Soccer and Fireworks
Dallas FIFA Fan Festival replaces Fair Park Fourth with July 3 bash

Argentina fans and others can enjoy the Independence Day celebration at FIFA Fan Festival Dallas on July 3.
The FIFA World Cup happening in Dallas at the same time as the America's 250th anniversary makes the 4th of July holiday doubly celebratory - especially as it falls on a weekend. One of the city's biggest annual Independence Day celebrations will fold into the FIFA festivities for 2026, and it will happen a day earlier than usual.
Out is Fair Park Fourth, traditionally held July 4 in Fair Park. In is an Independence Day celebration at FIFA Fan Festival Dallas on July 3 in Fair Park.
Organizers revealed details of the FIFA Fan Fest celebration in a press release on Tuesday, June 30.
The free festival will celebrate Independence Day on Friday, July 3 with a full day of entertainment, community activities, cultural experiences, and fireworks, they say.
It will also feature World Cup watch parties. The date will feature the final three matches of the Round of 32, including the Australia vs. Egypt at Dallas Stadium to start the day's action at 1 pm. Other matches include Argentina vs. Cabo Verde at 5 pm, and Colombia vs. Ghana at 8:30 pm.
Visitors can watch all three matches on big screens, enjoy entertainment, and take part in family-friendly activities. Food and drinks will be available for purchase throughout the day, and several Fair Park museums and attractions will be open.
"Guests are encouraged to spend the day exploring Fair Park including the African American Museum at Fair Park, the Hall of State, Texas Discovery Gardens, the Children’s Aquarium at Fair Park, and The Black Academy of Arts and Letters," the release says. "Food and drinks are available at Rousso at the Old Mill Inn."
The evening will end with a fireworks show at the Pavilion after the final match. With matches lasting around two hours, expect the fireworks show to start around 10:30 pm, they say.
The FIFA Fan Festival will open July 4 for the two matches that day - Canada vs. Morocco at 12 pm and Paraguay vs. France at 4 pm - followed by a concert by Turnpike Troubadours at 7:30 pm.
However, there will be no Independence Day celebrations or fireworks at Fair Park on the Fourth; organizers have not indicated why they moved the patriotic festivities up a day. (There are lots more celebrations around Dallas that night, including a big fireworks show at nearby Klyde Warren Park.)
The Midway and Cotton Bowl Stadium will be closed to the public on both July 3 and 4.
Admission is free to the FIFA Fan Festival, but visitors must register in advance for a ticket at dallasfwc26.com/home/fifafanfestival-dallas.
Parking at Fair Park is $30 for the event, but fans can also take the DART Green Line to the Fair Park Station, which drops them right outside of the venue's gates.
