The World Cup host city of Belo Horizonte has revealed plans for its fan fest, which will show matches and a programme of other world class entertainment for a live audience of up to 21,000 people for free.
Belo Horizonte’s announcement is in sharp contrast to problems elsewhere in Brazil.
Providing a fan fest is a contractual obligation for all FIFA World Cup host cities. FIFA is still waiting for confirmation about whether the host city of Recife will be able to fulfil its obligation to provide a fan fest during the World Cup. Funding for the project has yet to be confirmed.
Salvador might also have to break its obligation to provide a fan fest, for similar reasons. The Secretary of Ecopa Salvador, the municipal office responsible for World Cup activities there, admitted last week that fulfilling the Fan Fest depends on the outcome of continuing sponsorship negotiations.
Belo Horizonte is hosting six World Cup matches, including a semi-final on 8th July. Its fan fest will be open on all match days in Belo Horizonte and every weekend during the World Cup.
The site, encompassing three pavilions and located in the city’s 16,000 sq m Expominas centre, will host more than 40 events during the World Cup tournament in a celebration of Brazilian music, entertainment and cuisine.
The programme will feature a selection of famous Brazilian musicians including Daniela Mercury, with at least one major national artist will perform every day. ABRASEL, Brazil’s association of bars and restaurants, has partnered with the fan fest to provide high quality catering including local specialities.
The fan fest site will also host the media centre for accredited and non-accredited journalists, with 84 working stations, free wifi, televisions for transmission of the games and a direct view of the Belo Horizonte fan fest arena.
Work stations and leisure space will also be provided for all volunteers taking part in the World Cup project. Embassies and consulates of national teams competing in the tournament will also have a dedicated area onsite.
“We have spent a lot of time looking at how we can deliver the best visitor experience for all of the football fans that will come to Belo Horizonte and we believe that they will have a fantastic time celebrating this festival of football at our FIFA fan fest,” said Camillo Fraga, Municipal Secretary for the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil – Host City, Belo Horizonte.
“We have also invested in our local infrastructure to ensure that all of our visitors and residents will be able to move swiftly and safely from our fan fest site to the stadium and around our city. We cannot wait for this global football experience to start and welcoming fans from across the world to Belo Horizonte.”
