TO: HONORABLE MAYOR FROM: Councilmember Campos
AND CITY COUNCIL Councilmember Cohen
Councilmember Doan
Councilmember Candelas
SUBJECT: SEE BELOW DATE: August 22, 2025
Approved Date: 8/22/2025
SUBJECT: 2026 Major Events Status Report
RECOMMENDATION
Approve the staff recommendation with the following direction:
1. Direct the City Manager to return to Council before the end of the year with:
a. An update on the fundraising efforts by the San José Sports Authority and how these funds and the City-allocated funds in Fiscal Year 2025-2026 Budget will support activations outside of downtown.
b. Clarity on fundraising for large-scale activations for Fédération International de Football Association (FIFA) public screenings.
BACKGROUND
We would like to thank staff for preparing this 2026 Major Events Status Report. These events will generate an estimated $500 million in total economic impact in Santa Clara County, driven by visitors who will require lodging, entertainment, and other amenities during their stay. San José is well positioned to capitalize on this opportunity, as this report shows we have already secured commitments to bring visitors to the city center.
Although we agree that creating a memorable and engaging fan experience downtown will be crucial in measuring our success against the SJ2026 Strategic Plan, it is important we also support communities outside of downtown who are interested in hosting vibrant activations.
In July, the Bay Area Host Committee published the “Bay Area Public Screening Playbook:
Super Bowl LX & FIFA World Cup 26” (“Playbook”) and conducted a webinar for Bay Area businesses and interested parties. The Playbook offers guidance for small businesses (e.g., restaurants, bars, and hotels) interested in hosting public screenings, as well as for businesses and communities interested in hosting large-scale fan activations specifically for FIFA World Cup.
We appreciate this resource and look forward to working with our local business owners to support their efforts.
COUNCIL AGENDA: 8/26/2025
FILE: 25-908
ITEM: 8.1
2 While FIFA regulations require a license to host a public viewing, local businesses and neighborhoods may host fan engagement activities, such as food festivals (i.e., food trucks, wine and beer gardens, etc.), block parties, concerts, and other performances and activities. Local businesses and community members require more information on how neighborhood groups and community organizations can host their activations as well as public viewings.
For FIFA World Cup, the Playbook states that two categories of public viewing—non- commercial public viewing and special non-commercial public viewing—do not allow sponsorships and charging admission is not allowed. However, these public viewings require significant funding.
We understand that the City is embarking on a cross-sector, multiple-department effort to ensure a successful 2026 and recognize the challenges and competing interests. We believe it essential for staff to provide additional clarity to community members on how they can activate their communities.
The signers of this memorandum have not had, and will not have, any private conversation with any other member of the City Council, or that member’s staff, concerning any action discussed in the memorandum, and that each signer’s staff members have not had, and have been instructed not to have, any such conversation with any other member of the City Council or that member's staff.