NYC Council wants a ‘cultural passport,’ more public bathrooms, and Pelé Way for World Cup

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NYC Council wants a ‘cultural passport,’ more public bathrooms, and Pelé Way for World Cup

With the 2026 World Cup less than two months away, the New York City Council introduced a package of legislation last week to support local businesses during the nearly six-week tournament, which includes eight games at nearby MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. One of the proposed bills would create a “cultural passport program” to encourage those traveling to New York for the soccer matches to explore local businesses and institutions across the five boroughs; another would make a calendar of events to help visitors find festivals, parties, and cultural corridors tied to the participating teams. The new legislation comes as City Hall has restricted approving permits for large public events during the World Cup, as well as the 250th Anniversary of America on July 4.

Introduced by Council Deputy Speaker Nantasha Williams, the legislation directs the city’s Economic Development Corporation to “develop and implement” a cultural passport program in consultation with the Department of Small Business Services, the Department of Cultural Affairs, and New York City Tourism + Conventions.

Williams said the program would help New York business owners and residents benefit from the eight World Cup matches held at MetLife from June 13 to July 19, which is estimated to generate $3.3 billion in total economic impact, according to the New York/New Jersey Host Committee.

“A cultural passport program creates a clear pathway to connect residents and visitors to institutions, small businesses, and community spaces across all five boroughs so the benefits of this moment are felt more equitably across the city,” Williams said in a statement.

“If we are moving forward with something of this magnitude, then it has to be done with a clear focus on who benefits and how. That means expanding opportunity, supporting local economies, and ensuring communities see a real return from an event happening in their own city.”

Another bill, introduced by Majority Leader Shaun Abreu, requires the city to publish a calendar of activities related to the World Cup, including “viewing parties, recreational events, performances, street festivals, and other cultural programming.” The bill calls for the city to create a map of neighborhoods with a significant concentration of residents or businesses that share connections to a participating nation in the tournament.

Officials expect more than 1.2 million visitors to travel to the region for the World Cup, which will be the largest edition of the tournament ever, expanding from 32 to 48 national teams and featuring 104 matches across 16 cities in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico.

The city has allocated $90 million for World Cup preparations, but specifics surrounding neighborhood events remain uncertain. In an op-ed published by Crain’s earlier this month, Council Member Virginia Maloney, chair of the council’s Economic Development Committee, said there’s a “lack of coordination” surrounding proposed public programming.

The city’s Economic Development Corporation received $15 million for public events, but little information has been made available to local stakeholders regarding the programming.

“Cultural institutions reported being left out of the process entirely until the last minute,” Maloney wrote. “Business Improvement Districts reported that a moratorium on public plaza permits, put in place to maximize FIFA site selection, left them unable to plan any programming in June and July, disrupting local events such as concerts and classes. BIDs are still waiting for approvals with 66 days to go.”

Maloney also noted that Mayor Zohran Mamdani, who appointed a World Cup Czar in January, has not yet appointed a president of the EDC.

The city has denied permits for new large events in NYC parks and other major gathering spaces for six weeks during the World Cup, as well as the Fourth of July, due to security concerns. According to the Daily News, the city has placed a moratorium on permitted events from May 24 through July 25, creating a problem for the city’s many business improvement districts (BIDs), which were hoping to capitalize on the major events.

The New York Times reported last week that there are applications for 25 new major events in NYC parks that could be denied by the city to conserve city resources. An emergency order issued by Parks and approved by the mayor last month, gives the department “broad latitude to deny applications for new, large-scale events like concerts and festivals from June 11 to July 19,” according to the Times, but returning events would not be impacted.

Jeffrey LeFrancois, the executive director of the Meatpacking District Management Association, told the Daily News he knows of six events that moved to other large cities because of delays from City Hall regarding permits.

“Depending on the size and scale, a lot of these events don’t even need city resources,” LeFrancois told the newspaper. “And a blanket ‘Wait and see’ from the city isn’t helping anybody. We need to be able to make decisions. There are brands that have money to spend on permits for events and want to leverage the World Cup, but they’re not getting approved here, so that money ends up going elsewhere.”

According to the Times, the city says most events, including birthday parties, picnics, weddings, and others, will not be affected. The newspaper reports Parks officials have approved over 1,340 event permits for this June and July.

Other bills included as part of the legislation package introduced in the Council last week include expanding access to public bathrooms in NYC, as well as promoting a list of locations of public facilities. The plan, as reported by Gothamist, would include installing temporary restrooms in areas of high foot traffic by June 1.

And Council Member Maloney wants to co-name several thoroughfares and public places, including “Thierry Henry Way” in Manhattan, next to the World Cup Fan Village opening at Rockefeller Center, and “Pelé Way” in Queens.

“I’m excited to introduce legislation naming Thierry Henry Way in Manhattan and Pelé Way in Queens, honoring two global soccer icons who helped shape the modern game,” Maloney said.

“Thierry Henry Way will be in the district I’m proud to represent, running alongside Rockefeller Center, where hundreds of thousands of fans will gather for free viewing parties. It’s fitting that we’re connecting this global moment to our local communities and businesses, ensuring that New Yorkers are a part of this once-in-a-lifetime experience, whether in our stadiums or on our streets.”

The following World Cup matches will be held at MetLife: