With the FIFA World Cup 2026 less than two weeks from kickoff, Miami Beach City Manager Eric Carpenter has delivered a detailed update to Mayor Steven Meiner and the City Commission laying out how virtually every municipal department — from fire and police to public works and parking — is preparing for one of the most logistically demanding events in the city's history.

The letter, dated May 27, describes a coordinated citywide effort across public safety, transportation, beautification, economic development, marketing, and special events permitting, as the region braces for an influx of hundreds of thousands of visitors over the course of 39 days.

Public Safety: Millions in Grants, Months of Drills

The city's public safety preparations are among the most extensive detailed in the letter. The Fire and Police Department, with assistance from the Grants Office, have applied for a $2.6 million grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), administered through the Miami FIFA Host Committee, to help defray public safety expenditures associated with FIFA-sanctioned events.

Both departments have participated in a series of preparedness exercises dating back to last year. These included Operation "Red Card," a three-hour tabletop exercise held at the Miami Beach Convention Center on June 17, 2025, with 117 participants, which tested local area evacuation coordination during an influx of international visitors for a large sporting event. A follow-up exercise, Operation "Miami Rule," was held on January 8, 2026, with 60 participants, and focused on public safety response during a sporting event festival experiencing civil unrest. Additional drills included operations at Hard Rock Stadium, the Broward Emergency Operations Center, and a mass casualty exercise at Mount Sinai Medical Center.

Staff have also completed training in crowd management, incident management, CPR/AED/Stop the Bleed, Waymo response coordination, and rappelling response. The Police Department is coordinating with international, federal, state, and local partners through the South Florida Fusion Center, including with fan-base representatives such as the Tartan Army, the Scottish National Team supporters' group, regarding potential planned activities within the city.

Among the activations being monitored: the Argentine Consulate has confirmed a fan-fest style event at the Sagamore Hotel, 1671 Collins Avenue, on Argentine National Team game days throughout the tournament.

Transportation: Free Water Taxis, Extended Trolleys

The city's Transportation Department is planning free water taxi and shuttle service on high-impact dates. On Thursday, June 11 — the day of the FIFA Host Committee Kick-Off Watch Party and Concert at Lummus Park — enhanced free water taxi service will run from the Venetian Marina to Maurice Gibb Memorial Park, with free shuttle connections to Lummus Park, from 12 p.m. to 11 p.m. The city's regular weekday free water taxi service will be extended to 11 p.m. that day as well.

Free water taxi and shuttle service will also run on Saturday, July 18 and Sunday, July 19 from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m., serving fans attending the Official Viewing Party at the Miami Beach Bandshell Sand Bowl. Miami Beach Trolley service will also be enhanced on key game days by adding vehicles to the loops to increase service frequency.

Street Improvements and Beautification

The Parks, Facilities, Fleet & Beaches Department is executing a full deep cleaning of Lincoln Road from the 1100 block to the 400 block, including refreshed paint on piano keys, planters, fountains, and signage. Crews are also completing traffic delineator replacements, sod replacement at the 400 block, asphalt patch repairs at Euclid Circle, drainage cleaning, and grate replacements. In Lummus Park, work includes repainting Muscle Beach, deep cleaning restrooms, and upgrading landscaping.

Public Works is simultaneously resurfacing 17th Street from Alton Road to Washington Avenue, repairing deficient curbs, gutters, and sidewalks. A construction moratorium will be implemented in city rights-of-way during key event periods, restricting all but pre-approved or essential work on major thoroughfares.

The Parking Department will implement enhanced staffing on strategic dates and may implement pricing adjustments at select high-impact garages, when approved by city leadership.

Fan Events: A Packed Calendar from June 5 Through July 19

The city's Tourism and Culture and Marketing and Communications departments have permitted and planned a dense calendar of activations. At the center of the marketing effort is a citywide installation of 48 larger-than-life, 16-foot inflatable soccer balls, each representing a qualifying nation, running from South Pointe to North Beach starting June 5 through the end of July. Fans will also be able to participate in an online scavenger-hunt-style mission game tied to the 48 balls.

The official FIFA World Cup 2026 Store opened May 15 at 1006 Lincoln Road and runs through September 30. Among the confirmed permitted events:

• Copa del Sol — a public youth and community soccer competition at the Lummus Park Beachfront, June 5–7.
• Giants of the Game (FOX Sports Activation) — World Cup inflatables in Lummus Park's grassy area between 11th and 12th Streets, June 5.
• FIFA Host Committee Kickoff Watch Party & Concert — Lummus Park Beachfront, June 11, 2 p.m.–8:45 p.m. Carlos Vives has been announced as the headlining performer for the live concert following the opening match between Mexico and South Africa. Registration for 1,000 reserved seats for Miami Beach residents went live on Sunday, May 25.
• Concacaf House – 41 for One — 536 Lincoln Road, June 11–July 19.
• FIFA World Cup x REEFLINE Activation ("Big Goals") — an immersive art-meets-sport installation transforming the Lummus Park Spoil Area between 11th and 12th Streets into a monumental soccer pitch, June 14–June 28.
• CONMEBOL – "From the Roots to the Soul" — 720 Lincoln Road and Euclid Oval, June 14–July 14.
• Fan Fest Uruguay — a daylong celebration of Uruguayan culture at the Miami Beach Bandshell on June 20, produced in partnership with the Consulate of Uruguay.
• Miami Beach Bandshell Watch Parties — free public screenings, including Argentina vs. Austria (June 22), Scotland vs. Brazil (June 24), and both semifinal matches on July 14 and July 15.
• Nike World Cup Block Party — 1035 Lincoln Road, June 26.
• Sand Bowl Watch Parties (Bronze Final & Cup Final) — Miami Beach Bandshell Sand Bowl, 72nd Street and Collins Avenue, July 18–19, in partnership with The Rhythm Foundation and the Miami FIFA Host Committee.

On June 12, the Tourism and Culture Department will also present VOLTA, a new media work by artist Stephen Dean, at SoundScape Park, with a conversation featuring Franklin Sirmans, Director of the Pérez Art Museum Miami. A Washington Avenue mural by artist Yort will transform the 1400 block into a tribute to the way fans connect with soccer through the screen. The iconic Miami Beach sign at Ocean Drive and 6th Street has already been surrounded by 48 flags representing every qualifying nation since May 22.

Business Support

The Economic Development Department coordinated a "Business Ready Day" on May 21, 2026, to help vendors and local businesses activate quickly. The department has reached out to approximately 6,000 businesses in its contact database via newsletters and email, and hosted a BID Roundtable with directors from the city's Business Improvement Districts. Businesses can submit FIFA-related promotions for inclusion on the city's official World Cup platform at miamibeachfl.gov/worldcup.

The Administration stated it will continue coordinating across departments and with regional stakeholders and the Miami FIFA Host Committee to support a "safe, engaging, and memorable World Cup experience in Miami Beach." Questions can be directed to Chief of Staff Christina Baguer at [email protected].