As Los Angeles hosts World Cup matches this summer, residents in Westlake and Highland Park will have a chance to watch the tournament for free at their local watch party in a park.
Council District 1, in partnership with the Mayor’s Office and the Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks, is organizing several screenings throughout June and July at MacArthur Park and Sycamore Grove Park.
The events will lead to the city’s Park to Park 2026 event, a two-day open streets celebration on July 10 and 11 that will temporarily close a stretch of Wilshire Boulevard to car traffic. The street will be transformed into a walkable festival space connecting MacArthur Park and Lafayette Park in Westlake.
Watch party schedule
MacArthur Park
2260 W. 6th St.
- Monday, June 15 — First screening at 9 a.m.
- Spain vs. Cape Verde (Group H) at 9 a.m.
- Belgium vs. Egypt (Group G) at 12 p.m.
- Saudi Arabia vs. Uruguay (Group H) at 3 p.m.
- Iran vs. New Zealand (Group G) at 6 p.m.
- Thursday, June 25 — First screening at 1 p.m.
- Curaçao vs. Ivory Coast (Group E) at 1 p.m.
- Ecuador vs. Germany (Group E) at 1 p.m.
- Tunisia vs. Netherlands (Group F) at 4 p.m.
- Japan vs. Sweden (Group F) at 4 p.m.
- Turkey vs. USA (Group D) at 7 p.m.
- Paraguay vs. Australia (Group D) at 7 p.m.
Sycamore Grove Park
4702 N. Figueroa St.
- Saturday, June 20 — First screening at 10 a.m.
- Netherlands vs. Sweden (Group F) at 10 a.m.
- Germany vs. Ivory Coast (Group E) at 1 p.m.
- Ecuador vs. Curaçao (Group E) at 5 p.m.
- Tunisia vs. Japan (Group F) at 9 p.m.
- Thursday, June 30 (Round of 32) — First screening at 10 a.m.
- Sunday, July 5 (Round of 16) — First screening at 1 p.m.
Park to Park (Open Streets event)
- Friday, July 10 (Quarterfinals) — First screening at noon
- Saturday, July 11 (Quarterfinals) — First screening at 2 p.m.
What fans can expect at the watch parties
The watch parties will feature live World Cup match screenings on large outdoor screens, with programming aligned with the tournament schedule, including Round of 32, Round of 16 and Quarterfinal matches.
The June events at MacArthur Park and Sycamore Grove Park won’t require street closures, according to Naomi Villagomez Roochnik, communications director for Councilmember Eunisses Hernandez’s office.
But during the July event at MacArthur Park, Wilshire Boulevard between Alvarado Street and Hoover Street will be temporarily closed to cars and transformed into a festival space for pedestrians.
Organizers say the two-day event will feature giant LED screens showing live matches, a local vendor village, live music and cultural performances, art activations, youth and family programming, community resource fairs and interactive activities.
What’s the Main Aim of These Events?
The watch parties are intended to make sure local residents can participate in the excitement of the World Cup, even if they cannot afford tickets or access exclusive viewing events, according to organizers.
“At a time when major global sporting events are increasingly experienced through expensive tickets, exclusive venues and corporate activations, these events are designed to ensure that working-class families, immigrant communities, street vendors, local businesses and longtime residents can share in the excitement and economic benefits of the tournament,” Villagomez Roochnik said.
The events also serve as a demonstration project for the broader Reconnecting MacArthur Park initiative, a community-driven effort focused on improving safety, connectivity and access to open space around MacArthur Park.
“Westlake is one of the densest and most park-dependent neighborhoods in Los Angeles, yet for nearly a century Wilshire Boulevard has divided one of its most important public spaces,” Villagomez Roochnik said.
“Park to Park offers residents an opportunity to experience that space as a destination for culture, recreation, community and joy, while helping inform the next phase of Reconnecting MacArthur Park.”
