REPORT TO COUNCIL
SUBJECT
Title
Action on Adoption of a Resolution Designating the FIFA World Cup 2026 Special Event Zone and Special Event Time Period Pursuant to the City’s Special Event Zone Ordinance
Report
BACKGROUND
Since opening in 2014, Levi’s® Stadium (Stadium) has hosted numerous large-scale events attracting statewide, national, and international audiences, including Super Bowl 50 in 2016 and the College Football Playoff National Championship in 2019. To support public health, safety, mobility management, and event operations during high-attendance events, the City has historically implemented temporary “Special Event Zone” regulations addressing emergency access, crowd management, temporary commercial activity, and related operational needs. These measures have also assisted in reducing congestion and unlawful activity, including unpermitted vending and counterfeit merchandising.
On December 16, 2025, the City Council adopted an uncodified ordinance entitled “An Ordinance of the City of Santa Clara, California, Regulating Certain Activities within a Protected Area in Connection with Major Events and Related Activities in the City of Santa Clara” (Special Event Zone Ordinance)(Attachment 1). The Special Event Zone Ordinance established a framework authorizing the City Council to designate, by separate resolution, future “Special Events”, a “Special Event Zone” for such designated Special Events, and a “Special Event Time Period” during which the Special Event Zone Ordinance regulations will apply within the Special Event Zone. The Special Event Zone Ordinance specifically identifies FIFA World Cup 2026 as a Special Event. The City must now adopt a resolution to designate the Special Event Zone and Special Event Time Period for FIFA World Cup 2026.
The Special Event Zone Ordinance establishes temporary regulations applicable only during the City Council approved designated Special Event Time Period and only within the Council-approved Special Event Zone. The Special Event Zone regulations include:
• Pause on Sidewalk Vending Permits: Sidewalk vending permits issued under Santa Clara City Code Chapter 5.05 are temporarily paused for approved locations within the Special Event Zone, while permits remain valid for approved locations outside the Special Event Zone.
• Restrictions on Outdoor Food and Beverage Sales: Outdoor food and beverage sales visible from public streets, sidewalks, or rights-of-way are prohibited, except for properly permitted businesses operating in the ordinary course at approved locations.
• Restrictions on Outdoor Merchandise Sales: Outdoor sale or distribution of merchandise visible from public areas is prohibited, except where conducted by properly permitted businesses operating in the ordinary course at approved locations.
• Prohibition on Mobile Unit Commercial Vending: Commercial vending from mobile units, including trucks, trailers, carts, bicycles, or other wheeled conveyances not permanently affixed to a foundation, is prohibited.
• Restrictions on Promotional Giveaways and Sampling: Distribution of free products, commercial services, coupons, or promotional materials in public areas is prohibited, with a limited exception for certain coupon distribution occurring on private property in direct support of a business operating within an enclosed building.
• Prohibition on Mobile Advertising Displays: Mobile advertising displays and promotional signage attached to mobile units or portable devices are prohibited, while ordinary-course advertising on buses, taxis, and delivery vehicles remains permitted.
• Permit Requirement for Temporary Structures: Temporary structures, including tents, canopies, umbrellas, inflatables, and similar installations on non-residential property, require City approval through a Temporary Use Permit.
The Ordinance also preserves existing City, State, and Federal requirements and relies on existing administrative enforcement mechanisms to support implementation and compliance.
Levi’s® Stadium is scheduled to host FIFA World Cup 2026 matches in June and July 2026. In preparation for these internationally significant events, staff now recommends adoption of a resolution designating a FIFA World Cup 2026 Special Event Zone and activation period pursuant to the Special Event Zone Ordinance.
The Assignment and Assumption Agreement between the City and FIFA (Agreement) contemplates City Council consideration and potential adoption of a Special Event Zone ordinance and related implementing actions to support FIFA World Cup 2026 operations at Levi’s® Stadium. While the FIFA Agreement does not require the City Council to adopt a Special Event Zone or related resolution and the City Council retains sole discretion regarding such action, the Agreement recognizes that temporary event-related regulations may be considered to support public safety, mobility management, security operations, crowd management, and other logistical needs associated with FIFA World Cup 2026. Adoption of a Special Event Zone resolution establishing a defined time period and geographic boundary supports operational planning and coordination among the City, Stadium operators, FIFA event partners, and public safety agencies in preparation for the event.
Consistent with prior City Council direction and informed by operational planning to date, staff recommends use of the smaller geographic boundary for FIFA World Cup 2026. At this time, staff anticipates that FIFA-related impacts may be more concentrated in and immediately around the Stadium area and may involve a smaller operational and security footprint than Super Bowl LX, thereby supporting a more focused and tailored Special Event Zone.
DISCUSSION
Purpose of the FIFA World Cup 2026 Resolution
The adopted Special Event Zone Ordinance establishes temporary regulations applicable only during designated event periods and only within specifically adopted geographic areas. Adoption of the proposed resolution would formally designate:
• The FIFA World Cup 2026 Special Event Time Period, from June 12, 2026 at 8:00 PM through July 2, 2026 at 6:00AM, consistent with the dates previously contemplated in the ordinance materials, to account for event preparation, match operations, ingress and egress activity, and event demobilization; and
• The FIFA World Cup 2026 Special Event Zone boundary, consisting of a more limited geographic area focused on the Stadium and adjacent circulation corridors.
The resolution does not establish new regulations or amend the adopted Special Event Zone Ordinance. Rather, it activates the Ordinance’s existing temporary Special Event Zone requirements for FIFA World Cup 2026 within the designated time period and boundary.
Super Bowl LX Activities and Operational Impacts
Super Bowl LX (SBLX) provided the City with an opportunity to evaluate the effectiveness of Special Event Zone Ordinance and observe real-world impacts associated with large-scale event activity at and around Levi’s® Stadium. Based on field observations and interdepartmental coordination, staff found that the most significant operational, mobility, and public safety impacts were concentrated in the immediate vicinity of the Stadium, particularly along primary ingress and egress corridors used by attendees before and after the event.
During event egress, substantial pedestrian volumes were observed along designated exit routes, with congestion occurring in areas where unpermitted temporary vending and informal commercial activity intersected with pedestrian circulation. While the number of vendors observed was generally consistent with prior major events, staff found that simplified ordinance language and clearer public messaging improved operational understanding and enforcement coordination. City staff observed that event-related impacts diminished farther from the Stadium, and areas beyond the immediate Stadium environment generally did not experience comparable operational or public safety concerns with the primary unpermitted activities occurring on Great America Parkway and Tasman.
The City also observed attempts to distribute materials and promotional items in areas surrounding the Stadium. In one instance, a group sought to distribute rally towels, which event operators did not permit within the Stadium venue. These activities highlighted the importance of maintaining clear standards regarding the distribution of materials and promotional items in areas immediately surrounding the event footprint to avoid congestion and preserve safe pedestrian movement. The Special Event Zone Ordinance’s prohibition on the distribution of giveaways and promotion items provided an effective enforcement mechanism to address this activity, enabling staff to intervene promptly, reduce potential pedestrian conflicts, and reinforce orderly event operations within high-traffic areas surrounding the Stadium.
Enforcement of the Special Event Zone Ordinance during Super Bowl LX was coordinated through partnered field teams that included Code Enforcement, Police, and event partners. Partnered enforcement efforts helped clarify expectations and address operational issues in real time.
Code Enforcement staff reported high voluntary compliance using the Special Event Zone Ordinance as an enforcement and education tool. Four notices of violation were issued for unpermitted signage and during event operations, approximately three food vendors and fourteen merchandise vendors were directed to cease operations or relocate, with voluntary compliance achieved following staff engagement. During post-event egress, unpermitted hot dog vending activity became more prevalent along key pedestrian corridors, at times impeding crowd movement and pedestrian circulation as attendees exited the Stadium. The Special Event Zone Ordinance continues to serve as a critical enforcement and educational tool in addressing this activity; during multi-day events, its consistent application reinforces compliance expectations, serves as an ongoing reminder of regulatory requirements, and acts as a deterrent to recurring unpermitted vending.
Overall, observations from Super Bowl LX reinforced that the most substantial event-related operational impacts occur in and around Levi’s® Stadium and along immediate circulation routes in particular on the routes on Great America Parkway as visitors’ ingress and egress from the event. These experiences informed staff’s recommendation for a more focused FIFA World Cup 2026 Special Event Zone boundary, emphasizing the Stadium area, key ingress and egress corridors, and locations with demonstrated pedestrian and operational impacts while minimizing temporary restrictions in areas farther from the Stadium where impacts were more limited.
FIFA World Cup 2026 Event Impacts and Operational Considerations
The FIFA World Cup is anticipated to generate significant visitor activity at and around Levi’s® Stadium, including large pedestrian volumes, credentialed access operations, transit activity, rideshare demand, and heightened security coordination. Similar to other international sporting events, operational needs are expected to include temporary security screening, crowd-management infrastructure, media operations, wayfinding systems, temporary fencing, hospitality functions, and coordinated emergency access planning.
In addition, City staff have observed that international sporting events and matches historically generate increased levels of informal and unpermitted vending activity, including earlier vendor arrival and setup in advance of the game. This creates heightened operational and enforcement demands within key pedestrian corridors and surrounding circulation areas.
At present, FIFA operational planning indicates that many event impacts are expected to be concentrated closer to the Stadium and immediate transportation corridors than those anticipated during Super Bowl LX. Staff anticipates that activity levels immediately surrounding the Stadium may intensify during FIFA match periods due to increased pedestrian concentrations, international attendance patterns, and the anticipated presence of vendors associated with these events.
In addition, FIFA World Cup and other international soccer matches often generate organized and spontaneous “fan marches” or supporter gatherings, in which groups of spectators travel together from hotels, transit hubs, entertainment areas, or informal gathering locations toward venues, displaying team colors, flags, chants, and musical instruments. While generally celebratory, these activities can create temporary pedestrian concentrations, roadway crossings, localized congestion, and operational impacts affecting ingress and egress routes, transit access, rideshare operations, and emergency access near Levi’s® Stadium. These gatherings may also attract increased informal commercial activity, including vendors seeking to capitalize on concentrated crowds through sales of food, beverages, merchandise, promotional items, or counterfeit goods along supporter routes and gathering areas, creating secondary impacts to pedestrian circulation and crowd management that require coordinated operational planning and enforcement. City staff is currently evaluating strategies to proactively manage fan marches through the identification of designated gathering areas and preferred travel routes intended to minimize impacts to public safety, pedestrian circulation, traffic operations, and emergency access, including potential routes east and west of Tasman Drive. The Special Event Zone Ordinance will serve as an important tool in supporting these management efforts by establishing clear operational boundaries, limiting unpermitted vending, material distribution, and unpermitted commercial activity along these corridors.
The recommended Map boundary reflects this anticipated operational profile by focusing primarily on:
• Levi’s® Stadium and its immediate surroundings;
• Key ingress and egress routes along Great America Parkway, Tasman Drive, Lafayette Street, and Lickmill Drive are necessary for pedestrian movement and emergency access;
• Transit, shuttle, rideshare, and circulation corridors supporting match-day operations; and
• Areas expected to experience concentrated pedestrian activity, temporary security controls, and event-related operational demands, including the areas surrounding the Stadium on Tasman Drive and Great America Parkway.
The recommended boundary is intended to maintain safe and orderly pedestrian circulation, preserve emergency response access, reduce conflicts associated with unpermitted outdoor commercial activity, and support predictable event operations while minimizing temporary impacts on surrounding neighborhoods and businesses farther from the Stadium.
While FIFA operational planning continues to evolve, adoption of the proposed resolution would establish a clear and transparent regulatory framework in advance of the event period, allowing for public communication, coordinated enforcement, and operational preparedness consistent with prior major-event practices in Santa Clara.
Special Event Zone Time Period
Consistent with prior Council materials, staff recommends designation of the following activation period:
• FIFA World Cup 2026: June 12, 2026 at 8:00 PM through July 2, 2026 at 6:00 AM, reflecting an approximately twenty-day operational period necessary to accommodate pre-event preparations, event operations, crowd management, ingress and egress activity, vendor activity, temporary security operations, and post-event demobilization associated with multiple FIFA World Cup matches hosted at Levi’s® Stadium.
Staff further recommends a continuous activation period due to the close proximity of match dates and the operational challenges of repeatedly activating and deactivating Special Event Zone regulations between games. Stadium operations teams have advised that vendors associated with international events frequently establish operations very early in advance of events. As such, a continuous Special Event Zone period is recommended to avoid enforcement gaps and operational inefficiencies that may arise if vendors establish locations during interim periods between matches, requiring repeated enforcement, removal, and re-establishment efforts across multiple event cycles. The continuous timeframe also provides greater clarity for residents, businesses, vendors, and enforcement personnel while supporting consistent and predictable event operations.
Special Event Zone Boundary
Staff recommends adopting the attached Map (Attachment C), the reduced-footprint Special Event Zone boundary previously evaluated by the City Council for SBLX.
Staff recommends adopting the attached map (Attachment C), which reflects the reduced-footprint Special Event Zone boundary previously evaluated by the City Council for SBLX. The original SBLX boundary included areas encompassing the Rivermark Shopping Center and Oracle Campus neighborhoods. However, these areas did not experience significant event-related impacts during SBLX.
This Map was developed to provide a narrower and more targeted geographic footprint while maintaining the City’s public health, safety, mobility, and operational objectives. The recommended boundary focuses primarily on:
• The immediate area surrounding Levi’s® Stadium;
• Critical emergency response, transit, and circulation corridors; and
• Primary ingress and egress routes historically associated with high pedestrian and traffic volumes during major events.
The smaller boundary reflects the City’s current understanding that FIFA-related activity may be more concentrated than Super Bowl LX and that a more limited perimeter can appropriately balance operational readiness with minimizing temporary impacts on residents and businesses. In addition, because the primary spectator entrance to the Stadium for FIFA World Cup is located on the west side, staff anticipates that the most significant event-related impacts, particularly traffic, pedestrian and vehicle circulation, and parking demand, will occur along the Great America Parkway and Tasman Drive corridors.
Community Outreach
Staff will continue implementation of a public communication and outreach strategy in advance of FIFA World Cup 2026, including:
• A dedicated Special Event Zone webpage with maps, FAQs, and updates;
• Notifications distributed through City communication channels, business associations, and community organizations;
• Coordination with nearby residential communities, stakeholder groups, and Stadium-related committees; and
• Opportunities for residents and businesses to receive updates and request additional information.
The goal of outreach efforts is to provide clear, transparent, and timely information regarding the temporary Special Event Zone requirements and anticipated operational impacts.
Next Steps
Following Council adoption of the Resolution, staff will proceed with implementation planning, community outreach, interdepartmental coordination, and event-specific operational preparations for FIFA World Cup 2026.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
The action being considered does not constitute a “project” within the meaning of the California Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”) pursuant to CEQA Guidelines section 15378(a) because it has no potential for resulting in either a direct physical change in the environment or a reasonably foreseeable indirect physical change in the environment. Even if the action were considered a project under CEQA, it would be exempt pursuant to CEQA Guidelines section 15061(b)(3), because it can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility that adoption of the Resolution would have a significant effect on the environment, given that it does not involve or authorize any construction or physical activity impacting the environment.
FISCAL IMPACT
There is no General Fund impact anticipated beyond staff time associated with implementation, outreach, coordination, and enforcement during the time-limited activation period.
COORDINATION
This report was coordinated with the City Manager’s Office, City Attorney’s Office, and Community Development Department.
PUBLIC CONTACT
Public contact was made by posting the Council agenda on the City’s official-notice bulletin board outside City Hall Council Chambers. A complete agenda packet is available on the City’s website and in the City Clerk’s Office at least 72 hours prior to a Regular Meeting and 24 hours prior to a Special Meeting. A hard copy of any agenda report may be requested by contacting the City Clerk’s Office at (408) 615-2220, email clerk@santaclaraca.gov or at the public information desk at any City of Santa Clara public library.
In addition, staff will continue community outreach efforts related to FIFA World Cup 2026 Special Event Zone operations through dedicated webpages, notifications, stakeholder coordination, and direct communications to affected parties.
RECOMMENDATION
Recommendation
Adopt a Resolution designating the FIFA World Cup 2026 Special Event Zone and Special Event Time Period Pursuant to the City’s Special Event Zone Ordinance.
Staff
Reviewed by: Elizabeth Klotz, Assistant City Manager
Approved by: Jovan Grogan, City Manager
ATTACHMENTS
1. Ordinance
2. Resolution
3. Map