The 2026 World Cup is coming to South Florida, significantly impacting traffic in two key areas: around the stadium in Miami Gardens and downtown Miami, where the FIFA Fan Festival will be held.
According to authorities, several streets and highway exits will remain closed during certain hours and days near the stadium and the fan festival.
Matches in Miami Gardens: Dates and Times
The Hard Rock Stadium, officially renamed "Miami Stadium" during the tournament, will host seven matches between June 15 and July 18, including the quarter-finals and the third-place match.
The start times, according to the Miami Herald, are as follows:
- June 15, 21, and 24, and July 3: 6:00 PM.
- June 27: 7:30 PM.
- July 11 and 18: 5:00 PM.
Authorities anticipate that June 15 and 24 will be the days with the highest traffic congestion throughout the metropolitan area.
Closed streets in Miami Gardens
The authorities of Miami Gardens released the official list of roads affected on game days:
- Exit 2X North towards Florida's Turnpike.
- Exit 2X heading south on Florida's Turnpike.
- Intersection of NW 14th Court and NW 199th Street.
- Intersection of NW 27th Avenue and NW 199th Street.
The closures begin at 5:00 AM and continue until the parking lots open, four hours before the start.
They will then be reactivated: "On days like June 15, 21, and 24, and July 3, when a game starts at 6:00 PM, the roads will be closed from 5:00 AM to 2:00 PM and again from 7:30 PM to 9:30 PM," specified the Miami Herald.
For the matches on July 11 and July 18, the closures following the event will last two and a half hours from the start.
After each game, some ramps of the Golden Glades Interchange will be reserved exclusively for shuttle buses, including connections to Florida's Turnpike and the Palmetto Expressway (SR 826).
Those who live or work in controlled access areas must carry a local access special pass, available at the Miami Gardens City Hall and the Police Department.
The ramps from exit 2X of the Turnpike, however, will remain closed to all vehicles without exception.
Closures in downtown Miami for the Fan Festival
The FIFA Fan Festival will take place at Bayfront Park (301 Biscayne Blvd.) for 23 days, from June 13 to July 5, featuring interactive experiences, live broadcasts, food, and musical performances.
The Miami Herald pointed out bluntly: "Traffic in the downtown area is chaotic, and parking is not easy even on normal days."
The authorities have designed two scenarios.
Scenario 1 (June 13 - July 1, low to medium traffic) keeps the main lanes of Biscayne Boulevard open, with possible temporary closures of the north right lane in front of Bayside Park.
The Scenario 2 (July 1–5) diverts northbound traffic on Biscayne Boulevard to the southbound lanes between SE 2nd Street and NE 4th Street, with additional closures on NE 6th and NE 8th Streets.
This scenario coincides with the concerts by Shakira at the Kaseya Center on July 1 and 2 and the commemoration of the 250th anniversary of the United States.
Public transportation and recommendations
To reach the stadium, fans with a valid ticket can use free shuttles from the Metrorail station Martin Luther King Jr. Plaza, the Golden Glades multimodal terminal, and the Aventura Brightline station.
The boarding starts four hours before the match. There will be no parking sales on the day of the event.
For the Fan Festival, authorities recommend using Metrorail, Metromover, Brightline, and Tri-Rail.
The Metrorail will operate until midnight, with an extension until 1:00 a.m. on June 23, 25, and 27.
The Southeast Florida Fusion Center summarized its recommendations as follows:
"Avoid non-essential travel during the periods before and after the matches, leave with extra time, monitor traffic conditions before departing, and consider alternative routes to reduce delays."
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