosted USA vs. Australia match on June 19 is a hometown game for the Pacific Northwest, that one is going to be a scene.
The Match-Day Schedule
Thursday, June 11 — Mexico vs. South Africa (Opening Match)
Everett’s Fan Zone opens at 10 AM. Match kicks off at noon. This is the opening match of the entire tournament — the first time the World Cup has been co-hosted by three countries, and Mexico gets the ceremonial first kick. If you want to be at Boxcar Park for the moment the whole thing starts, this is the morning.
Friday, June 12 — USA vs. Paraguay
Fan Zone opens at 4 PM, kickoff at 6 PM. The USMNT’s tournament opener. In Everett, on the waterfront, under a spring-into-summer sky. It’s hard to imagine a better setting for a group-stage USA match.
Thursday, June 18 — Mexico vs. South Korea
Fan Zone opens at 4 PM, kickoff at 6 PM. Mexico’s second group-stage game. The Mexico fan community in Snohomish County is substantial, and this will be one of the best atmospheres of the whole Fan Zone run.
Friday, June 19 — USA vs. Australia (Seattle-Hosted Match)
Fan Zone opens at 10 AM, kickoff at noon. This is the marquee day. The match itself is being played in Seattle at Lumen Field, and Everett’s Fan Zone will be the closest spot north of the city to experience the game without making the drive. Expect the biggest crowd of the tournament at Boxcar Park for this one.
What’s at Boxcar Park
The Fan Zone experience is being put together by the City of Everett, Port of Everett, and the Snohomish County Sports Commission. The lineup includes:
- Large outdoor match screenings at Boxcar Park, the Port’s signature waterfront green space with views of Port Gardner Bay
- Local food and beverage vendors — the vendor application window closed April 9, so the roster is now being finalized
- Music between matches
- Family-friendly activities — this is designed as a full-day waterfront festival, not just a big-screen TV
- Community celebrations reflecting the diversity of the competing nations
- Free shuttle operated by Everett Transit with stops at Everett Station, downtown Everett, and Boxcar Park
Boxcar Park is at the northern edge of Waterfront Place, with direct access to restaurants and shops at Fisherman’s Harbor. If you’ve been to a concert or event at the Port waterfront in the last two years, you know the setup. If you haven’t, the combination of bay views, walkable restaurants, and a large outdoor green space makes Boxcar Park as good a World Cup Fan Zone site as any in the region.
Getting There: The Free Shuttle
Parking on a World Cup match day near the waterfront is going to be tight. The organizers know it, and the solution is Everett Transit’s free shuttle. Stops include:
- Everett Station (for Sounder commuter rail and Amtrak Cascades arrivals)
- Downtown Everett
- Boxcar Park
If you’re coming from Seattle for the June 19 USA match and want to experience it from the Everett Fan Zone rather than dealing with Lumen Field crowds, Sounder to Everett Station plus the free shuttle is the smart move.
Why Everett Landed a Fan Zone
Seattle is one of the 11 U.S. host cities for the 2026 World Cup, and the Pacific Northwest got six matches at Lumen Field — a mix of group-stage games, a Round of 32 match, and a Round of 16 match. But the host-city footprint extends well beyond Lumen. The SeattleFWC26 organizing committee announced official Fan Zones across Washington State, with Everett’s Boxcar Park among the flagship sites north of Seattle.
For Everett specifically, the Fan Zone is the kind of event that puts the city’s waterfront transformation on a national stage. Restaurants and hotels along Waterfront Place, Hewitt Avenue, and the Port of Everett core are going to see a meaningful surge in June foot traffic — especially on the June 19 USA match day.
What Everett Fan Zone Days Look Like
Here’s the honest take on what to expect at Boxcar Park on one of these match days: a mid-sized crowd of 2,000-5,000 people, a festival vibe that ramps up as kickoff approaches, kids chasing a ball on the lawn while parents get a beer from a local vendor, big screens showing the match, and — when the USA scores, or when Mexico scores — a roar you can probably hear across Port Gardner Bay.
It’s community soccer the way community soccer should be done in 2026: free, outdoors, waterfront, with a big screen and a local beer in your hand.
What’s Still Being Finalized
- Food and beverage vendor lineup — applications closed April 9; the final list should be announced before the June 11 opener
- Music and entertainment schedule — typically announced about a month before match days
- Additional Fan Zone expansions — SeattleFWC26 has continued to add Fan Zone locations across the state; more may be announced between now and June
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Everett’s FIFA 2026 Fan Zone?
Boxcar Park at the Port of Everett, on the north side of Waterfront Place.
What match days are Everett’s Fan Zone hosting?
Thursday June 11, Friday June 12, Thursday June 18, and Friday June 19, 2026.
Is the Fan Zone free?
Yes. The Waterfront Watch Parties are free to attend.
Is parking available?
Limited on-site parking. A free Everett Transit shuttle connects Everett Station, downtown Everett, and Boxcar Park on match days — the recommended way to get there.
What’s the USMNT schedule for Everett’s Fan Zone?
USA vs. Paraguay on June 12 at 6 PM kickoff, and USA vs. Australia (the Seattle-hosted match) on June 19 at noon kickoff. Both air on the Boxcar Park big screens.
What about Mexico matches?
Two Mexico group-stage matches will be shown at the Fan Zone — June 11 vs. South Africa (the tournament opener) and June 18 vs. South Korea.
When does Everett’s Fan Zone open on match days?
Two hours before noon kickoffs (10 AM) and two hours before 6 PM kickoffs (4 PM).
