Reimagined FIFA Fan Festival experience to debut at Qatar 2022 before heading to Australia and New Zealand

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FIFA
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FIFA is set to debut a reimagined fan destination and on-site entertainment experience for fans at future FIFA World Cup and FIFA Women’s World Cup events called the FIFA Fan Festival.

Beginning with World Cup Qatar 2022, this multidimensional, inclusive event will provide new ways for fans to celebrate their shared passion for football and experience the best in music, entertainment, local culture, food, games and lifestyle trends in a true festival environment.

Formerly known as the FIFA Fan Fest, this one-stop destination for fans previously appeared at four editions of the World Cup – starting with the 2006 World Cup Germany – and welcomed almost 40 million visitors across five continents.

Following its debut in its new form in Qatar later this year, the FIFA Fan Festival will premiere at the Women’s World Cup at the tournament in Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand in 2023.

“To support our mission to make football truly global, accessible and inclusive, we are thrilled to introduce a new vision for the entertainment experience surrounding future FIFA World Cup events,” FIFA President Gianni Infantino said in a statement.

“The FIFA Fan Festival provides an incredible opportunity for fans to come together beyond the stadiums and the on-pitch action and experience football in new and unique ways. We are truly excited about the future of the FIFA Fan Festival and the enhanced entertainment offerings that will bring fans and partners alike closer to both men’s and women’s FIFA World Cups, as well as global football culture.”

The newly reimagined FIFA Fan Festival was designed to tap into the unique energy felt around major FIFA competitions. It will give all types of fans – from avid supporters to casual football enthusiasts and lovers of music, food and culture – new ways to connect and engage with football in a fun, entertaining and festive atmosphere.

For the World Cup Qatar 2022, the FIFA Fan Festival will be held at one central location at Al Bidda Park in Doha over the 29 days of the tournament (November 20 – December 18 2022). This go-to destination for fans on-site at Qatar 2022 will feature the following attractions:

  • Live broadcasts of every match on giant screens, with views of Doha’s futuristic skyline in the background
  • Concerts starring top global and local music acts and live works by internationally acclaimed performance artists
  • A food court offering unique culinary experiences featuring local cuisine and international delicacies
  • Unique football matches with FIFA Legends, in addition to interactive physical and digital football gaming stations for fans of all ages
  • Innovative sponsor activations, as well as an official FIFA Store with licensed FIFA World Cup products

FIFA will also extend the reach of the event around the world by enabling fans to watch, experience and interact with content from the FIFA Fan Festival through the FIFA+ digital platform. Throughout Qatar 2022, fans will be able to access content from the FIFA Fan Festival by visiting the World Cup page on FIFA+.

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Melbourne Victory and BYD drive innovation through new major partnership

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Image Credits: Shutterstock

Melbourne Victory has officially welcomed BYD as a Major Partner and the Club’s exclusive Motor Vehicle Supplier for the next 12 months. At a partner launch bringing together the two organisations, the focus is on building around innovation, growth and a drive for success. The partnership will place BYD at the centre of Melbourne Victory’s fan experience. The brand will feature on the front of both the A-League men’s and women’s home and away jerseys. This gives BYD a strong presence across matchdays, broadcasts and digital content throughout the season.

The partnership extends well beyond the playing kit. BYD will be integrated across Melbourne Victory’s media, Academy and community assets. The two organisations will also collaborate through Member and pathways programs. This creates opportunities for BYD to connect with Victory supporters across multiple touchpoints.

For BYD, the partnership provides a direct connection with Melbourne Victory’s growing supporter and member base. The automotive brand has built a rapidly expanding presence in Australia and New Zealand. Its partnership with Victory provides another platform to build awareness and engage with Australian consumers. BYD Australia Chief Operating Officer Stephen Collins said the alignment between the two organisations was a key factor behind the deal.

“At BYD we’re enormously excited to welcome the Melbourne Victory into the BYD family as an exclusive automotive partner,” Collins said.

“What really appeals to us was the culture of innovation and the hunger for success.”

That alignment is reflected in the way the partnership will operate. BYD will not simply appear on Melbourne Victory assets. The brand will be connected to the Club’s members, fans, business network, pathways and community programs. Melbourne Victory Managing Director Caroline Carnegie said the partnership reflects a shared ambition for continued growth. She also highlighted the organisations’ common focus on leading, connecting and inspiring their communities. Together, Melbourne Victory and BYD will bring the partnership to life across matchdays, media, community initiatives and supporter experiences throughout the 2026-27 season.

Episode 4: “You could have sold it out twice”: Peter Filopoulos on why unification is the way forward

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PETER FILOPOULOS sees Saturday’s Australia Cup final between Melbourne Victory and South Melbourne Hellas as a ‘unification event’ that must be harnessed as a window to the future – rather than a means of stirring up old division – if Australian football is to progress.

“This game sold out organically, and having run marketing, corporate affairs and communications at Football Australia previously, I don’t think they would have needed to spend one single dollar on marketing,” Filopoulos told Soccerscene Unfiltered.

“You could have probably sold it out twice! This tells me it’s the sort of product the fans want; it’s authentic and taps into the new and the old, and demonstrates culture as a real asset. You couldn’t have scripted it better.

“If I was in a decision-making position at the A-League, I’d be looking very closely at why fans have responded in such an emphatic way.”

Filopoulos has seen it all across his near-35 year career in sports administration, which by his calculation has been split evenly inside the Australian football tent and outside it – but when outside, always with at least one eye glancing back.

Fifteen years across AFL clubs Hawthorn & North Melbourne as that code moved from a financially traumatic 1990s into a wealthier new millennium; five years at Football Australia: ‘easily the most transformative period for Australian football in its history’; stints with Etihad Stadium and even a period ‘completely out of my comfort zone’ at Swimming Australia.

There’s been crisis management, stepping in as Perth Glory CEO after the 2015 salary cap scandal; he’s seen the A-League’s boom times under the Lowys & Fox Sports’ 2018 broadcast deal; he’s enjoyed the euphoria of the 2023 Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.

But all stems back to the National Soccer League and South Melbourne Hellas, and his bold decision to take on the Club’s inaugural general manager position in December 1993, aged just 25.

“I wasn’t ready… but what it taught me is when an opportunity is presented to you, just say ‘yes’ and work out how to do it later. I’ve used this throughout my career, and that was one of those instances where I threw myself in the deep end.

“I had my career mapped out, and was working quite happily in accounting. But I was a passionate fan and having grown up at the old Middle Park, it was a natural ‘yes’ – and I was young enough to take a risk.”

With today’s A-League financially ailing and great clubs of yesteryear enjoying what Filopoulos terms a ‘renaissance’ – and agitating as vociferously for a return to the top flight as at any point since the demise of the NSL – he feels it is again time for bold leadership, and a little risk.

“You can have all the ambition in the world, and in being part of a club, you’re a custodian. But as I’ve always seen it, you need a sustainable commercial model: sound ownership, sound facilities, revenue, etc…

‘But you also need to understand how to tap into that asset of culture. What we’re seeing with the Australia Cup final is a result of culture, right? You need to create it amongst your fans, and know who your fans are, and tell them what you’re striving for. Bring them along on the journey!”

Catch the full chat with Peter Filoupolos on Soccerscene Unfiltered: from ‘eyeballing’ Frank Arok and backing Ange Postecoglou, overcoming resource challenges at Football Victoria, to the rise of the Matildas, and plenty more…

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