Tumwater council authorizes mayor to sign regional MOU for 2026 World Cup fan zone
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Summary
Tumwater voted to join an interjurisdictional memorandum of understanding with Olympia, Lacey, Thurston County and the Port of Olympia to host an "Olympia–Lacey" FIFA World Cup fan zone at the Port’s Northpoint site; Tumwater’s lodging-tax contribution was set after an LTAC recommendation.
The Tumwater City Council on March 3 authorized the mayor to sign a regional memorandum of understanding to plan and operate an Olympia–Lacey fan zone for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Assistant City Administrator Kelly Adams told the council the MOU formalizes roles and responsibilities between participating governments and named the Thurston County Chamber as the lead planning entity. Adams said the council previously directed staff to pursue lodging-tax funding and that an initial $50,000 request was reduced to a $7,500 Tumwater contribution under the lodging tax advisory committee (LTAC) averaging process.
David Shaffer, president and CEO of the Thurston County Chamber, and Jenny Foglia Jones, the project manager for the fan-zone effort, described the proposed activation at the Port of Olympia’s Northpoint peninsula. Foglia Jones said the site plan includes a large LED screen, live entertainment, local vendors, a beer garden, ADA access ramps between parking terraces and bus shuttles operated by Intercity Transit; estimated attendance per match was 2,500–5,000 depending on the matchup. She said general admission would be $10, children 12 and under would be admitted free and that VIP ticket packages were still being defined.
Foglia Jones also described statewide coordination led by Seattle FIFA and a statewide app called “See and Win” that will run from late March through July; the app includes walking-tour “passports” with geo‑fenced stops that can drive foot traffic to local businesses. She said the chamber is coordinating business training and a March 18 EDC event to help Tumwater merchants prepare.
Council members asked about public-safety planning and who bears liability. Foglia Jones said Olympia Police and Fire departments will lead public-safety operations and Intercity Transit is the transit partner; Shaffer and Foglia Jones also said human-trafficking prevention training has been procured through Seattle FIFA and a private vendor and is being made available to local businesses.
Council member Megan Sullivan moved to authorize the mayor to sign the MOU; Council member Angela Jefferson seconded. The council approved the measure unanimously by voice vote.
The MOU sets a framework for planning and does not itself obligate all future operational contracts or sponsorships. Foglia Jones and the chamber said additional funding, tickets and operational details will be finalized in the coming months and that the first presale for fan‑zone tickets was expected around May.