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Santa Monica Council authorizes staff to negotiate major events package for 2026–2028
Summary
The Santa Monica City Council voted unanimously to authorize the city manager to negotiate license and event agreements for activations tied to the 2026 World Cup, a proposed 2026 music festival, 2027 ESPN fan activations and 2028 Olympic/Paralympic programming, directing staff to pursue full cost recovery and community legacy benefits.
The Santa Monica City Council on the final meeting of 2025 authorized the city manager to negotiate a series of agreements to host major event activations on city property from 2026 through 2028, including a FIFA World Cup pitch-side club at the Pier, a proposed annual music festival, ESPN fan engagement events in 2027 and multiple Olympic and Paralympic activations in 2028.
Deputy City Manager Peter James and Acting Events Manager Aaron Orozco described a two-pathway approach to proposals: a "high-benefit" model that provides open access, legacy improvements and priority scheduling, and a "low-benefit"…
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