Over 125,000 watched World Cup games at Providence’s FanZone over the past month and a half. On Sunday, July 19, thousands of people gathered at Station Park to see Spain beat Argentina in extra time for a thrilling final.
“I’m just so proud of how they played,” said Anna Young, who is originally from Spain but traveled from Rumford to watch the game at the FanZone with her fiancee. “And I can’t wait to get married in Spain in like six weeks!”
No matter which jersey attendees wore, with a fairly even amount of Spain and Argentina supporters, the crowd gave favorable reviews of Providence’s FIFA-endorsed watch party. Providence’s Arts, Culture and Tourism (ACT) Director Joe Wilson Jr. said that the City should take a lesson from the World Cup: investing in cultural experiences is critical. 
Making the FanZone Possible
Despite the loss, Argentina fan Danielle McClary said “the vibe was great” during her first visit to the FanZone. 
“I was a little sad that Argentina dropped the ball a little bit at the end of the game, but it happens,” said McClary, a personal trainer who lives on the Providence-Pawtucket border. “I was hoping that during the World Cup that there would be things like this to do, and it was great that this turned out so well.”
Friends John, Joel and Aaron from Providence all celebrated Spain’s victory and said the World Cup is creating more soccer fans in the area. John even suggested the City screen Champions League games in the future. 
“This is something that doesn’t occur that often in Providence, besides PVD Fest,” said Joel. “This type of energy, it was amazing. If there’s something that they can do to gather more people like this, it’ll be nice for Providence.”
An entrance to the FanZone at Station Park. Photo:
While Boston technically was the local FIFA World Cup host city, Providence acted as de-facto hosts approximately 20 miles from where they played the matches in Foxborough. Boston’s Fan Festival closed after 16 days, while Providence’s FanZone was open for almoFst every single match. The only five days the FanZone closed were due to heavy rain and extreme heat, with four of the days coming during the Fourth of July heatwave.
“Without their bid to be a host city, we would not have had this opportunity, and so we were eternally grateful to them,” said Wilson Jr. “We committed to showing every game. We had the infrastructure in place. It was being secured 24/7. So why not turn the TV on?”
Wilson Jr. said sponsorships from groups like Michelob Ultra, Casamigos and Coca-Cola and along with vending sales helped the city fund the “activation” of the space. While Station Park was chosen for this year’s FanZone, city officials noted that the park is not owned by the City of Providence.
“Different events have different space, infrastructure and logistical needs,” said City of Providence Press Secretary Austin Grondin. “India Point Park and 195 District Park offer larger, more open spaces that better suit large-scale festivals, while Station Park was selected for the PVD FanZone because of its Downtown location, proximity to surrounding businesses and ability to support a month-long event.”
Wilson Jr. said ACT is advocating for politicians and policymakers to invest in cultural infrastructure, and Sunday also contained its own political content.
A campaign ad for Mayor Brett Smiley attacking State Representative David Morales. Photo: Eric Halvarson.
The crowd booed when the broadcast showed U.S. President Donald Trump attending the game held in New Jersey. Later, an ad for Providence Mayor Brett Smiley’s election campaign appeared on the Telemundo stream. The TV spot attacks his challenger State Representative David Morales over public safety, claiming Morales would defund the police—a stance Morales backed in 2021 after an incident of police violence but is not campaigning on. 
Wilson Jr. said their team opted to stream the Spanish-language broadcast after conducting