Centennial Olympic Park was at capacity Saturday night as soccer fans gathered for the closing night of the FIFA Fan Festival, the free public viewing party that has drawn crowds of up to 25,000 to downtown Atlanta throughout the World Cup.
The festival’s grand finale featured a live DJ set, a synchronized fireworks show set to the official World Cup anthem, and a special appearance by former Atlanta United captain Miguel Almíron, who took the stage to thank fans before the fireworks.
“It’s been incredible,” Almíron told the crowd. “You made this tournament special for us. Thank you, Atlanta.”
The FIFA Fan Festival ran for nine days during Atlanta’s group-stage matches, with daily watch parties, live music, food and drink vendors, and appearances by current and former MLS players. Capacity was capped each day due to demand, and tickets sold out within minutes of release.
The festival was a partnership between FIFA, the Atlanta Sports Council, and the City of Atlanta, with significant logistical support from MARTA, which extended rail service on match days to handle the crowds.
The closing-night crowd included fans from countries whose teams have already been eliminated from the tournament, as well as supporters of sides still alive in the knockout rounds. Many wore national team jerseys — Argentina, Morocco, Spain, the United States — and the crowd spilled out into the surrounding streets well past midnight.
Downtown Atlanta’s official Independence Day fireworks show followed at 9:45 p.m. from a launch site near the Georgia World Congress Center.
Atlanta will host two more World Cup matches next week: a Round of 16 game Tuesday at 4 p.m. and a sold-out semifinal Wednesday at 3 p.m. The semifinal is expected to draw more than 70,000 fans to Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
