Thousands of soccer supporters packed the Fan Festival on Thursday for the tournament’s kickoff, forcing organizers to temporarily stop admitting new visitors after the venue exceeded its 7,500-person capacity. Some fans were left watching Mexico’s dominant win over South Africa from outside the gates as lines stretched across East Downtown.
Not even the insane Texas heat could keep fans away Thursday.
Photos from Thursday’s scene showed long lines stretching outside the festival grounds, with one volunteer telling Chron onsite that fans had been waiting since 11 a.m. Temperatures reached close to 90 degrees later that day and nearly two dozen people were treated for heat-related illnesses during the first day of Houston’s FIFA Fan Festival, including four who were transported to hospitals. In total, medical staff treated 90 people at the event, according to KHOU.
The good news is that just before 6 p.m., and shortly after the game ended, the FIFA Fan Fest gates reopened. Chron returned to the site around that time, and there was still a crowd of fans participating in sponsored attractions, jamming out to live music, and hanging out under the handful of cooling tents to find respite from lingering heat.
With Team USA—set to play at 8 p.m—and expected to draw one of the tournament’s largest crowds Friday night, organizers may soon find out whether opening day was just a preview of what’s to come.
Chron reached out to FIFA Fan Fest organizers for additional information and how they are preparing for the next round, but has not heard back.
This is a developing story and will continue to be updated as more information becomes available.
Ahmed Humble
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