The World Cup has turned Santa Monica into a full-blown soccer hub, with giant crowds, busier streets, and a steady stream of fans flooding the Pier and Third Street Promenade.
Over the past two weeks, more than 100,000 people have descended on the downtown area for a mix of free and ticketed events tied to the tournament, the city boasted Wednesday. Foot traffic on the Promenade is up roughly 40 percent, with parking revenues seeing a similar bump across downtown and beach areas.
Getting to the action hasn’t been a problem either. The city says more than 5,000 fans have used a direct Big Blue Bus route to SoFi (“Los Angeles”) Stadium for matches.
“The World Cup is showing that Santa Monica knows how to bring people together,” Mayor Caroline Torosis said, pointing to packed crowds and a surge of visitors from across the region.
City leaders and local businesses say the influx includes fans from across LA — and around the world — turning the Promenade into a day-to-night gathering spot for matches. And it’s not slowing down.
Free public screenings continue this week on the 1300 block, with matches running all day through June 27.
The lineup includes:
Wednesday, June 24:
Canada vs. Switzerland (noon)
Scotland vs. Brazil (3 p.m.)
Mexico vs. Czechia (6 p.m.)
Thursday, June 25:
Ecuador vs. Germany (1 p.m.)
Japan vs. Sweden (4 p.m.)
USA vs. Türkiye (7 p.m.)
Friday, June 26:
Norway vs. France (noon)
Uruguay vs. Spain (5 p.m.)
New Zealand vs. Belgium (8 p.m.)
Saturday, June 27:
Panama vs. England (2 p.m.)
Colombia vs. Portugal (4:30 p.m.)
Jordan vs. Argentina (7 p.m.)
Saturday also features a “Golden Hour” event from 2 to 10 p.m., with DJs and live sets taking over the 1400 block of the Promenade before and after the matches.
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