(Every week, Santa Monica Next republishes one (or two!), articles from the City Manager’s Newsletter.)
Two and a half weeks into the FIFA World Cup, the verdict is in… Santa Monica knows how to throw a great party that people want to go to!
Since the tournament kicked off on June 11, the City has welcomed more than 100,000 fans to over twenty free and ticketed events, turning the Third Street Promenade into one continuous celebration and drawing visitors from across LA County and around the globe! And as of today, there’s even more to cheer about as both the United States and Mexico have advanced out of the group stage and into the Round of 32, results that are likely to keep the local energy high as the knockout rounds for the World Cup begin!
The economic signals have also been strong, based on preliminary data. On the Promenade, foot traffic has been reported to be running roughly 40 percent above prior year numbers. Our Big Blue Bus team provided more than 5,000 rides to and from the matches at SoFi Stadium through special direct service coordinated with Metro. And the parking numbers we’ve seen outline that Santa Monica has been a City full of visitors these past few weeks!
Regarding the parking numbers, first, beach parking has brought in $969,000+ over the tournament’s first 13 days, which is up 44% over the same stretch last year, and well above 2023 and 2024 levels.
In addition, Downtown parking generated $624,000+ over that same period, which constitutes a 40% jump over last year, as peak occupancy reached 4,111 vehicles (up nearly 28%).
These are terrific results and provide an indication of increased economic activity that we’re hopeful is being felt by our restaurants, our hotels, our shops, and the small businesses that make Santa Monica so profoundly cool!
With the knockout rounds now underway, we’re looking to keep the celebration going in Santa Monica over the next several weeks. Our team is looking to continue coordinating free screenings of the matches on the Promenade in the weeks ahead, and we’ll have more to share on this front moving head!
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