Mountain View allocates $295K for Super Bowl, World Cup events

Looking to boost local businesses, Mountain View is planning to host watch parties and other community events to draw visitors to the downtown area during the Super Bowl and World Cup this year.

At a Dec. 16 meeting, the City Council unanimously approved the allocation of $295,000 to fund activities related to the mega-sporting events. With the money, the city plans to hire an event planning and production services company that will provide logistical support and other related services.

The council also approved a $30,000 grant for the Mountain View Chamber of Commerce to help community members promote their businesses and host their own events during the Super Bowl and World Cup.

“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 visitors and sport fans,” Economic Vitality Manager Amanda Rotella said at the meeting.

Both the Super Bowl and World Cup will take place at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara. The Super Bowl will occur on Feb. 8 while the World Cup has six matches scheduled in the Bay Area from June 13 through July 1. The city anticipates that the sporting events will bring an influx of visitors to Mountain View, with a lot of people using the downtown transit center — a major Caltrain, light rail and bus hub that provides direct access to Levi’s Stadium.

Casting a wide net, Mountain View also is looking to attract people who do not plan to attend the Super Bowl or World Cup but still want to be “near the action” and enjoy sports-related events in the city.

“We really want to boost the local economic activity (by) driving foot traffic, bringing people into Mountain View businesses,” Rotella said, adding that more visitors will also increase sales tax and hotel occupancy revenue for the city.

Downtown plans for the Super Bowl

Ahead of the Super Bowl, Mountain View is planning a one-day football-themed event on Saturday, Feb. 7. The concept for the event is still being developed, but it will feature oversized games and decorations on the 100, 200 and 300 blocks of Castro Street, according to the council report.

The city also is looking to hire a band to serve as a focal point for the event.

In response to a question from a councilmember ahead of the meeting, a staff memo noted that the city is tempering some of its expectations for a big visitor turnout, after learning from 2016 — the last time that the Super Bowl was held at Levi’s Stadium.

“That experience provided important lessons around timing, scale, regional competition and how visitors actually move through host communities,” the memo said. For 2026, the city is providing more direct support to local businesses and focusing on activities a day before the Super Bowl when visitors are more likely to be present.

Working with the Chamber of Commerce, the city also is establishing an event webpage that will list Super Bowl watch parties and other related activities planned by local businesses, the council report said.

Downtown plans for the World Cup

Tied to the World Cup, Mountain View is planning to install soccer-themed decorations on the 100, 200 and 300 blocks of Castro Street in early June, according to the council report. The city also is evaluating the possibility of wrapping the pedestrian mall bollards to look like soccer balls and putting mural decals on buildings — with the permission of property owners.

Mountain View could potentially host one — or up to three — soccer watch parties, depending on the cost and whether the city can secure licensing rights with FIFA, the World Cup’s governing body. The city wants to hold a watch party for the final championship game on July 19, which will be held in New Jersey, and possibly for other games too, according to the council report.

The city would rent commercial audio and video equipment to display the games in the downtown area.

The city also is looking into the possibility of establishing an “entertainment zone” on Castro Street that would allow businesses with existing alcohol licenses to permit customers to take their beverages outside within designated areas. The entertainment zone would be in effect on certain days and times during the World Cup, the council report said.

Additionally, the city plans to work with the Chamber of Commerce to help support local businesses’ efforts to plan their own World Cup-related events, including watch parties.