Fan Guide to Kansas City

Make the most of your match week in Kansas City: see more, stress less.

Introduction

Kansas City for World Cup 2026 Visitors

Kansas City is a high-energy host city where match days flow into barbecue smoke, live jazz, and skyline sunsets. The compact core stretches from the River Market and Power & Light District to Union Station and the museum-rich Midtown/Plaza area, all tied together by the free-to-ride KC Streetcar—easy for grabbing a meal or a museum between fixtures. Expect fan hubs downtown and big-ticket cultural anchors like the National WWI Museum & Memorial and the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art within a short rideshare of the stadium. GEHA Field at Arrowhead sits at the Truman Sports Complex east of downtown; plan on rideshare, shuttles, or designated bus service rather than rail. For neighborhood flavor, start in Crossroads for street art and breweries, then drift to Westport for late-night patios, or the historic 18th & Vine district for jazz heritage.

Fast Facts

Population (city/entidad): 510,000
Time zone: Central Time (UTC−5)
Airports: Kansas City International (MCI) is the primary commercial airport; Charles B. Wheeler Downtown Airport (MKC) serves general aviation.
Currency: United States Dollar (USD).
Power & voltage: 120 V/60 Hz; plug types A & B are standard.
Weather snapshot (June–July): Warm to hot, humid. June normals trend mid-80s °F highs/mid-60s lows; July around ~90°F highs/low-70s lows.
Language: English
Drinking age: 21

The Pitch

GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium

Kansas City Stadium (FIFA name) at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium, part of the Truman Sports Complex east of downtown (address below). World Cup capacity: TBA (FIFA reconfiguration varies from NFL setup). Roof: Open-air bowl. Primary transit: No rail; look for RideKC special-event buses and rideshare zones—Chiefs event pages note RideKC service options to the complex on select dates.

Stadium Basics

Location: 1 Arrowhead Dr, Kansas City, MO 64129.
Surface: Natural grass (FIFA tournament standard).
Getting there: No direct rail; use rideshare/charter and check RideKC for event buses (e.g., service to the Truman Sports Complex).
Bag policy & payments: Clear bags up to 12″ x 6″ x 12″; venue operates cashless at concessions/retail.

Full stadium details

Match dates in Kansas City

June 16, 2026 — Group Stage
June 20, 2026 — Group Stage
June 25, 2026 — Group Stage
June 27, 2026 — Group Stage
July 3, 2026 — Round of 32
July 11, 2026 — Quarter Final

Inside Kansas City

Districts & Vibes

Downtown & Power & Light District is the game-week hub: a dense cluster of bars, big screens, and the outdoor KC Live! block that hosts watch parties and concerts. It’s steps from the Streetcar and a quick rideshare to Crossroads, making it easy to stitch together an afternoon of murals and microbreweries before an evening in the plaza.

Crossroads Arts District mixes galleries, murals, and indie venues; on First Fridays the streets pop with art walks and pop-ups. For a looser, pub-crawl feel, Westport delivers historic bars, live music, and late-night slices; if you prefer fountains and shopping, Country Club Plaza is your Spanish-style promenade, minutes from Nelson-Atkins.

River Market is your daytime warm-up—coffee, food halls, and the weekend City Market—while 18th & Vine layers culture (Negro Leagues & Jazz museums) with evening sets. The Streetcar ties River Market to Union Station; from there, rideshare covers the rest efficiently.

Global Eats, Local Pours

Kansas City’s Food & Drink Hit List

If you taste one thing here, make it Kansas City barbecue. The scene stretches citywide, but you’ll find an easy crawl between Crossroads (brewery patios and murals), the Power & Light District (high-energy pre/post-match plazas), and 18th & Vine (jazz clubs with smoky staples). For an anchor, Boulevard Brewing Co. runs a tourable complex with events; keep an eye on Visit KC’s brewery roundups to plot a multi-stop route.

For market grazing, the River Market is your move—global eats, coffee, and the open-air City Market on weekends, all on the KC Streetcar line. Westport stacks late-night options and patios in a tight, walkable grid; the Plaza brings sit-down spots and post-museum cocktails.

Iconic Kansas City

Must-Sees Between Matches

Start at the National WWI Museum and Memorial—climb the Liberty Memorial Tower for city-wide views—then head a mile south to Union Station, an ornate 1914 landmark with exhibitions and rail history. Continue to Midtown for the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art (hello, Shuttlecocks) and the Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art nearby; if you need fresh air, Loose Park offers shady loops and a formal rose garden.

Downtown, browse the River Market and its City Market weekends, then ride the Streetcar to the Power & Light District for plaza-style people-watching. For performance architecture, the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts is a stunner; for sports and music history, the 18th & Vine district anchors the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum and American Jazz Museum. Shop and stroll the Spanish-inspired Country Club Plaza to cap the day.

Discover Kansas City Through

Local Experiences & Tours

Prefer a narrated overview? Kansas City Fun Trolley Tours runs a 90-minute, city-highlights loop that’s an easy first-day orientation. If you like to move, Urban Hikes KC leads 3–5 mile guided urban hikes that blend bluff views, history, street art, and neighborhood stories.

Museum-style deep dives are plentiful: the National WWI Museum offers structured visit resources and docent-led programming; for DIY culture walks, the City’s Mural Program publishes an interactive map for self-guided public-art routes downtown and beyond. Use the free KC Streetcar to connect trailheads at River Market and Union Station.

Keep the Party Going

Fan-Friendly Nightlife

The Power & Light District is the safest bet for big crowds and shared screens; its KC Live! plaza is built for watch parties and post-match concerts. A few stops south, Westport concentrates pubs, patios, and live-music venues in a compact, walkable grid—good for bar-hopping without long transfers. Sporting KC’s No Other Pub (in P&L) is a team-run sports bar with games and big screens that leans soccer-centric on tournament nights.