City Council
May 12, 2026
Item 8.1
Ma j o r Ev e n t s
Status R eport
Jen Baker, Director, City Manager’s Office of Economic Development and Cultural Affairs Tommy O’Hare, 2026 Sports and Special Events Director, City Manager’s Office John Poch, Executive Director, San José Sports Authority
Super Bowl LX Recap
Event Attendance:
• Nearl y 460,000 unique Downtown visitors,
Jan 31 -Feb 8, +25% Y OY
• 48,000 over 3 days at San Pedro Superfest;
25,000 at City Hal l Pl aza concerts
and 2,000 at
Invisible Skies
• 130,000 passengers at A irport; 234
addit ional comme rcial flight s; 900+ privat e
je t s
Restaurant/Retail Performance:
• Nuvo Hospitality Group: 300% sales
i ncrease compared to a typi cal weekend
• San Pedro Square Market Vendors – single
sal es day record exceeded 30%
2 NCAA Men’s Basketball Rec
3 Event Attendance:
• 46,500 attendance at 3 games
• 3,700 attendance at DJ Diesel concert at San
Pedro Square
• SJSU Art +Te ch Collab: Free Throw and Trophy
Hotel Performance:
• ~80% occupancy, +12.3% vs. 2025
• $200 average dail y rate, +21.6% vs. 2025
• $160 revenue per avail abl e room, +36.6% vs. 2025
What Worked Well
4 • Strong Downtown Activation: La r g e-scal e events at Ci ty Hall Plaza, San Pedro Square, and Santana Row created a continuous festival atmosphere
• Successful Cultural Integration: Arts programming such as Hometown Heros, Invisible Skies, and Free Throw
Projection Mapping complemented and expanded the
events beyond sports -focused programming
• E ntertainment Zone A ctivations: Significant interest and exci tement about fi rst uses
• Collaboration: Excellent partnership among local, state, federal, and private entities
• Community: Early data show strong results
What We Learned
5 • Communication Can Ensure a Fun and Safe Event: Improved communication to the public was key to the Shaq concert having zero major safety issues
• Entertainment Zones: Requires good communication with local bars and restaurants regardi ng desi re to use, how they are used ( e.g., pop- up bar sales) , and requirements for branded cups, wrist bands, and Police Department and pri vate securi ty requi rements • Private Support: Strong private sponsorship interest, but requires significant sales, legal, and management support from SJ26 • Flexibility is Key: Ability to change activations based on vendors, budget, and other needs has allowed SJ26 to maintain a high level of quality events
Looking Ahead: FIFA World C
6 Day Date Time Teams Group
Saturday June 13 12:00 pm Qatar vs. Switzerland B
Tuesday June 16 9:00 pm Austria vs. Jordan J
Friday June 19 9:00 pm Turkey vs. Paraguay D
Monday June 22 8:00 pm Jordan vs. Algeria J
Thursday June 25 7:00 pm Paraguay vs. Australia D
Wednesday July 1 5:00 pm Round of 32 match: Group D
winner and 3rd place team from
Group B, E, F, I, or J
Looking Ahead: FIFA World C
7 Fan Zones, Watch Parties,
Activations:
• Earthquakes Soccer Celebration at San
Pedro Square Market – large st vie wing
party in the region; hosting all 104 matches
over 39 days; free to public
• The Row Cup at Santana Row
• World Cup activations in Council
Dist rict s
• Concerts in Discovery Meadow
Looking Ahead: FIFA World C
8 Additional Programming:
• Cit yDance
• Viva Parks
• Make Music Day – June 21
• Gaiascope and Bucky Ba ll Public Art
• Symphony San José’ s Symphonic World Cup
• Hometown Heroes e xhibit s at Cit y Hall
• The L ocker Room
Looking Ahead: FIFA World C
9 Diplomatic & Business Events:
• Community/diaspora events
• International business symposium
Business/tech/diplomatic leaders
International industry showcase
Panel discussions – AI, energy resource
management, advanced manufacturing
Bus tours
Looking Ahead: FIFA World C
10 Supporting Small Businesses:
• Small Busine ss Toolkit W e binar – May 18
• Team San José BASH – June 4
• Dire ct ors Alliance , Business Improvement
Dist ricts, and business association
outreach
Keeping Everyone Safe
11 Coordinated Public Safety and Emergency
Readiness:
• City planning, training, and exercises for hazards and threats
• County Large Events Plan
• De-Escalation and Community Support Plan
• Human trafficking prevention operations
Community Outreach and Resources for
Business Owners/Employers
• Coordination with Immigrant Protection and
Empowerment Network (IPEN) and Rapid Response
Network (RRN)
• Trained volunteers deployed in vendor areas; safety
packets; Know Your Rights presentations
• Family Preparedness Planning
• Signage on City property per Council Policy 7-15
Game On Program
NEIGHBORHOOD PROGRAMMIN
12 • Y outh Engagement Initiative: Turning global sporting moments into acce ss, inspirat ion, and life skills
• Sport as a Vehicle: Promot ing physical act ivit y, t e amwork, and social - emotional development
• Programming: Introduces youth to a variety of sports in a fun, inclusive environment; reinforcing core values like confidence, leadership, and collaboration, and providing pathways for continued part icipat ion
• L ocal Sports Teams: Bringing in current and alumni players, as well as team mascots to enhance the experi ence and create memorabl e, inspirational moments for participants
• Progress to Date : Compl eted 22 events, reachi ng over 2,000 students; 28 addi ti onal events schedul ed, for a total of 50 events from January –June 2026, wi th an esti mated 2,000 more students to impact
13 Feb Mar May Jun- Jul Jul Aug Oct Nov
2026 EVENTS
City Council
May 12, 2026
Item 8.1
Ma j o r Ev e n t s
Status R eport
Jen Baker, Director, City Manager’s Office of Economic Development and Cultural Affairs Tommy O’Hare, 2026 Sports and Special Events Director, City Manager’s Office John Poch, Executive Director, San José Sports Authority