Mountain View is readying for major sporting events launching into the Bay Area in 2026 – the Super Bowl and the World Cup – with a plan to generate local economic activity.
A presentation outlining the efforts was given at the Dec. 16 Mountain View City Council meeting – which did not require a vote. The council later voted unanimously to pass the consent calendar portion of the agenda, which appropriated $295,000 to the community development department and $30,000 to the Mountain View Chamber of Commerce for the activation activities.
Super Bowl LX and Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) World Cup 2026 both include games at the nearby Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara in 2026. The Super Bowl will take place on Sunday, Feb. 8, 2026. The FIFA World Cup has games scheduled for June 13, June 16, June 19, June 22 and June 25
in the group stage portion of the tournament, and the Round of 32 qualifying match on July 1.
City officials are anticipating significant travel to the Bay Area as well as members of the public seeking to participate in events nearby or on the periphery of the games. The sport activation plans are intended to act upon Mountain View’s convenient transit access to the stadium as well as proximity for
lodging and commerce.
“We see this as an opportunity to really market Mountain View, market our downtown, market our businesses and really establish ourselves as a key destination for our visitors and sports fans,” said Amanda Rotella, economic vitality manager for the city.
The planned activation for the Super Bowl will focus on a one-day event in the downtown on Feb. 7, the day before the match. The concept is still being developed, but will focus on drawing visitors to downtown with games, live music, decals and decorations on the 100 through 300 blocks of Castro Street. The city is also reaching out to private businesses to assist with their plans in order to market the events to the public.
For the World Cup, the city plans to undertake a similar promotional plan, such as with decorations installed in the same areas of Castro Street about one week prior to the start of the tournament. Staff is evaluating the potential to decorate bollards in a soccer-style wrap and install mural decals, among other ideas.
The plan also includes the potential for public watch parties. The number of World Cup games has narrowed the city focus to a small number of games, potentially during the World Cup Final game, on July 19, 2026.
“We are encouraging communities such as Mountain View to come together and to bring people into places where they already celebrate,” said Ruth Shikada, VP of government and external affairs for the Bay Area Host Committee during the meeting.
