← KC Soccer Summer Guide

Getting Around KC.

Transit to Arrowhead, the airport shuttle, the streetcar, what you can bring through the gate, the Fan Festival, emergency numbers, and what a day costs. Screenshot it — you won't need a signal to read it.

Getting to Arrowhead

The smart-money ways in.

🚌 Stadium Direct shuttle

  • Cost: $15 per rider, per match (round-trip)
  • Need: Match ticket required, plus a valid ConnectKC26 Pass.
  • From: Boards from the FIFA Fan Festival or designated park-and-ride locations.
  • When: Service begins 3 hours before kickoff and runs until 2 hours after the match ends.
  • Book: Reserve online at KC2026.com/transportation; a valid ConnectKC26 Pass and a match ticket are required.
Reserve at KC2026 →

🅿️ Park & Ride

Stadium Direct boards from these confirmed park-and-ride sites (drive there, ride in):

  • Independence Center
  • North Kansas City
  • Oak Park Mall

A fourth site may be added — check the official Getting Around KC page before relying on it.

🚕 Rideshare

  • Cost: $30–$45 to/from downtown (surge varies — fares spike on match days).
  • Pickup: Designated rideshare drop-off and pick-up point is located in Stadium Lot O.

Surge varies; match-day fares can spike well above the typical range. Confirm the quote in your rideshare app before you ride.

🎟️ ConnectKC26 Pass

  • The ConnectKC26 Pass is the transit credential for the World Cup shuttle system.
  • Needed for: Required for Stadium Direct (plus a match ticket) and for the free Airport Direct ride.
  • Get it: Reserve/obtain via KC2026.com/transportation.
Airport & Around Town

KCI to downtown, and getting around.

✈️ Airport Direct

  • A free, no-hassle ride between KCI and downtown with a valid ConnectKC26 Pass.
  • Route: KCI ↔ ConnectKC26 Bus Mall at 27th & Main, downtown.
  • Hours: 6:00 AM–10:00 PM daily, June 11–July 13.
  • Cost: Free with a valid ConnectKC26 Pass.

🚍 RideKC bus 229

  • RideKC route 229 (Boardwalk–KCI) connects KCI and downtown.
  • Fare: $2.00 single ride (fares resumed June 1, 2026).
  • Caps: Daily cap $4.00, weekly cap $20.00.

🚊 KC Streetcar

  • Cost: Free — no tickets, no app, just hop on.
  • Route: River Market (3rd & Grand) ↔ UMKC (51st & Brookside), ~31 stops.

The streetcar does NOT reach KCI. For the airport, use Airport Direct (free w/ pass), RideKC route 229, or rideshare.

Walk Times

From your neighborhood to the shuttle.

Estimated walking minutes from each downtown neighborhood to the Stadium Direct boarding point at the Fan Festival (National WWI Museum & Memorial).

Power & Light District (Main St streetcar stop)~37 min
Crossroads (Freight House, 101 W 22nd St)~30 min
Westport (Westport Rd & Pennsylvania)~42 min
River Market / City Market~55 min
Country Club Plaza~65 min
18th & Vine (Negro Leagues Baseball Museum)~54 min
Crown Center & Union Station (Union Station, 30 W Pershing Rd)~25 min

Estimated at a 3 mph walking pace from a sourced street-network distance, rounded up (a safe leave-by buffer). The direct footpath up from Union Station can be a few minutes shorter.

At the Gate

What you can bring in.

⏰ Gates & tickets

  • Stadium gates open 3 hours before kickoff.
  • Tickets are digital-only. Managed in the FWC26 Mobile Tickets app.
  • Ticket transfers are handled in-app.

👜 Bags & water

  • One clear bag up to 12" × 6" × 12" is permitted.
  • A small clutch up to 4.5" × 6.5" is also allowed.
  • Water: One soft, plastic, 20-ounce (590ml), factory-sealed disposable water bottle is permitted.
  • Hard-sided and reusable bottles remain banned.

🚫 Leave these home

weapons · lighters · drones · selfie sticks · professional cameras · outside food & beverage · large or opaque bags.

General FIFA list — confirm the exhaustive KC-specific policy before match day.

🌡️ Beat the heat

  • Hydrate early and often — KC summer heat indexes regularly top 100°F.
  • FIFA is providing misting stations, fans, hydration stations, and cooling tents.
  • Kansas City has a Heat Task Force coordinating match-day heat safety.
Fan Festival

Free, downtown, all summer.

  • Where: FIFA Fan Festival at the National WWI Museum & Memorial. 2 Memorial Drive, Kansas City, MO.
  • Admission: Fan Festival general admission is FREE (first-come, capacity permitting).
  • Capacity: Capacity roughly 25,000, first-come first-served.
  • Hours: The Fan Festival runs in 5 themed windows (Jun 11–16 · Jun 19–21 · Jun 24–27 · Jul 3–5 · Jul 9–11) covering all six KC match days. It is NOT continuous, and hours vary by date.

The WWI Museum's own $30 all-access ticket is a SEPARATE product — it is NOT the Fan Festival price. Do not conflate the two.

If You Need Help

Numbers worth saving.

Emergency

911

Any life-threatening emergency — police, fire, or medical. Dispatch routes you to the nearest help.

Police (non-emergency)

816-234-5111

Lost property, a non-urgent report, or to reach Kansas City police when it is NOT an emergency.

Hospital ER (Level I trauma)

816-276-4000

For a serious injury or illness, call 911 first — dispatch routes you to the nearest appropriate ER. Research Medical Center is a major 24/7 Level I trauma center in Kansas City.

2316 E Meyer Blvd, Kansas City, MO 64132 (24/7 Level I trauma ER).

Questions about transit passes, the Fan Festival, or general FIFA World Cup 2026 Kansas City fan services (NOT an emergency).

Email: Support@KansasCityFWC26.com

In any life-threatening emergency, call 911 first — dispatch routes you to the nearest help.

What a Day Costs

Transit + Fan Festival, for two.

Three ways to do match day, costed from the verified fares above. This is transit and the free Fan Festival only — lodging, tickets, and food beyond the Fan Festival are not included.

$8

Free transit where it exists + free Fan Festival. The cheapest verified day.

  • FIFA Fan Festival — general admission (free)
  • KC Streetcar around downtown (free)
  • RideKC route 229 to/from KCI, round-trip for 2 ($2.00/ride)

$30

The Stadium Direct plan — no parking, no traffic, a fixed per-rider fare.

  • FIFA Fan Festival — general admission (free)
  • Stadium Direct round-trip for 2 (2×$15)
  • Airport Direct KCI ↔ downtown (free with ConnectKC26 Pass)

$60–$90

Door-to-door rideshare. Costs a range that spikes on match days (confirm in-app).

  • FIFA Fan Festival — general admission (free)
  • Rideshare to/from the stadium (round-trip, from Stadium Lot O)

Per a party of two. Rideshare is a range that can spike on match days — confirm the quote in your app.

Bob knows the rest.

This is an unofficial local guide built by TKC Group. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by FIFA, KC2026, any national team, venue, league, or official sponsor. Transit fares, hours, and stadium rules are subject to change — confirm on the official pages before you go.