FIFA Fan Festival
Fan Festivals take place in iconic locations of the host cities and feature broadcasts of football matches on giant screens, live concerts, parties, food, beverages, and other activities and entertainment.
FIFA pioneered TV broadcasts of football tournaments during the 1954 World Cup in Switzerland, and people in many countries carried TVs on the streets and watched them collectively with their neighbors.
[1] The 1998 FIFA World Cup in France was the first one to be broadcast on giant screens in city centers, but at that time the invention of massive public viewing was an anticipated effect of ticket shortage caused by a variety of factors.
Japanese authorities considered enthusiastic fan behavior deviant, acted restrictive on the matter of public viewing and limited it to specific sites, i.e. the National Stadium in Tokyo where nearly 45 thousand people gathered to watch broadcasts of games taking place at Osaka and Sendai.
[citation needed] The South Korea national football team showed remarkable performance throughout the tournament, and its supporters swarmed the streets and squares to watch broadcasts on the screens and celebrate collectively.
[6] Korean-style street cheering organized by the national team's supporting group Red Devils became a worldwide impression as nearly 7 million Koreans (1 in 7 of the population) gathered at PVAs during the semi-final game between South Korea and Germany.
The experience of past World Cups and public viewing was conceptualized in 4-weeks long events for football supporters to meet, board, interact, partake in cultural activities, and watch all 64 games on giant video walls.
Since 2004 the details on costs, logistics, safety issues, marketing, and broadcast rights were jointly hammered out by FIFA and the Host Cities[10] Those public viewing events that became known under the name of Fan Fests served as an idea to provide football supporters without tickets a legitimate opportunity to partake in the World Cup.
[11] According to surveys conducted during the 2006 FIFA World Cup at the Fan Fests in Berlin, Frankfurt, and Munich 28% of visitors traveled over 100 kilometers to attend the event, and up to 84% came there together with friends.
[11] Despite minor inconsistencies in planning and execution, the Fan Fest concept was so successful, that numerous people later claimed personal responsibility for the invention.
Pictures of football supporters celebrating in front of video walls became a typical illustration of the atmosphere in the country, while "Fanmeile" was later picked up as German Word of the Year.
Cape Town authorities provided NGOs working on environment protection and sustainability initiatives a notable presence at World Cup's main Fan Fest at Grand Parade.
Development projects in the City of Tshwane ranged from the extension of CCTV to providing additional security for fans to support informal traders, vendors, and artists.
2014 FIFA World Cup Fan Fests took place in 12 Host Cities: Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, Brasília, Belo Horizonte, Cuiabá, Curitiba, Fortaleza, Manaus, Natal, Porto Alegre, Salvador, and Recife.
[39] Due to the high cost of the World Cup infrastructure, the Host Cities wanted to attract private investors to co-finance Fan Fests for football supporters.
The deadlock was resolved one month before the World Cup in May when FIFA and its Brazilian partner stepped in to organize Fan Fest in Recife on their own.
[39] For the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia, Fan Fests took place in Moscow, Saint Petersburg, Kazan, Sochi, Volgograd, Nizhny Novgorod, Rostov-on-Don, Kaliningrad, Yekaterinburg, Samara, and Saransk.
[62] To respect the Muslim traditions that prohibit alcohol consumption, which is considered an essential dionysian festive social ritual of the fan culture,[63] FIFA decided to place some restrictions.
[70][71] 146 music artists performed at the main Fan Festival venue, including Nora Fatehi, Gims, Calvin Harris, Patoranking, Kizz Daniel,[72] Diplo, Trinidad Cardona,[73] Stonebwoy,[74] Sean Paul,[75] and Michael Jackson impersonator Rodrigo Teaser.
[77][83][84][85] The music line-ups presented performers working in different genres, from pop to folk, including Kimbra, San Cisco, Montaigne (in Adelaide), Running Touch, Kita Alexander, FELIVAND, Sahara Beck, Eliza & The Delusionals (in Brisbane), Sycco, Samantha Jade (in Melbourne),[86] Katy Steele, Crucial Rockers, Joan & The Giants, Abbe May (in Perth), Jessica Mauboy, Steph Strings, Jacoténe, Jack River, Mia Wray, Tia Gostelow, Mikayla Pasterfield, Little Green (in Sydney),[87] JessB, Ladi6, Troy Kingi, Tuawahine, Hollie Smith, Kaylee Bell (in Auckland), Bic Runga, Topp Twins, Ladyhawke (in Dunedin),[88][89] AACACIA, Robinson, Ella Monnery, Lou'ana (in Hamilton), Rubi Du, Maisey Rika, Che Fu (in Wellington).
[83][90][91] The visitors could participate in VR experiences, silent disco, glitter make-up sessions by local drag queens, and ingenious cultural events, such as Poi workshops and tā moko lessons at Fan Festivals in New Zealand.
[88][93] The guests included renowned members of the Australia women's national soccer team (the Matildas): Jill Latimer, Emma Wirkus, Tracey Jenkins, Sharon Black, Victoria Balomenos, Kristyn Swaffer, and FIFA Legends.
According to those laws, FIFA, its sponsors, partners, and authorized third parties get exclusive rights to advertise and sell goods, food, and beverage within and around Fan Festivals.
[18][36][122] The entrance-free FIFA Fan Festivals provide visitors with an inclusive, special, and highly emotional way to watch World Cup games.
[124] Due to FIFA's policy, Brazil even had to temporarily lift its ban on alcohol sales at football matches enforced in 2003 in a bid to curb fan violence.
[125] In addition to live broadcasts, FIFA Fan Festivals offer food and beverages, merchandise, and various entertainment events by local and international artists.
International Fan Fests' line-ups included Velile, K'naan, Uwu Lena, and Eisblume in Berlin, La Sonora Dinamita in Mexico, and Stan Walker and Cassie Davis in Sydney.
[34] In Brazil FIFA's broadcasting partner, TV Globo, organized 754 live music performances at Fan Fests in Host Cities through 25 days of the World Cup.
[39] Fan Fest organizers also aimed to promote local culture via various entertaining activities and provide a family-friendly environment where children could follow the parents or play in secured child-friendly areas.
[34][128][129] 2018 FIFA Fan Fests in Russia introduced Zemfira, Bravo, Kasta, Vadim Samoilov from Agatha Christie, Billy's Band, Chaif, Diskoteka Avariya IOWA, Benny Benassi, Paul Oakenfold, Pendulum, and Kadebostany.
