This summer, LA will be home to film stars and soccer fans
Los Angeles, the City of Angels, is a music industry hot spot and this summer, a soccer lover’s paradise.
According to local officials, tens of thousands of fans will head to LA for FIFA World Cup 2026™ matches , adding to the 49 million tourists who visit each year for attractions like the Hollywood Sign, Universal Studios and the nearby Santa Monica Pier.
This year’s tournament, June 11 to July 19, is the largest since its inception in 1930, featuring 48 national teams playing 104 matches in the United States, Canada and Mexico. Los Angeles Stadium, in nearby Inglewood, California, will host eight matches and feature national teams from the United States, Belgium, New Zealand, Paraguay and Switzerland.
Navigating a vast city
With a population of 3.7 million, Los Angeles is the second-largest U.S. city. But the city covers 469 square miles (1,200 square kilometers), and the broader LA metropolitan area covers an expanse larger than Rhode Island, the smallest U.S. state.
That’s why the Los Angeles Tourism and Convention Board advises visitors to arrive with a game plan of must-see destinations, which will help determine what part of a city to choose as a home base. Those with tickets to tournament matches may opt for hotels in Inglewood, as well as nearby West Los Angeles, Culver City, Venice Beach or near Los Angeles International airport.
Visitors staying in one part of town can take mini-trips across Los Angeles. “View it as multiple small towns and spend a few days on the west side, close to the stadium and the beach,” the tourism board says. “And then maybe spend two days in Hollywood and tour Universal Studios.”
While the subway system doesn’t serve the stadium, public buses stop nearby, and additional shuttles will run to accommodate the FIFA World Cup 2026™. Throughout the 39-day tournament, Los Angeles will hold soccer-related activities and viewing parties, including a FIFA Fan Festival™ at the historic Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.
June can feature foggy weather, but July is typically drier. Temperatures range from about 80 degrees Fahrenheit (27 degrees Celsius) for highs to roughly 65 degrees Fahrenheit (18 degrees Celsius) for lows.
Communities and culture
Los Angeles offers myriad cuisines across the city, from Chinese and Korean fare to Mexican food. Options in Inglewood, near the stadium, include Persian restaurant Kuku and Sunday Gravy, which serves Italian American food and aims to evoke the feeling of family meals at grandma’s house.
For breaks between matches, the Wende Museum of mid-20th century art is a short drive from the stadium. Attractions a little farther afield include the Hollywood Walk of Fame, Universal Studios, the Griffith Observatory and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art.
Natural wonders within a few hours’ drive include Joshua Tree National Park and Death Valley National Park, the hottest and driest place on Earth. The Channel Islands National Park offers kayaking enthusiasts an escape to the north.
“America’s national parks , forests, waterways, and public lands have inspired generations and kindled our Nation’s spirit of exploration,” President Trump said last year.
[Editor’s note: Teams and locations for some matches are not set at the time of publication.]
